Filming the Frozen Planet series, tourism and international cooperation under the spotlight as MPs continue evidence gathering on Antarctica
The Environmental Audit Sub-Committee on Polar Research holds a further evidence session on The UK and the Antarctic Environment as it turns its attention to New Zealand science, environmental concerns about tourism on the continent and the making of Frozen Planet II.
Meeting details
In the first panel, MPs will hear from New Zealand’s High Commissioner to the UK to learn about the country’s science and research in Antarctica. New Zealand has a long association with Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, and its researchers have made internationally recognised contributions to science spanning biodiversity and environmental monitoring. The Committee will be keen to explore the potential for further collaboration between New Zealand and the UK.
The second panel will focus on tourism in Antarctica, and in particular the tension between allowing education for visitors and the potential for tourism demand to contribute to climate change in the region.
Two of the creators of the Frozen Planet series will then appear on panel three, discussing why filming on the continent is important to bring environmental concerns and changes in Antarctica to the living rooms of millions around the world. The Committee will discuss logistical arrangements for planning filming on the remote continent and the making of Frozen Planet II, which emphasised the threats the region faces as a result of climate change.