UNESCO international experts met in Monaco last week to discuss sustainable development for the Arctic in the face of global climate change. The objectives were to highlight the impact that global warming has already had on the region, and to investigate ways to monitor further changes.

Prince Albert is well known for championing the environment and has visited both the North Pole in 2006, and the South Pole in January this year to see for himself the problems caused by climate change. In hosting the meeting in Monaco, he's supporting the United Nation's efforts to ensure sustainable development in the Arctic. These challenges aren't limited to natural environmental problems, but include social and cultural issues, such as how the changes affect the development of the indigenous population.

In welcoming the delegates, Prince Albert's opening speech urged them to prevent the catastrophes predicted for the Arctic with not only local support, but also through "knowledge, widespread awareness, [and] the widest possible dissemination of scientific work." Climate change is a global problem and needs to be tackled by a joint global effort. Achim Steiner, the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) highlighted the worrying results of climate change research, and described the Arctic as "the canary in the climate coal mine - its singing is reaching deafening and alarming intensity that can no longer be ignored." Let's hope that the alarm has not been sounded too late.