International Polar Year 2012 Conference: From Knowledge to Action;Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 22–27 April 2012 As a follow‐ up to the 2007–2008 International Polar Year (IPY), more than 3000 international participants came together in April 2012 at a conference entitled “From Knowledge to Action.” The conference addressed a broad scope of topics beyond academic science to include challenges of globalization, climate change, and social and economic issues. Participants included researchers and others with expertise in multiple fields: policy and decision making, law, industry, nongovernmental organizations, circumpolar communities, and indigenous peoples. The challenge of translating academic and other forms of knowledge into societal benefits dominated the event.