Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment: A Decadal Synopsis

A major update by SCAR to the Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment (ACCE) report has been compiled. This Background Paper provides an infographic summary of the ACCE Decadal Synopsis, key findings relevant to CCAMLR, and a series of recommendations derived from these findings. CCAMLR Members are among those best placed to be the voice of the state of the environment of the southern polar regions. The messages, informed by research in the Antarctic, are clear. The CAMLR Convention Area, the Antarctic continent’s physical environments, and the biodiversity the region supports are changing rapidly as a consequence of global climate change. This climate change is the consequence largely of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Urgent action is needed to mitigate global greenhouse gas emissions, and to include considerations of climate change in the conservation and management of Antarctic systems and marine living resources.