Reacting to new data showing record shrinking of Arctic sea ice, Greenpeace executive director John Sauven said:

"The canary in the coal mine is singing very loudly now. At this rate we could see the end of summer sea ice in our lifetimes. It's well known that the loss of ice at the North pole means the Earth absorbs more heat from the sun, instead of reflecting it, and that means even more warming. And yet the world's greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. When will politicians, like our own Gordon Brown, realise this is a planetary emergency and react accordingly? As it is Britain is on the cusp on building new runways and new coal-fired power stations. It’s almost unbelievable."

Scientists said today that record melting of the Arctic sea ice this summer has seen it shrink to an area one million square miles below the average minimum. The National Snow and Ice Data Centre in the US said the minimum extent of the sea ice this year shatters the previous all-time low in September

2005 by 460,000 square miles. At its lowest point during the summer melting season, sea ice coverage in the Arctic stood at 1.59 million square miles, compared with the previous low of 2.05 million square miles in 2005. The long-term average between 1979 and 2000 is 2.60 million square miles.

For more, contact the Greenpeace press office on 0207 865 8255.

Greenpeace statement on tomorrow's IPCC impacts, adaptation and vulnerability report

The second of four major reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2007 is expected to predict dire consequences for the planet if our greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. Commenting on the news, Greenpeace climate campaigner Jim Footner said:

"It's clearer than ever that millions are at risk from devastating climate change. The poorest people will be hardest hit, despite being least to blame. The UK has played a major role in causing the problem and we must play a leading role in solving it - but appallingly our CO2 emissions are rising.

It's time for solutions that match the scale of the threat. To avert disaster, the Government needs to stop sitting on its hands and start implementing the solutions that already exist - decentralised energy, renewable energy and energy efficiency."

For further information please contact the Greenpeace press office on 0207 865 8255 / 07801 212 972