Canon Europe, world-leader in imaging solutions and leading conservation organisation WWF have renewed their partnership for a further three years and will use Canon’s imaging expertise to record and promote awareness of the state of the environment and climate change. The partnership will focus, amongst other projects on supporting WWF’s conservation work in the Arctic. The first programme Canon Europe is supporting in 2012 is ‘Sailing to Siku – Voyage to the Last Ice Area’, an Arctic expedition designed to collect new information and examine future management options for the area where summer sea ice expected to last the longest in the midst of a rapidly-changing Arctic landscape. “The region we will be travelling through is critical for an entire ice-dependent ecosystem,” said Clive Tesar, Head of Communications and External Relations WWF-Global Arctic Programme.“This is an important opportunity for us to deepen our understanding of the Arctic and its people so we can work together to plan a sustainable future – for people and for wildlife – in this vitally important region.” Canon has been a conservation partner of WWF International since 1998. Following the recent WWF-Canon Polar Bear Tracker1 project, the new sponsorship includes support for a range of initiatives beyond the Last Ice Area expedition, including continued sponsorship of the WWF-Canon Global Photo Network2 and photography training for WWF staff. “Canon Europe is focused on raising awareness of conservation issues and our partnership with WWF International is a key component of our overall commitment to sustainability,” said Cyp da Costa, Brand and Sponsorship Director, Canon Europe. “We are proud to continue our work as WWF International’s Conservation Imaging Partner by supporting an expedition that aims to extend our knowledge of the Last Ice Area, one of the least-explored regions of the world.” The sailboat, called Arctic Tern, will set off from Upernaviq in Greenland and is expected to arrive at its destination, Pond Inlet in Canada, on 1 September 2012. The expedition will see WWF experts, scientists, crew and a Canon Europe professional photographer Ambassador travelling through Canada’s High Arctic to the Last Ice Area, to research this little-known area and meeting local people along the way.