Greenland’s ice mass losses have dramatically decelerated since 2012.
According to a new study (Nilsson and Gardner, 2026), from 1992-2023 the ice loss from Greenland ice sheet (GIS) and peripheral glaciers has added a total of only 1.1 cm (11 mm) to global sea levels. This is a sea level contribution rate equivalent of just 0.37 mm/yr.
Greenland’s mass losses have not followed a pattern that would suggest ice melt is driven by linearly-rising CO2 emissions. In fact, from 1992 to 2001, the GIS and coastal glaciers actually contributed to a net reduction in global sea levels, with net ice sheet mass gains amounting to +50 Gt/yr.
From 2002-2011 Greenland sustained a decade of rapid ice loss equating to -303 Gt/yr, spawning an era of alarmist “tipping point” headlines and IPCC doomsday reporting.
Since then, however, GIS loss has slowed by about 60%, to -124 Gt/yr. This slowdown has been attributed to ocean cooling and a positive surface mass balance (SMB) over the last decade.
Despite the rapid 60% deceleration in ice melt loss, there are no signs of a slowdown in GIS ice loss alarmist narratives.
