International Polar Bear Day: Why Arctic Conservation Matters More Than Ever

Discover why International Polar Bear Day is important, how climate change affects polar bears, and practical ways you can support Arctic conservation from home.

Every year on 27 February, International Polar Bear Day shines a spotlight on one of the planet’s most recognisable, and increasingly vulnerable, animals: the polar bear. 

Organised by conservation groups including Polar Bears International, the day is designed to raise awareness about the challenges these Arctic giants face in a warming world.

For a sustainability-focused platform like That’s Green, it’s a moment to pause and consider not just the fate of one species, but what polar bears represent in the broader climate conversation.

Why Polar Bears Are Under Threat

Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are uniquely adapted to life on sea ice. They rely on it as a platform to hunt seals, rest, and in some cases travel vast distances. The problem? Sea ice is shrinking.

According to climate scientists, Arctic sea ice has declined dramatically over the past few decades due to rising global temperatures. This directly affects polar bears’ ability to feed, leading to longer fasting periods, lower body weights, and reduced cub survival rates.

The species is currently listed as vulnerable on the global conservation scale, with estimates suggesting around 20,000–25,000 individuals remain in the wild across the Arctic regions of Canada, Greenland, Norway, Russia and Alaska.

The Climate Connection

Polar bears have become a powerful symbol of climate change. While their image is often used in environmental campaigns, the science behind their vulnerability is starkly real.

When sea ice forms later in the year and melts earlier in spring, polar bears have less time to hunt. This means:

Fewer fat reserves to survive the summer

Lower reproductive success

Increased human-wildlife conflict as bears move closer to settlements in search of food

The Arctic is warming nearly four times faster than the global average. What happens there doesn’t stay there – melting ice affects global weather patterns, sea levels and ecosystems worldwide.

What International Polar Bear Day Encourages

International Polar Bear Day focuses on practical climate actions. Organisations such as World Wildlife Fund and Polar Bears International often promote:

Reducing home energy consumption

Switching to renewable electricity suppliers

Improving insulation and heating efficiency

Supporting climate-conscious policies

Educating others about Arctic conservation

The aim isn’t guilt, it’s momentum. Small actions, multiplied across communities, create measurable change.

How You Can Mark the Day

You don’t need to travel to the Arctic to make a difference. Here are meaningful ways to observe International Polar Bear Day:

Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Review your household energy use. Could you switch to LED lighting, lower your thermostat slightly, or explore green tariffs?

Learn and Share

Read about Arctic ecosystems and share reliable information through your social media channels. Raising awareness matters.

Engage Young People

Polar bears capture children’s imaginations. Use the day to spark conversations about wildlife protection and sustainable living.

Support Conservation

Consider donating to reputable organisations working in Arctic research and habitat protection.

Why It Matters Beyond the Arctic

Polar bears are not just distant wildlife in a frozen landscape. They are indicators of planetary health. When their habitat disappears, it signals wider environmental instability.

For readers of That’s Green, International Polar Bear Day is a reminder that sustainability is interconnected. From energy choices in UK homes to global climate agreements, our decisions ripple outward.

Protecting polar bears ultimately means protecting ecosystems, coastal communities, and future generations.

And perhaps that’s the most powerful message of all.

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New Global Alliance Promises to Advance Wild Animal Care Across South Africa

International animal welfare organisation Wild Welfare has joined forces with the South African Animal Keepers Association (SAAKA) to bring world-class support and expertise to wildlife caregivers throughout the region. 

An inaugural Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has officially been signed to drive up standards of wild animal care and education at progressive zoos, aquariums, and sanctuaries across South Africa.

By increasing access to high quality educational materials and professional development, the two organisations aim to up-skill frontline animal care professionals and managers in key areas of animal care and welfare. 

By applying such learning, keepers have the opportunity to significantly help reduce captive-related stress, or better provide for an animal's need to promote their naturalistic behaviors for example.

 Ultimately, these improvements move the needle from mere survival to truly good welfare, allowing animals to thrive in a safe, stimulating environment.

SAAKA was established in 2024 to create a formal network for animal care professionals in South Africa, providing a voice for those who understand the intricate needs of the animals in their care. This partnership with Wild Welfare, a global leader in animal welfare training, will bring important expertise and resources directly to the South African animal keeper community.

“Authentic long-term relationships lie at the foundation of our work,” Dave Morgan, Field Director for Wild Welfare told That's Green.

 “This MoU is grounded in long-term, authentic relationships and a practical commitment to supporting staff on the ground, so that animals under human care are managed to thrive rather than simply persist.”

The formalised partnership hopes to increase the availability of advanced welfare training and learning opportunities for animal caregivers within SAKKA’s membership while establishing a platform for sharing resources, husbandry techniques, and progressive welfare research.

Robynn Ingle-Moller, Vice-President of SAAKA, highlighted the significance of the union, stating, “Keepers are the first responders in animal welfare.

"By banding together and partnering with an organisation like Wild Welfare, we are ensuring that the future of animal care in South Africa is grounded in compassion, science, and professional excellence.”

The MoU marks the beginning of a five-year journey dedicated to raising the bar for captive animal welfare and ensuring a brighter future for the thousands of wild animals housed across South Africa's managed facilities.

https://saaka.org.za

https://wildwelfare.org

Clean energy needs a clean planet: PLAN-B NET ZERO and everwave launch joint initiative

PLAN-B NET ZERO announces a strong start to 2026 as it enters into a partnership with the Aachen-based environmental scale-up, everwave. 

With the guiding principle ‘1 euro = 1 kilogram of waste’, the partners recovered 10,000 kilograms of waste from rivers in Cambodia at the start of the initiative.

Around 11 million tonnes of plastic waste enter the oceans every year. 

Without effective countermeasures, this volume could almost triple by 2040. Studies show that about 80 percent of marine plastic reaches the sea via roughly 1,656 rivers worldwide. To date, everwave has removed in excess of a staggering 2.4 million kilograms of plastic from rivers in Cambodia, Albania, and Thailand. 

The company uses specially-designed  waste collection boats, barriers, and manual cleanups to stop plastic before it reaches the oceans. 

At the same time, mobile sorting and recycling solutions return materials efficiently to the circular economy. AI support optimises collection routes to clean as many waterways as possible in a sustainable way.

The partnership began in Cambodia, where the initiative’s waste collection boats operate in rivers and canals around cities.

 With this action, PLAN-B NET ZERO and everwave advance their shared vision of a clean and sustainable future.

“Together with everwave, we have already removed 10,000 kilograms of waste from rivers in Cambodia. We want to use our good energy in the best possible way, because clean energy alone does not help without a clean planet,” Julia Schnitger, Head of Marketing at PLAN-B NET ZERO, proudly told That's Green.

everwave carries out cleanups directly on site and works closely with local authorities and partners. This structure anchors the measures long term in the regions and creates measurable impact.

PLAN-B NET ZERO transforms 100% sustainable energy from a commodity into a lifestyle product. 

Their platform expands energy supply with digital and service-based offerings, as well as software and licensing. 

Data-driven optimisation, user-focused features, and additional services beyond pure energy supply create a new, integrated user experience.

You can learn more by visiting

www.planbnetzero.com 

and 

https://everwave.de/en

Clean Planet Group Announces Strategic Investment by FTAI Infrastructure to Support Waste-Plastic Advanced Recycling Expansion, and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Infrastructure Deployment

Clean Planet Group has received a strategic investment from FTAI Infrastructure (NASDAQ: FIP), managed by Fortress Investment Group. 

This marks the next phase of a partnership focused on scaling advanced waste-plastics recycling and sustainable fuels infrastructure across Europe and North America.

The expanded investment builds on the previous collaboration between FTAI Infrastructure and Clean Planet Group in the US and reflects a growing ambition to advance Clean Planet’s technology, project pipeline and international market opportunity.

The strengthened partnership broadens FTAI Infrastructure’s support beyond individual US project development to the wider Clean Planet platform.

Clean Planet operates across three integrated divisions: Energy, which develops, builds and operates advanced recycling facilities; Technologies, which focuses on proprietary refining processes and low-carbon fuels innovations; and the Clean Planet Foundation, the not-for-profit arm supporting education, engagement and impact. Together, their platform addresses two structurally linked global challenges: unmanaged plastic waste and the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors.

Clean Planet Technologies’ progress in plastics-to-SAF aligns closely with FTAI Infrastructure’s long-standing commitment to sustainability and energy-transition assets and reflects the growing importance of SAF as a scalable, near-term solution for reducing aviation emissions. Last month, Clean Planet Technologies received grant support through the UK Government’s Department for Transport’s SAF Clearing House.

Dr Andrew Odjo, CTO and Co-Founder of Clean Planet Group, told That's Green: “FTAI Infrastructure has been a committed and highly aligned partner, and this next phase of investment enables our ambition to scale internationally. 

"Beyond our established advanced recycling business, we are building a technology-led platform that can supply lower-carbon fuels to sectors that urgently need them, which makes this a particularly exciting moment for the Clean Planet.”

The extended partnership will support the continued rollout of Clean Planet’s ecoPlant facilities, which produce circular feedstocks for downstream petrochemical manufacturers, further development of its clean fuels technology portfolio, and progression towards commercial-scale SAF production.

https://www.cleanplanet.com

Energy-hungry AI and air conditioning risk wiping out climate gains made by renewables

The rapid expansion of renewable energy is being used to meet rising electricity demands rather than displacing fossil fuels, according to new research by the University of Sussex.

Energy-hungry artificial intelligence data centres and greater use of air conditioning in a fast-heating world are among several factors threatening to undermine the climate gains made by renewables, according to the paper published in Nature Reviews Clean Technology.

Researchers from Sussex and Vienna’s Central European University found record growth in solar power in the first three quarters of 2025.

For the first time this rise in clean electricity outpaced global growth in electricity demand, yet the researchers warn this fragile balance is now starting to tip back the other way.

Since the 2015 Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global temperature rises, global wind and solar power generation has grown rapidly, yet emissions from the power sector have continued to rise as electricity demand has grown even faster. Analysis of global energy demand in 2025 found artificial-intelligence data centres as a major driver, alongside increased use of air conditioning as people struggle to cope with hotter temperatures.

Electrification of transport and consumer trends such as bigger cars were also highlighted as culprits. The report found these pressures are eroding efficiency gains made by individual countries. Projections to 2030 warn that increases in electricity use could consume most new renewable supply unless proactive measures are taken to limit demand.

“Renewables are scaling at record speed, but demand growth from data centres, cooling and transport is running just as fast,” Professor Felix Creutzig, Bennett Institute Chair at the University of Sussex told That's Green.

“We need policies that curb unnecessary energy use and shape demand so that clean electricity can have the intended effect of cutting emissions from fossil fuels.”

The report cites evidence from the European Union and major cities showing that demand reduction isn’t necessarily a matter of human hardship, and can coincide with economic growth and wellbeing for citizens through efficiency measures and urban planning that reduces dependence on cars. The authors conclude that aligning renewables with demand-side strategies is now central to meaningful decarbonisation.

The University of Sussex’s Bennett Institute for Innovation and Policy is hosting its annual Research Symposium on 19 February. Under the theme Zero Hour for Energy Policy: Researching the Race to Net Zero delegates will explore pressing issues that underpin the acceleration of climate change policies. Attendance is free, but registration is required.

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