The unprecedented melting of Arctic sea ice in the high-seas Central Arctic Ocean — recognized under the UN Law of the Sea as part of the “heritage of humankind” — is a planetary emergency. We call this fragile, disappearing region the Central Arctic Ocean Ice Shield (CAOIS), and its protection sits at the center of everything we do.
Every 1 ton of CO² emitted melts roughly 3m² of Arctic sea ice — about the size of a compact car. 95% of the oldest, thickest, most reflective ice is already gone.
70% of Arctic infrastructure is threatened by permafrost thaw by 2050. Thawing permafrost holds nearly double the carbon currently in the atmosphere.
Soot from ships burning heavy fuel oils is darkening Arctic ice, with black carbon emissions growing ten times faster there than the global average.
The Arctic Ocean is acidifying faster than any other ocean. Full melt of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets could eventually raise sea levels by tens of meters.
Arctic sea ice is one of nine active climate tipping points on Earth. Its bright surface reflects solar heat back into space — the albedo effect — and over half of that reflective power has already been lost. As darker ocean absorbs more heat, warming accelerates permafrost thaw, disrupts the Gulf Stream and Jet Stream, and is scientifically linked to floods, droughts, heat waves and wildfires far beyond the Arctic Circle.
The Arctic is home to more than 21,000 species, many of them entirely ice-dependent for breeding, feeding and survival — and to Indigenous communities whose food security and cultural traditions are directly tied to the ice.
As ice retreats, interest is growing in deep-sea mining, oil and gas extraction, transpolar shipping routes and other commercial activity across the Central Arctic Ocean. Modeling suggests the long-term economic cost of unchecked permafrost, snow and sea ice loss could vastly exceed any short-term gains from Arctic extraction and shipping.
We believe the Precautionary Principle must govern this moment: pause first, understand the science, and protect what cannot be replaced.
Our Arctic plan centers on maximum protection of the remaining sea ice, guided by the Precautionary Principle.
An immediate, decade-long pause on deep-sea mining, transpolar shipping, oil and gas exploitation, seismic testing, radioactive waste dumping and nuclear weapons testing in the CAOIS.
Correlating the rate and extent of Arctic sea ice melt with the emissions cuts required to maintain the Ice Shield’s albedo effect and global climate stability.
Pursuing innovative, fit-for-purpose governance through our Arctic Legal Defense Fund, recognizing the CAO as a Global Commons and integrating Indigenous traditional knowledge.
Tightly coordinated programs and partnerships designed to reinforce one another and accelerate protection of the Ice Shield.
We convene policy, legal and scientific experts to advise on the conceptualization and development of pathways to a suitable protective framework for the Central Arctic Ocean.
Developed in partnership with the Cambridge University Governance Lab and the EU Arctic Forum, this arm of the Task Force convenes legal experts and thought leaders working toward the Moratorium.
A global community of more than 50 young women climate activists from over 30 countries, advocating for the Ice Shield in forums worldwide with leadership training delivered in collaboration with George Washington University.
Civil society climate activists standing in defense of the CAO Ice Shield, working alongside allied grassroots movements to press for the systemic reforms this moment demands.
No nation owns a Global Commons. Like Outer Space, the atmosphere, Antarctica and the High Seas, the Central Arctic Ocean lies beyond national jurisdiction and is recognized under the UN Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as part of the common heritage of humankind.
We advocate for the CAO Ice Shield to be treated accordingly — secured through the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Treaty, aligned with global 30x30 ocean protection goals, and informed by growing international recognition of Rights of Nature and Ecocide as legal frameworks for defending critical ecosystems.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Earth Restoration Alliance depends on individuals, foundations and partners who share our urgency.