Welcome to PEOPLE 2026

The Persistent, Emerging, and Organic Pollution in the Environment (PEOPLE) Network warmly invites researchers, students, postdoctoral fellows, early-career professionals, policymakers, community members, Indigenous organizations, and industry partners to participate in the PEOPLE 2026 Virtual Conference: “Our Environment at Risk in Polar and Cold Regions: From Emerging Contamination to Collective Solutions under Climate Change”, taking place virtually from November 23-25, 2026. This event is jointly organized with the 2026 Atlantic Symposium of the Canadian Association on Water Quality (CAWQ).

Arctic, polar, sub-Arctic, and other cold-region environments are undergoing rapid environmental transformation driven by climate change, pollution, industrial development, and increasing human activities. These sensitive ecosystems face growing threats from microplastics, PFAS, hazardous substances, contaminant remobilization from snow, ice, and permafrost, as well as changing coastal and marine conditions. Addressing these interconnected environmental challenges requires innovative research, interdisciplinary collaboration, Indigenous knowledge integration, sustainable technologies, informed policy development, and collective global action.

PEOPLE 2026 aims to provide an inclusive and interdisciplinary platform for sharing research outcomes, innovative methodologies, monitoring technologies, modeling approaches, and practical solutions related to environmental pollution and climate challenges in northern and cold-region environments. The conference will foster scientific exchange, mentorship, networking, and collaborative partnerships among researchers, trainees, environmental professionals, communities, and organizations working toward sustainable environmental futures. While the conference particularly encourages participation from students and early-career researchers, submissions and participation are welcomed from all career stages and sectors worldwide.

We warmly welcome participants from around the world to join PEOPLE 2026 and contribute to advancing knowledge, collaboration, and sustainable solutions for Arctic, polar, and cold-region environments.