Editor’s update on the 2026 Arctic Report Card
The 21st annual Arctic Report Card is moving forward. Since NOAA announced the termination of funding for the Arctic Report Card after 20 consecutive years, the independent editorial team has been working to strengthen and build partnerships and support to ensure the continued production of the Report Card, though many needs are not yet met to accomplish a full release. The annual creation and dissemination of the Arctic Report Card requires the talents and contributions of many people. Together, they bring the collected expertise of more than 100 international authors to a set of products that make ongoing changes in the Arctic environment understandable, accessible and relevant to decision makers, educators, communities and interested people around the world.
The American Geophysical Union (AGU) and climate.us, together with the Cooperative Institute for Research and Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Alaska Fairbanks, are providing vital assistance that will help ensure the 2026 Arctic Report Card is the timely, accurate and scientifically rigorous product that people around the world have come to expect. The Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme has stepped up to continue to coordinate the independent review of the Report Card. As has become customary, the Report Card will be released at a press conference at the AGU Annual Meeting this December.
But changes must happen. NOAA’s support was not simply cosmetic. NOAA maintained a comprehensive website documenting two decades of Arctic Report Cards, developed tools and resources for digging deeper into the observations, and dozens of employees and contractors, mostly working behind the scenes, kept all aspects of the Report Card on schedule, coordinated and readily available. NOAA also supported most aspects of dissemination and the participation of lead authors at the release of the Report Card, allowing them to explain important findings directly to the media and public.
The first of these required changes are now live. The Arctic Report Cards’ new online home is under construction here at arcticreportcard.org and will be expanded in the coming months with the vital support of AGU. A gift fund at the University of Colorado Boulder is available for those able to financially support the Arctic Report Card. Financial support is urgently needed at this time to help address the substantial shortfall in resources required to produce the 2026 Report Card and build the foundation for future years. While the current production focus is on the 2026 Report Card, strengthening and creating new partnerships will ensure the continuation of the Arctic Report Card in 2027 and beyond.
The Arctic Report Card editorial team gratefully acknowledges the outpouring of support for the Arctic Report Card, sharing how it has been a vital and trusted resource. This has been an inspiration as we work to develop new partnerships and maintain established ties, so that the Arctic Report Card can continue to chronicle and make sense of a rapidly evolving Arctic.
The Arctic Report Card Editorial Team
Contact: [email protected]
Matthew L. Druckenmiller
Twila A. Moon
Richard L. Thoman Jr