[1] In 2015, the Ice Memory project started with the meeting of Jérôme Chappellaz - CNRS - EPFL, Patrick Ginot - IRD (IGE/UGA-CNRS-IRD-G-INP) from France and Carlo Barbante (CNR/Ca’Foscari Univ.
According to UNESCO and IUCN report "World Heritage glaciers: sentinels of climate change"[3] announcing that about 30% of glaciers recognized as World Heritage Sites will disappear by 2050 and 50% by 2100 without a drastic and immediate reduction in greenhouse gases, the Ice Memory initiative has been described as urgent and meaningful for humanity wellbeing and acknowledged by UNESCO in 2017[4] Indeed, previous glaciology researches made by notably Claude Lorius, Glaciologist and Ice Memory first supporter, Dominique Raynaud and Jean Jouzel aimed to prove the link between atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases and climate change while studying ice cores.
Located in France at Université Grenoble Alpes, it aims to collect, save and manage ice cores from selected glaciers in the world currently melting, with their yielded information for decades and centuries to come.
The Foundation's governance is international, with members from France, Italy, Switzerland, China, and the United States, including two former Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Vice Presidents, Qin Dahe and Jean Jouzel.
A long term governance over the next centuries, ensuring the preservation and the proper use of this Humanity heritage, is investigated in cooperation with International Institutions, notably UNESCO and Antarctic Treaty System (ATCM).