A committed destination
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
H.S.H. Prince Albert II has committed the Principality of Monaco to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, and has renewed His commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, as well as His numerous actions to take account of the oceans in the issue of climate change. Sources/More information
ACTIONS TAKEN
Preserving our natural heritage
Managing our natural heritage is one of the pillars of government policy. The Department of the Environment is setting up programmes to inventory and monitor marine and terrestrial species.
At a marine level, the Principality protects its maritime area: all of its territorial waters are part of the Pelagos marine sanctuary.
Two marine reserves have been created in Monaco. The first, at Larvotto, covers 50 hectares and was created in the 1970s. It has a Posidonia meadow, large nacres and brown groupers. The second, created in 1986 on the Spélugues coralligenous reef, is home to red coral.
On land, the Principality has 880 plant species, including 18 heritage species. Various studies have enabled us to take stock of the flora and fauna and to discover rare species of insects and invertebrates. The Rocher is home to a pair of peregrine falcons and their offspring.
A policy of preserving trees and certain plants is being implemented by the Urban Planning Department, which has drawn up the "Tree Code". This document sets out the importance and virtues of trees in the city and lists the Principality's arboreal heritage. Sources/More information
Monitoring
1) Monitoring air quality
In order to prevent any inconvenience or risk to health and the environment, an automated network of five approved stations has been in place throughout the Principality for over twenty years. It provides continuous measurements, either automatically or by sampling, followed by laboratory analysis. All these measurements are processed by the Environment Department and then validated by AtmoSud (an accredited expert in Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur).
The pollutants monitored are
- Carbon monoxide (CO)
- Nitrogen oxides (NOx)
- Sulphur dioxide (SO2)
- Ozone (O3)
- Fine particulates
The monitoring system has just been strengthened with the introduction of an Air Quality Index (AQI) on the Government's Internet portal. The quality is expressed by an overall index ranging from 0 (very good) to 100 (alert threshold), calculated on the basis of data collected by the 5 air quality measurement stations operated by the Environment Department. The AQI forecast for the following day (D+1) is also estimated, taking into account weather forecasts.
2) Coastal Water Quality Monitoring
The Principality monitors the physical and chemical quality of coastal waters, based on repeated measurements of all the components of the marine environment (bodies of water, sediments or living organisms), but also on knowledge of activities or natural and man-made inputs likely to influence the quality of the environment.
Health monitoring of bathing water is also carried out between the beginning of May and the end of September, with weekly sampling and analysis at each bathing site (Pêcheurs, Solarium and Larvotto beaches). A declaration of compliance is also drawn up at the end of each bathing season.
During the summer season from June to September, the readings are available to the general public at the lifeguard post on Larvotto beach and on the screens at the entrance to Monaco.
Managing resources
Water and waste are managed sustainably in the Principality. Monaco has two sources of water supply: locally produced water from springs in the eastern part of the Principality, imported water from a resource in the east drawn from the Roya aquifer and a main resource in the west, from the Var river basin. Rationalising and reducing water consumption remains one of the major challenges for sustainable resource management. Excessive water consumption puts pressure on freshwater reserves, particularly in urban areas. Wise consumption reduces the stress on our ecosystems and extends the lifespan of existing reserves and water treatment plants. In recent years, awareness among households and private and public players in the Principality has led to a significant drop in water consumption in Monaco. Further information
Selective sorting has been introduced. It is backed up by a wide-ranging awareness-raising policy. www.sma.mc/
As far as energy is concerned, the Government is pursuing an environmental policy that aims to comply with the Principality's commitments, in particular the Kyoto Protocol. In line with the provisions of the Kyoto Protocol, Monaco has set itself the target of improving energy efficiency by 20% and consuming 20% of final energy from renewable sources by 2020.
The aim of the Energy and Climate Plan is to combat climate change and adapt the territory to these changes, with a view to sustainable development. More information
Reducing greenhouse gases
The Principality of Monaco is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.
To achieve this objective, the Mission for Energy Transition was created with the aim of taking action in the 3 sectors that emit the most greenhouse gases in Monaco, namely road transport, waste treatment and energy consumption in buildings.
The mission also manages the national green fund in order to carry out concrete large-scale projects.
Having drafted the White Paper which set out the roadmap, the Mission for Energy Transition is now working on the development of renewable energies in Monaco (solar, thalassothermal, geothermal energy, etc.).
A Pact for Energy Transition has also been launched at the same time. This enables everyone - private or public - to commit to voluntary and mandatory actions to reduce greenhouse gases. For further information
Monaco, a Responsible Tourism Destination
In Monaco, the tourism sector is following the environmental policy instigated by the Prince's Government. All stakeholders are committed to more responsible tourism and are implementing solutions to ensure optimum management of resources.
The Destination and its partners are working to protect and preserve water, biodiversity and combat global warming.
For example, the majority of hotels have opted for environmental certification, and soft mobility is promoted through the development of a public transport network and efficient intermodal solutions. Awareness-raising campaigns are regularly organised on the themes of waste sorting, the fight against food waste, the protection of biodiversity, etc.
The Monaco Tourism and Convention Authority signs the Glasgow Declaration
Following the publication of its White Paper on Responsible Tourism, the Monaco Tourism and Convention Authority has just signed the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action. Issues, objectives, action plans... here's an overview of the subject in three questions and answers!
What is the Glasgow Declaration?
The Glasgow Declaration is a key response to the urgent need to accelerate climate action in tourism. It aims to halve emissions over the next decade and achieve net zero emissions as soon as possible before 2050.
Which players are involved?
All players in the sector are getting into gear to support lower-carbon, sustainable and resilient tourism models. To date, the Glasgow Declaration has just over 700 signatories, including tour operators and online agencies, as well as cities, countries and destinations such as Monaco.
What about Monaco's Tourism and Convention Authority?
Committed to developing increasingly responsible tourism, the Monaco Tourism and Convention Authority confirmed this commitment by signing the Glasgow Declaration last October in Madrid. This signature echoes a three-year action plan drawn up following the White Paper on Responsible Tourism in the Principality.
The Monaco Tourism and Convention Authority wishes to confirm and work - with the support and contribution of its partners - on the five areas of intervention of the Glasgow Declaration, namely: measurement, decarbonisation, regeneration, collaboration and financing. This is a day-to-day, long-term effort to take effective measures to protect the climate and achieve the necessary targets.