Antarctica Day: „Polar Science, Environment and Politics“, December 1, 2025
Estonian Academy of Sciences, Kohtu Str 6, Tallinn
To attend in person at the Academy, please complete the registration form by November 24.
The event will also be broadcast live and can be followed directly on this website (see below).
The Antarctic Treaty, signed on December 1, 1959, dedicated the continent to peace and science “in the interest of all mankind”. This day is now celebrated globally as Antarctica Day, reminding us that Antarctica should remain a peaceful natural reserve, where environmental protection and scientific cooperation continue to inspire international agreements. In Estonia, December 1 also marks the founding of the Estonian Polar Club in 1984, which has tirelessly promoted awareness of polar regions.
To honour these values, the Estonian Academy of Sciences, the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Estonian Ministry of Climate, and the Estonian Polar Club are jointly organising a half-day conference. The event will highlight the core principles of the Antarctic Treaty – peace, scientific cooperation, and environmental protection – and explore the challenges these ideals face in today’s polarised world. It will also reflect on Estonia’s role within the complex landscape of polar geopolitics.
You are welcome to ask the presenter questions via Slido #ANTARCTICA
Programme
| 12.00 | Registration, coffee |
| Master of Ceremony Aari Lemmik, Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs | |
| 12.30 | Opening remarks by Prof. Maarja Kruusmaa, Estonian Academy of Sciences |
| 12.40 | „Protecting Antarctica = Protecting the Planet. The Environmental Protocol at the Heart of Antarctic Governance“ Keynote speech by Dr. Birgit Njåstad, Program leader, Antarctic Programme at the Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø, Norway |
| 13.20 | Panel 1: Polar Power Games: Geopolitics in the Frozen Frontiers |
| Moderator: Ambassador Toomas Lukk, Special Envoy for the Arctic, Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Panelists: - H.E. Belén Sapag Muñoz de la Peña, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Chile in Finland and Estonia - Urmas Paet, Member of the European Parliament, rapporteur for the Arctic region - Marko Mihkelson, Member of Riigikogu, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee - Dr. Maria Grigoratou, Executive Secretary, European Polar Board | |
| 14.30 | Coffee break |
| 15.00 | Panel 2: Antarctic Environmental Protection, Climate Change and Europe |
| Moderator: Associate Prof. Kati Lindström, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden Panelists: - Dr. Birgit Njåstad, Program leader, Antarctic Programme at the Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø, Norway - Prof. Tarmo Soomere, Tallinn University of Technology, Estonian Academy of Sciences - Prof. Jonne Kotta, Professor in Marine Ecology, University of Tartu - Dr. Priit Tisler, Antarctic Operations, Finnish Antarctic Research Program FINNARP | |
| 16.30–18.00 | Reception |
Press contacts
Estonian Academy of Sciences: krista.tamm@akadeemia.ee
Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: press@mfa.ee