Issues
Water is an essential element for the functioning of the planet and all forms of life. While it covers 3/4 of the Earth’s surface, only 2.8% of terrestrial water is freshwater, mostly found in ice form.
Due to human-caused climate change since the Industrial Revolution, glaciers are melting all over the world, and this process is accelerating. From the end of the Little Ice Age (1850-1900 depending on the region) to the end of the 21st century, glacial decline will have released hundreds of thousands of square kilometers. In these areas, which constitute some of the last untouched natural zones on our planet, a diversity of terrestrial ecosystems (rocky areas, grasslands, forests, etc.), freshwater (rivers, lakes, wetlands, etc.), and marine (fjords, coastlines, lagoons, etc.) ecosystems are developing. It is necessary to study and protect them.
Actions
n the French Alps, glaciers have lost more than 60% of their surface area since 1850. In light of this alarming observation, Mirova Foundation has committed to supporting the Ice&Life project led by WWF France, the French section of the World Wide Fund for Nature. This includes the work of glaciologist Jean-Baptiste Bosson with @Asters – National Conservatory of Haute Savoie and the marge sauvage association.
One of this project’s goals is to sanctuarize the areas reclaimed by life after glacial retreat. A multidisciplinary research team*, coordinated by glaciologist Jean-Baptiste Bosson within the Conservatory of Natural Spaces of Haute-Savoie (Asters), has collected and analyzed data in the French Alps to anticipate the consequences of melting glaciers. Communication actions have been carried out by partner organizations (Asters-CEN74, IUCN) and project ambassadors, including athlete Kilian Jornet and Nobel Prize winner Jacques Dubochet.
In August 2023, glaciologist Jean-Baptiste Bosson and the Asters team published a groundbreaking article in the prestigious scientific journal Nature on the evolution of glaciers worldwide and the consequences of glacial retreat on ecosystems.
In the summer of 2024, the association marge sauvage was created by a collective of engaged citizens and placed under the direction of Jean-Baptiste Bosson. It carries the Ice&Life project as well as the festival “Agir pour les glaciers” (Act for the glaciers), whose first edition took place in March 2025.
*ETH Zurich, University of Savoie Mont-Blanc, INRAE, University of Bern and Fribourg, Asters-CEN74
Key figures
Our Support
- Multi-year partnership over three years
- Financial support
- Skills sponsorship with a Mirova collaborator from the ESG Research team, an expert in water-related project issues
- Outreach and raising awareness
- Awareness of glacier melting