Climate crisis: World on brink of losing all its ice
Earth's ice is disappearing at a dangerous pace, raising big concerns for sea levels and water supplies worldwide.
The new State of the Cryosphere 2025 report, shared at the COP30 climate summit in Belem, Brazil, says we've already passed key safety limits for Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets due to rising global temperatures.
Glaciers outside poles losing more ice than ever
Glaciers outside the poles are now losing about 273 billion tons of ice every year—a jump of 36% compared to a decade ago.
Arctic and Antarctic sea ice hit record lows in early 2025.
Plus, permafrost is releasing more carbon than it absorbs, making global warming even worse.
Impact on humans, marine life
Melting ice is slowing down major ocean currents, which could make Northern Europe colder and push sea levels higher elsewhere.
Ocean acidification is hurting marine life.
In India, shrinking Himalayan glaciers threaten freshwater supplies and raise risks of floods and droughts.
If temperatures rise by 3°C instead of 1.5°C, Western Himalayan glaciers could lose up to 70% of their mass—putting cities like Mumbai and Kolkata at greater risk from rising seas.