Western Canada glaciers suffered 2nd-greatest ice loss on record in 2025

United Nations appointed 2025 has been declared the “International Year of Glacier Conservation,” but a climate researcher in northern British Columbia now says last year was the second-worst year on record for glacier loss in western Canada.

“We have to understand that it's not a question of whether the glaciers will disappear, but that they will disappear,” said Brian Menounos, a professor of geosciences at the University of Northern British Columbia and chief scientist at the Hakai Institute's Airborne Coastal Observatory.

“We are finding that these glaciers are disappearing much faster than previously predicted.”

Menounos estimates that the region lost about 30 gigatons of glacial ice last year. One gigatonne corresponds to one cubic kilometer of water, which is roughly equivalent to the entire Okanagan Lake in British Columbia.

“The first and foremost factor is actually higher temperatures, and that's largely driven by rising greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel use,” Menounos says.

Menounos and a team of international researchers were tracking the global state of glaciers using satellite and aircraft observations, as well as ice sampling.

Last summer they published peer-reviewed study reports unprecedented ice loss in Western Canada, the United States and Switzerland between 2021 and 2024.

Peer-reviewed study published in the journal Nature last February, warns of global glacier loss.

“We find that there is a pronounced acceleration, both due to warmer conditions and the lack of snow in late summer. This is important because it really changes the degree of reflectivity of the surface of the glaciers,” Menounos said.

Warmer conditions cause snow grains to become larger, optically darker, and less reflective, creating a feedback loop that increases glacier melt. Winter snowfalls, even in heavy seasons, cannot replace the lost ice mass.

Mark Edney, glaciologist from Geological Survey of Canada says there is a clear scientific consensus regarding glacier loss.

“We see glaciers shrinking, retreating, thinning, losing mass all over the world, and Canada is no exception,” he says.

Edney says the loss of glacial ice could have a direct and devastating impact on the environment and economy.

“Glaciers… are essentially like storing water in reservoirs. This way, water is stored in cold times and then released in hot times for industry and agriculture.” he says. “Once these glaciers disappear … we will see a difference in the amount of water we have available for human consumption.”

In British Columbia, home to about 17,000 glaciers, melting glaciers are also affecting river levels, which are critical for fisheries and hydropower.

Ottawa Climate Action Plan: “Have it both ways”

Both the federal and provincial governments say they are committed to combating climate change.

In a statement to CBC News, British Columbia's Ministry of Water, Land and Resources said the government has partnered with researchers to track glaciers and understand how climate change is impacting B.C., but it remains a complex multi-agency issue that needs to be addressed.

Federal government Climate Action Plan pledges to “Go both ways” and commits to achieving emissions targets while maintaining economic growth.

This reflects recent partnerships between the federal and provincial governments to build new fossil fuel facilities, such as the expansion of North Shore LNG plants and the possible Northern Pipeline.

For glacier researchers like Menounos, the choice between economics and climate is one of cold comfort.

“Fossil fuels are really important to the existence of Canada and other developed countries, but they come at a very high cost.”