During his trip to Copenhagen for the 15th United Nations Climate Change Conference, H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince attended various events organised in collaboration with partners of his Foundation.
Monaco
During his trip to Copenhagen for the 15th United Nations Climate Change Conference, H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince attended various events organised in collaboration with partners of his Foundation.
On Monday 14th December, the Sovereign Prince was one of the key speakers of “Oceans Day”. The meeting gave representatives of States, intergovernmental organisations and NGOs the opportunity to discuss a range of topics relating to the problem of the oceans and the threats hanging over their resources so as to raise international awareness. On this occasion, the Sovereign Prince announced the launch of the Monaco Blue Initiative, set up jointly by his Foundation and the Oceanographic Museum, and which, as part of the Oceanographic Museum’s centenary, will bring together thirty or so international key figures next spring to discuss the fragile balance between man and the ocean, the biodiversity of the deep seabed that needs to be protected, and large marine species, an essential element of the maritime ecosystem.
The Sovereign also attended an event organised by the Congo Basin Forest Fund concerning solutions to the climate crisis that the forest could provide. On this occasion, a framework partnership agreement was signed by the Prince Albert II Foundation with the Congo Basin Forest Fund and its co-presidents Wangari Maathai and Paul Martin. This agreement is focused on identifying forest projects and scientific and technical cooperation.
Furthermore, the Sovereign presided over a round table on electric vehicles set up by the Climate Group. During this working session, whose participants included the Prime Ministers of Quebec, Jean Charest and of Southern Australia, Mike Rann, as well as Christian Estrosi, the French Minister of Industry, the Sovereign stressed the importance of developing a zero emission vehicle policy, a policy which has recently led to in the Principality, among other things, a certain number of agreements with car manufacturers (Renault-Nissa, Mitsubishi, Daimler) and the delivery of new generation electric vehicles.
In the early evening, H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco took part in a dinner/debate organised by the United Nations Foundation, one of the Foundation’s partners, on the following topic: Energy, Climate and Millennium Development Goals with Ms Helen Clark, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme and the former Prime Minister of New Zealand.
On 15th December, on the occasion of the Climate Leaders Summit, organised by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and the Climate Group, the Sovereign Prince officially launched the EV20 initiative before an international audience consisting of the media, government representatives, economic leaders, scientists and members of civil society. On this occasion, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation signed a framework partnership agreement with the Climate Group. This cooperation should enable support to be given to various projects concerning the development of technical solutions to combat climate change.
The day concluded with a press conference by the Aspen Institute, a partner of the Prince Albert II Foundation. The Sovereign Prince, a member of the Aspen Institute’s Arctic Commission, alongside other commissioners, urged the international community to take the necessary measures to confront the threats which, with the melting of the sea ice as well as the icecap glaciers, weigh heavily on the Arctic.
