The International Skating Union (ISU) proudly announces its full support for the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, a United Nations (UN) initiative aimed at raising awareness about the critical role of glaciers for the climate system and the urgent need of their preservation. This commitment aligns with the ISU Vision 2030 and the organization’s comprehensive Sustainability Strategy 2023-2030. 

Officially launched on January 21, 2025, the UN International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation highlights the urgent need to address the alarming state of glaciers worldwide. Rapidly melting due to climate change, glaciers have contributed to a 23 cm rise in sea levels since 1990, underscoring the critical importance of preservation efforts.

Glaciers play a vital role in regulating the Earth's climate and supplying freshwater to billions. However, they are retreating at unprecedented rates, reshaping landscapes and endangering ecosystems worldwide, often in regions where ice skating first gained popularity. 2025 also marks the first “World Day for Glaciers” on March 21, as proclaimed by the UN. This global day celebrates the crucial relevance of glaciers, snow and ice in the hydrological cycle, inspiring action to protect these invaluable resources.

As part of its Sustainability Strategy 2023-2030 launched in January 2024 (read here), the ISU has prioritized ice stewardship and environmental protection as strategic goals to be pursued across three key interconnected pillars: environmental, social and economic. In November 2024, the ISU introduced its Sustainability Guidelines, an actionable framework promoting good practices, responsible behavior and innovation across all ISU events. A central focus of these efforts is water conservation, recognizing glaciers as an irreplaceable source of the planet’s freshwater.

“We are proud to stand in support of the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation initiative and the inaugural celebration of World Day for Glaciers later this year,” said ISU President Jae Youl Kim. “Ice is everything to our sport - and like everyone else on the planet, we are deeply connected to our natural environment. As stewards of ice, we feel a profound responsibility to help protect the glaciers that are essential to billions of lives and our planet’s ecosystems. Thousands of outdoor rinks, frozen rivers, canals and other natural ice surfaces are at the heart of skating’s rich origins and history. Skating must rise to this challenge by playing a pivotal role in raising awareness of the impacts of climate change and advocating for the preservation of glaciers.” 

Further reinforcing its dedication to sustainability, the ISU joined the Sports for Nature Framework in 2023, committing to the goal of protecting, restoring nature and developing initiatives to inspire action on ice stewardship.

As the ISU prepares to announce upcoming initiatives and continues to lead efforts highlighting the connection between sport, nature, and sustainability, it calls on the global ice-skating community and the wider sports world to come together in the mission to protect glaciers.