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Arup proud to support 25zero in highlighting our rapidly disappearing glaciers during COP21

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Australasia Press Office
26 November 2015

The genesis of 25zero came when Tim Jarvis climbed Mount Kenya in 2008. His 20-year-old guidebook referred to 11 glaciers on the mountain, but many had melted so much that he barely encountered any ice at all during his climb.

In 2013, Tim undertook the Shackleton Epic Expedition, which Arup also sponsored, following in polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton’s footsteps, crossing two of the three glaciers Shackleton had crossed. 100 years later, the third glacier had been reduced to a waist deep lake.

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The impacts of climate change affect all of us; and undertakings like 25zero are important in highlighting the challenges we face globally. Arup is actively engaged with Cities and Governments to mitigate the impacts of climate change and help communities become more resilient through adaptation solutions; we are proud to support Tim and his team in their endeavours to raise awareness of the need to take action now. ” Mark Fletcher Mark Fletcher Director

Teams will climb a mountain in each of the countries the 25zero mountains are situated in during the course of COP21, the united nations' climate change conference (Nov 30 - Dec 11 2015, Paris).

Live video, images and messages about the rapidly disappearing glaciers will be transmitted to decision makers at COP21 and interested viewers by the 25zero expedition teams. These images and stories will show the severity of climate change and the need for urgent action to combat it.

Arup work closely with cities around the world on developing resilience strategies to climate impacts. The information and evidence of glacier loss that the 25zero undertaking will deliver supports our efforts to educate and engage with clients and communities on this global challenge. This will also support Arup attendees at COP21, working to reinforce our key messages of resilience and sustainability. 

The team will summit 3 mountains in three continents during the 12 days of COP21 - Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia, Mount Stanley in Uganda and Chimborazo in Ecuador. 

 
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They're the three most iconic peaks in the three different continents that still have a glacier, said Jarvis. And those glaciers are melting fast. And I want to show evidence of that. ” Tim Jarvis Sustainability Strategist

Other teams will climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Mount Kenya and Nevado Del Tolima in Colombia.