International perspectives on earth systems policy

2015 could potentially be a watershed year for international cooperation on planetary management. Three major international policy processes will be culminating in 2015, dealing with climate change, disaster risk reduction, development and sustainability. The emerging scientific evidence links the loss of ice, snow, and glaciers with the changing climate, with extreme climate events and water-related disasters such as storms, floods, and drought, and with the sustainability of freshwater resources. Multi-stakeholder initiatives such as the proposed Ice Circle are needed to support evidence-based policies at international level, and to take action on the impacts of global environmental change. Copyright AESS 2015