The inauguration of the first Ice Memory Sanctuary in Antarctica marks a landmark achievement in safeguarding the Earth’s climate archives for future generations. Located at the French–Italian Concordia Station on the Antarctic Plateau, the Sanctuary stores glacier ice cores inside a 35-metre-long cave carved directly into the ice and maintained at a constant temperature of approximately minus 52 degrees celcius. Designed to last for centuries without mechanical refrigeration or construction materials, the site protects irreplaceable climate archives for future generations of scientists.
Launched in 2015 by the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), the French Research Institute for Sustainable Development, the University of Grenoble-Alpes (France), the Italian National Research Council Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (Italy) and the Paul Scherrer Institute (Switzerland), the Ice Memory project aims to preserve ice cores from endangered glaciers around the world so that future generations of scientists can access the raw material they will need to generate new knowledge once many of the world’s glaciers have disappeared.
The first heritage cores stored in Antarctica were extracted from endangered Alpine glaciers Mont Blanc (France, 2016) and Grand Combin (Switzerland, 2025). After a 50-day journey from Europe, the icy cores were transported across the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, before eventually reaching the icy Ross Sea. From there, they were transferred to Mario Zucchelli Station and then to Concordia Station.
More than a technical achievement, however, the Sanctuary represents a commitment to long-term scientific stewardship.
A scientific time capsule for future generations
Ice cores contain trapped air bubbles, aerosols, pollutants and dust particles that preserve detailed records of past atmospheres and climate conditions. As glaciers retreat at unprecedented rates, these archives risk disappearing forever.
Since 2015, the Ice Memory Foundation has supported drilling operations on glaciers across multiple continents, engaging scientists from over 13 countries. The goal is ambitious: to sample 20 glaciers in 20 years, securing a representative global archive before further loss occurs.
Since 2016, ice cores have been successfully drilled from glaciers around the world. A global race is now underway to drill and preserve samples from 10 endangered glaciers before they disappear.
Ice Memory FoundationThe initiative has also drawn attention from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which supports the UN’s International Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences and coordinates the global system for weather, climate and cryosphere observation. Reflecting the value of long-term climate records for international scientific cooperation, Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the WMO, stressed that the ice cores should not be considered relics but as “reference points. Within their layers are preserved records … They allow scientists - now and in the future - to understand what changed, how fast it changed, and why. This is not nostalgia. This is preparation.”
A cornerstone of the UN Decade for cryospheric sciences
The Sanctuary’s inauguration aligns with the UN Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences, an international effort to expand understanding of ice systems and strengthen resilience to climate risks. The Ice Memory initiative has also received the strong support of UNESCO’s Executive Board since 2017 – reflecting its mandate to preserve scientific heritage and promote knowledge transfer to future generations. UNESCO's Executive Board has recognized the scientific and cultural heritage value of glaciers and encouraged international action to preserve them.
In 2017, the Board acknowledged the relevance of the initiative and urged the international community to act swiftly to safeguard glacier archives, and in 2018 it further emphasized the urgency of protecting remaining ice in regions such as Africa. This institutional backing reflects UNESCO’s broader mandate to preserve scientific heritage and promote knowledge transfer to future generations. As Lida Brito, Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences at UNESCO, noted, “As we transition from the International Year of Glacial Preservation into the Decade of Action, the sanctuary stands as a cornerstone for advancing cryospheric science.”
A “common good” from mountain glaciers
The Sanctuary was constructed in compliance with the Antarctic Treaty System and the Madrid Protocol, ensuring minimal environmental impact. Its stability relies on Antarctica’s naturally constant cold climate, avoiding materials, foundations and mechanical refrigeration. Its benefits also extend beyond the scientific community. Speaking at the Sanctuary’s opening, H. S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, Honorary President of the Ice Memory Foundation, spoke about intended gains for the wider public: “Today, for the first time, humanity inaugurates a global sanctuary in Antarctica dedicated to the preservation of ice cores for generations to come. This sanctuary is open to the entire scientific community. It is a project of science, foresight, and also of public interest — a true global common good.”
Antarctica’s unique governance framework makes the sanctuary a powerful symbol of multilateral cooperation in the service of shared human heritage.
The need for international governance and long-term stewardship
As the Ice Memory collection grows, so too does the need for durable governance frameworks. Questions of access, scientific equity, long-term stewardship and intergenerational responsibility will require sustained coordination among States, research institutions and international organizations.
Ensuring that this archive remains accessible to the global scientific community will test the ability of multilateral institutions to govern resources on behalf of future generations.
The Ice Memory Foundation has called for transparent and equitable governance structures to ensure that preserved ice cores remain a shared scientific resource, guided by clear access criteria and collective oversight. Olivier Poivre d’Arvor, Polar and Maritime Ambassador for France, has emphasized the importance of anchoring the initiative within multilateral cooperation. France has played a central role in supporting the project, working with Italy and UNESCO to help coordinate the initiative and advance plans for the Antarctic ice core sanctuary that will preserve these archives for long-term scientific use. As Poivre d’Arvor noted, “France, Italy and UNESCO will have a leading role to play together, placing this initiative on a long-term path in service of future generations. It is through multilateralism—through scientific and diplomatic cooperation—that we will be able to preserve this fragile and shared memory.”
A legacy for future generations
The Ice Memory Sanctuary is a long-term investment in humanity’s capacity to understand planetary change. By preserving the raw material of climate science before it disappears, today’s institutions are acting on behalf of scientists – and people – not yet born.
In preserving the memory of disappearing glaciers, the international community is experimenting with a form of governance that stretches beyond electoral cycles and funding horizons. The sanctuary stands as a reminder that protecting Earth’s climatic memory today strengthens the foundations for informed decision-making tomorrow.
