A committed destination
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
H.S.H. Prince Albert II has pledged the Principality of Monaco to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 compared with 1990 levels, and has renewed His commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, as well as His numerous actions to take the oceans into account in addressing the issue of climate change. Sources/More information
ACTIONS IMPLEMENTED
Preserving our natural heritage
Managing our natural heritage is one of the pillars of our government policy. The Environment Department has set up inventory and monitoring programs for marine and terrestrial species.
At marine level: the Principality protects its maritime space: all 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 boasts a Posidonia meadow, large nacres and brown groupers. The second, created in 1986 on the Spélugues coralligenous drop-off, is home to red coral.
On land, the Principality boasts 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 other vegetation is pursued 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 arboricultural heritage. Sources/More information
Monitoring
1) Air quality control
An automated network of five approved stations has been in place throughout the Principality for more than twenty years, to prevent any inconvenience or risk to health and the environment. 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)
- Sulfur dioxide (SO2)
- Ozone (O3)
- Fine particulates
The monitoring system has just been strengthened with the launch of an Air Quality Index (AQI) on the Government's Internet portal. 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 weather forecasts into account.
2) Coastal Water Quality Control
The Principality monitors the physical and chemical quality of coastal waters, based on repeated measurements of all components of the marine environment (water bodies, sediments or living organisms), as well as on knowledge of activities or natural and anthropogenic inputs likely to influence environmental quality.
Sanitary 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 (Plage des Pêcheurs, Solarium and Larvotto beaches). A declaration of compliance is drawn up at the end of each bathing season.
During the summer season from June to September, the values recorded are available to the general public at the Larvotto beach lifeguard post 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. Rationalizing 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 water consumption reduces the stress on our ecosystems, and prolongs the life of existing water reserves and treatment plants. In recent years, awareness of water consumption among households and private and public players in the Principality has led to a significant drop in water consumption in Monaco. More information
Selective sorting has been introduced. It is reinforced by a broad awareness-raising policy. www.sma.mc/
With regard to energy, the Government is pursuing an environmental policy designed to meet 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 Climate and Energy Plan is designed to combat climate change and help the region adapt to these changes, with a view to sustainable development. Find out more
Reducing greenhouse gases
The Principality of Monaco is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030, compared with 1990 levels.
To achieve this goal, the Mission pour la Transition Énergétique (Mission for Energy Transition) was created, with the aim of taking action in the 3 sectors that emit the most greenhouse gases in Monaco: road transport, waste treatment and energy consumption in buildings.
The mission also manages the national green fund to carry out concrete large-scale projects.
After drafting the White Paper that set out the roadmap, the Mission pour la Transition Énergétique 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 in parallel. It enables everyone - private or public - to commit to voluntary and mandatory actions to reduce GHG emissions. For further information
Monaco, a Sustainable Tourism Destination
In Monaco, the tourism sector follows the environmental policy instigated by the Prince's Government. All players are committed to more responsible tourism, and are implementing solutions for optimum resource management.
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 organized on the themes of waste sorting, the fight against food waste, the protection of biodiversity, etc.
Monaco Government Tourist and Convention Authority signs the Glasgow Declaration
Following the publication of its White Paper on sustainable tourism, the Monaco Government Tourist and Convention Authority has just signed the Glasgow Declaration on climate action. Stakes, objectives, action plans... three questions and answers to give you an overview of the subject!
What is the Glasgow Declaration?
Key to meeting the urgent need to accelerate climate action in tourism, the Glasgow Declaration aims to halve emissions this decade and achieve net zero emissions as soon as possible before 2050.
Which players are concerned?
All players in the sector are getting into the swing of things 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 the Monaco Government Tourist and Convention Authority?
Monaco Government Tourist and Convention Authority is committed to the development of increasingly responsible tourism, and 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 Sustainable Tourism in the Principality.
With the support and contribution of its partners, the Monaco Government Tourist and Convention Authority wishes to confirm and work on the five areas of the Glasgow Declaration: measurement, decarbonation, regeneration, collaboration and financing. It's a day-to-day, long-term effort to take effective action for the climate and achieve the necessary targets.