The Polar Conservation Organisation is headquartered in Brussels, the European capital. It has been set up to provide comprehensive information about the Polar regions, and consequently wants to see the resources of those regions used and sustained in a way that benefits its natural inhabitants and the planet as a whole. Compared to other charities and organisations, PCO is much broader than simply global warming and polar bears. Although PCO realises just how important these issues are, we are also interested in indigenous peoples’ rights, national sovereignty issues, the conservation of the Polar regions, the environment, political role models for cooperation, and more. The Polar Conservation Organisation would like to be recognised as the focal point for information, discussion and political and public opinions about the Polar regions. Our ambition is for PCO to become recognised as the organisation that aggregates and facilitates information, discussion and political and public opinion forming in Europe. A key milestone is the establishment of a common EU policy and the appointment of a Commissioner for Polar Policy.

Activities and Objectives

The main objectives of the Polar Conservation Organisation are:

• Awareness & Eductation are the basis of any informed decision and as such is our primarily objective. PCO intends to stimulate and facilitate dialogue, information, and hopefully understanding about the various issues related to the Polar regions, its peoples, customs, economic activities and environmental and conservation needs.

• Think Tank representation ranging from scientists to politicians, corporate executives and educators, with the aim of establishing and developing and guiding EU policies on Polar issues. Results will be published in the various PCO publications.
• Lobbying at the European Parliament. PCO has support from various people in EU institutions and will continue to build these relationships and work with interested parties toward the creation and maintenance of a common EU policy and an EU Commissioner responsible for overseeing polar related maters.
• Publications and related events are important in order for the PCO to achieve its objectives. Interviews with leading political figures and industrial leaders will generate well-informed content on related topics, and will be made available online through PCO’s interactive website. PCO will eventually publish articles and news pieces as well. Ultimately PCO would like to contribute regularly to environmental press and other publications and publish a quarterly report on Polar Conservation related matters.