By: Hakan Bulgurlu – Chief Executive Officer, Beko

Melting glaciers and ice sheets have been making headlines globally — often for all the wrong reasons. They are increasingly viewed as assets: faster Arctic shipping lanes, access to untapped mineral resources, and far-reaching geopolitical ambitions. Yet, as we mark World Water Day, and inaugurate World Day for Glaciers, we must face a pressing truth: the retreat of these icy titans isn’t simply a scientific curiosity or a political bargaining chip — it is a full-blown crisis reshaping our world.

I’ve seen this crisis first-hand. In 2023, I stood on Antarctica’s frozen expanse after summiting Mount Vinson and skiing to the South Pole to raise awareness of the accelerating ice melt and its far-reaching consequences. That same year alone, glaciers lost over 600 gigatons of water – the largest mass loss in half a century. Behind these statistics lies a dire threat to nearly 2 billion people who rely on glacial meltwater for survival.

World Water Day 2025’s theme, “Glacier Preservation,” puts a spotlight on this urgency. The United Nations has declared 2025 the International Year of Glacier Preservation, a recognition that these ice reserves are not only crucial to remote ecosystems, but they sustain human civilisation itself.

These calendar dates are more than observances; they are a call to action. Each drop of meltwater is a warning. As the Earth warms, our frozen realms shrink unprecedentedly, destabilising the water cycle and causing erratic patterns. Floods become fiercer. Droughts stretch longer. Entire industries, from agriculture to energy, are thrown off balance. Our glaciers are vanishing, and with them, the stability of our water supply, food systems, and way of life.

My journey to understand this crisis began with a 2019 expedition to Mount Everest, also undertaken to highlight climate change. That year, climate-driven conditions resulted in one of the most perilous climbing seasons in history. Cyclone Fani, fuelled by higher sea temperatures over the Bay of Bengal, struck base camp with alarming force. During the expedition, I observed the stark transformation of glaciers in the Hindu Kush-Himalaya region compared to their historical extent – a sobering testament to our warming world. As I descended, I passed reminders of climate change’s toll — places where climbers had succumbed to increasingly unstable conditions.

European glaciers have already lost about 40% of their volume since 2000, a pace unimaginable to the explorers who initially mapped these icy landscapes.

The chilling reality is that water scarcity isn’t a tomorrow problem; it’s already in motion. As glaciers melt and permafrost thaws, they generate new hazards while magnifying existing ones. Glacial lake outburst floods, landslides, and avalanches endanger millions of lives, while rising sea levels – already 20cm higher than in 1900 – bring along difficult questions: Which lands do we protect? Which ones do we abandon? How do we resettle communities to safer, higher grounds?

We still have a chance to change course. Research suggests limiting warming to 1.5°C could save glaciers in two-thirds of World Heritage sites, but time to achieve this is disintegrating. Scientific consensus is clear: for the cryosphere, 1.5°C isn’t just preferable; it is essential.

Now, it is time for all of us to uphold our promises to future generations. Because once the glaciers are gone, there’s no turning back.

The implications stretch well beyond freshwater supply. As glaciers vanish, the meltwater flows into our oceans, accelerating sea level rise at alarming rates. Recent data reveals that Earth’s ice loss averages 273 billion tons per year (equal to what the entire global population consumes in 30 years) — a staggering figure that directly fuels rising seas. This surge is intensifying freshwater loss and accelerating coastal risks.

My conservative estimate – a rise of 30 to 50cm by the 2050s – may not seem dramatic. But the ramifications for the global economy are profound. Sea level rise is a global systemic risk that threatens to destabilise markets and the financial system as a whole. The erosion of property values and the uninsurability of these assets could trigger a cascade of economic failures.

With almost half of the populations in the EU and UK living within 50km of the coastline, imagine the scale of economic disruption on the horizon.

While I am not alone in recognising this crisis, there are many for whom it still seems remote, not a part of their lives. The same glaciers that store our planet’s freshwater are linked to the resources we rely on every day. Have you put food in your fridge today? Used your dishwasher? Turned on your oven? All these actions connect to the energy systems that fuel climate change. We can and should all do more.

Individual choices matter. Choose energy-efficient appliances, reduce waste, and be mindful of water use. These small steps, multiplied by millions, create significant impact.

We have long embedded sustainability in our core operations, continually advancing the water and energy efficiency of our appliances as well as transforming our production. But no single company can solve this alone. It is a global challenge that demands coordinated action.

Glacier protection must be added to national adaptation policies and NDCs. With COP30 ahead, governments have a critical opportunity — and responsibility — to lead.

It is not too late to turn the tide. There is power in unity and focus. COP30 will be a pivotal moment to deliver on the International Year of Glacier Preservation. Let’s not let it pass us by.