Pen Hadow

As an explorer Pen Hadow has pushed back the boundaries of human endeavour, polar exploration, and global engagement on sustainability.

His iconic solo trek from Canada to the North Pole has never been repeated, and his leadership of non-governmental scientific exploration on the Arctic Ocean is without equal. His mission now is to protect the wildlife of the North Pole’s international waters. He is today’s quintessential explorer – and he’s on a mission to protect our planet for future generations.

Hadow believes exploration of the natural world has been never more urgent or important in human history, given the continued existence of humankind and our global biodiversity is now so dependent on improving our understanding and management of the natural world. For example, with the Arctic’s sea-ice habitat fast disappearing, international research and conservation measures are now urgently needed to protect its threatened unique wildlife and floating ice-reef ecosystem.

He continues to lead the influential non-governmental scientific and public engagement programme, Arctic Mission – an annual expedition programme, delivered in association with the international advocacy work of the 90North Unit.

The 90North Unit, founded by Hadow, is the only organisation exclusively dedicated to protecting the wildlife and floating ice-reef ecosystem in the Arctic Ocean’s international waters. The Unit is focused on catalysing the conservation policy-making process within the Arctic Council and United Nations that can create the world’s largest protected marine area by 2032 – the North Pole Marine Reserve.