What happens in the Arctic doesn’t stay in the Arctic

Davos 2026

18 - 23 January, 2026

10 Years of Speaking Science to Power at Davos

For the past decade, Arctic Basecamp has worked to make one thing clear: what happens in the poles does not stay there. It amplifies the risks that impact us all.

Since 2016, we’ve brought scientists, decision-makers, business leaders, artists, activists, and institutions together to connect polar science to real-world consequences. From Davos and global policy forums to media, classrooms, and boardrooms, our work has focused on one task: ensuring that rapid polar change is understood where decisions with global impact are being made.

Over ten years, Arctic Basecamp has helped shift how polar change is framed — from a distant environmental issue to a defining risk for economies, societies, and security worldwide. That shift has only been possible because of the people and organisations who chose to engage.

People who have been part of this work include:
Rainn Wilson, Gail Whiteman, Julienne Stroeve, Jeremy Wilkinson, Jennifer Francis, Vanessa Nakate, Kaime Silvestre Silva Oliveira, Johan Rockström, Prince Albert II of Monaco, Caroline Coch, Robert Downey Jr., Arnold Schwarzenegger, Helen Clay, Netra Naik, Karol Bot, Lovro Valcic, Konrad Steffen, Marina Silva, Amalia Garcez, Christiana Figueres, Wode Maya, Lily Cole, Billie Eilish, David Hik, The Irwins, Bruce Forbes, Ellie Goulding, André Hoffmann, Greta Thunberg, Boris Johnson, Former VP Al Gore, Naoko Ishii, Kristalina Georgieva, Halla Tómasdóttir, Sanna Marin — and many more.

Organisations who have supported or collaborated include:
66°North, Berghaus, British Antarctic Survey, Reuters, BNP Paribas, WWF UK, Salesforce, WSL, Tableau, The Family, Davos Klosters, Wellcome Trust, We Are Family Foundation, UCL, We Mean Business Coalition, PIK, SoulPancake, Quadrature Climate Foundation, NSF, Woodwell Climate Research Center, World Economic Forum, WBCSD, Tony’s Chocolonely, UCSB, Google, YouTube — and many more.

This video marks ten years of work towards a shared effort to ensure that polar science arms global business leaders, lawmakers, media, and civilians with the knowledge to move society towards a nature positive future.

Frontiers' Science House

Experts at Odd: Debating Geoengineering

In partnership with Frontiers, we hosted a compelling session on geoengineering at Science House: examining the science, risks, and governance challenges of large-scale climate intervention as polar tipping points draw closer.

These risks were debated by Gail Whiteman, Martin Siegert, Paul Alivisatos, and Adrian Monck. View the session recording above!

Arctic Basecamp 10 year celebration with Frontiers Planet Prize and GAEA awardees, Photo by Gilbert de Gregorio, Frontiers

Arctic Basecamp's 10th Anniversary & Frontiers Planet Prize Celebration

Later that evening, Arctic Basecamp marked it's 10th anniversary at Davos alongside Frontiers Planet Prize and the GAEA awardees from the World Economic Forum. Watch the video to hear from:

• Sadaf Hosseini, Global Head of Partnerships & Philanthropic Engagement, World Economic Forum
• Gail Whiteman, Inaugural Hoffmann Impact Professor for Accelerating Action on Nature & Climate, University of Exeter Business School
• Johan Rockström, Director, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
• Jean-Claude Burgelman, Director, Frontiers Planet Prize
• Justin Mundy, Chairman, Sustainable Sovereign Debt Hub
• Arunima Malik, Professor, University of Sydney
• Zahra Kalantari, Professor in Environmental Science and Engineering, Royal Institute of Technology
• Zia Mehrabi, Director, Better Planet Laboratory
• Nicole Rycroft, Founder and Executive Director, Canopy
• Wolfgang Oels, COO, Ecosia
• Marina Romanello, Executive Director, Lancet Countdown
• Daniel Erasmus, Founder / Member, ClimateGPT / The Club of Rome

Youth Voices

Arctic Basecamp was joined by Youth Ambassadors Ellen Monielle and Pooja Tilvawala. They helped bring youth voices directly into the heart of global conversations.

On Sunday, Pooja Tilvawala hosted a Youth Circle of Hope at Arctic Basecamp with We are Family Foundation, creating an open space for young people to share perspectives, build connection, and set intentions for the week.

Ellen and Pooja took over MonkeyRock on Monday and Friday, offering an inside view of Davos, highlighting key moments, and translating big climate and risk discussions into relatable stories.

Their energy and insight helped reinforce why intergenerational leadership is essential in tackling the global risks amplified by polar change.

Learn about our Youth Programme!

Our Tenth Year at Davos!

Davos is where the world’s most influential decision-makers meet.

In 2026, science must be there. Without it, choices will be made in a vacuum, disconnected from the reality of floods, fires, food insecurity, and other escalating risks.

For the tenth year, Arctic Basecamp has brought climate evidence directly into the rooms where decisions are made— hosting science-driven side events at Davos alongside the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting.

We would have loved to have you stop by Arctic Basecamp, our programme is available for you to browse below.

Couldn't come in-person? No worries - watch the videos above and follow us on social media for more!

PROGRAMME

The “Stage of Impact” will serve as a dynamic platform where global thought leaders, innovators, and change-makers convene to tackle the most urgent challenges of our time.

The agenda will be curated by Doconomy and our partners The Banker (Financial Times), Adapteo Group, Standard Chartered, Consumers International, Osborne Clarke, and IMAGINE, following the themes of sustainable finance, financial wellbeing, consumer resilience, circular investments, bold innovation and leadership.

RSVP

In a crowded attention economy shaped by competing crises, fast-moving culture, and algorithmic feeds, why do so many climate and nature messages fail to land beyond familiar audiences?

Co-hosted by Prof. Gail Whiteman and Prof. Jemilah Mahmood, featuring American Actor Rainn Wilson joining digitally, this interactive InTent session brings together leaders from media, culture, philanthropy, science, and digital platforms to explore how attention is won and lost – and what it takes to reach citizens, voters, and decision-makers outside the echo chamber.

RSVP

Prof. Gail Whiteman, Prof. Alun Hubbard, Prof. Martin Siegert, Prof. Klaus Dodds, and Keith Tuffley come together for a rapid response session to examine why accelerating change in Greenland now represents a critical global risk. With 2025 marking record-breaking warmth and ice loss across both the Arctic and Antarctic, the discussion will explore how Greenland’s ice sheet, climate science, critical minerals, and rising geopolitical pressure intersect to shape sea level rise, planetary security, and economic stability. Speaking from the iconic Arctic Basecamp science tent, the session highlights why safeguarding Greenland’s sovereignty and protecting open international scientific collaboration is essential at this decisive moment.

RSVP

The “Stage of Impact” will serve as a dynamic platform where global thought leaders, innovators, and change-makers convene to tackle the most urgent challenges of our time.

RSVP

COP30 marked a turning point: the climate agenda has moved decisively from negotiation to delivery. In this implementation decade, the success of climate action will depend not only on finance and technology, but on scientific credibility, public trust, and information integrity. Together, the panel (Prof. Carlos Nobre, Pascal Barollier, Daniel Erasmus) will examine how misinformation and fragmented narratives increasingly threaten climate implementation — from nature-based solutions to adaptation, mitigation, and climate finance — and why AI must act as a referee, not a player, in the climate information ecosystem. The session will be moderated by Dr. Marcos Oliveira Jr., Research Impact Fellow on AI and Digital Technologies at the Nature & Climate Impact Team.

RSVP

What should be permissible in the race to limit global warming, and where do we draw the line on geoengineering?

Experts will engage in a frank discussion of climate interventions—from carbon dioxide removal to albedo modification—grounded in the latest science. The session will probe decision-making under uncertainty, the role of international norms and governance, and the safeguards needed to avoid moral hazard while keeping options on the table.

Confirmed speakers: Gail Whiteman, Martin Siegert, Adrian Monck, Paul Alivisatos

RSVP

Impact Europe continues to Light the Night in Davos in partnership with Laudes Foundation.

Impact capital providers are invited to an informal fireside conversation with a simple question: What will it take to create the right conditions for impact investing to truly flourish?

This is a chance to think together — across roles and organisations — about why coordination keeps falling short and what structural solutions might actually work.

By invite only.

By invitation only, this facilitated dialogue convenes systems leaders for an off-the-record exchange on navigating geopolitical fragmentation, climate disruption, and institutional strain. Designed for shared sense-making rather than debate, the session creates space to reflect on what responsible action and collaboration now require. Organised by the University of Exeter’s Nature & Climate Impact Team, facilitated by Reos Partners and Josh Ayers, and co-hosted by members of the Collaborative for Systemic Climate Action.