Month: May 2019

The ‘Apprentice Collectors’ is an educational program aimed at teaching young art students the inner workings of an art museum and about contemporary art in general.

Sponsored by the New National Museum of Monaco, in conjunction with the Société pour la Gestion des Droits d’Auteur (SOGEDA), the initiative is now finishing up its third year.   

Fine art students from two schools, François d’Assise-Nicolas Barré and Albert 1er, participated in a series of meetings, workshops visits, and exchanges this year, all aimed at accomplishing the program’s goals.

At this year’s artmonte-carlo contemporary art fair, students selected works from several artists for the museum’s special acquisition committee, who in turn selected three drawings by artist Mika Rottenberg which will become part of the museum’s collection.

This June, global influencers in business, government, civil society and startups will come together at the Fairmont Monte Carlo for one reason … to help speed up the transition to a zero-carbon economy. Lionel Le Maux, co-founder of Transition Forum, spoke to Monaco Life about why the forum is necessary in our battle against climate change.

Monaco Life: Can you tell me why it was necessary to start the Transition Forum?

Lionel Le Maux:The ecological transition is a vital and systemic issue that must involve different stakeholders from multiple sectors and countries to tackle the immense challenge of creating new models for sustainable economic growth from a broader perspective. From the 2015 Paris Agreement to the voices of young activists around the world, we’ve all heard the calls for urgent action in the face of climate change, overpopulation, biodiversity loss and the depletion of natural resources. Technical solutions exist, but we need to work together and finance them. No single actor can do it alone. Our goal is to strengthen the ecosystem of key players across multiple sectors — companies, startups, investors, cities, NGOs, foundations, researchers — in order to identify innovative solutions, form partnerships and spur investments which are essential to speeding up the transition.

What has the response been?

The first edition in June 2018 allowed us to start building a community of actors who share our long-term vision of working towards a low-carbon future. The response from speakers and participants was overwhelmingly positive, and many of them are coming back this year to witness the progress made on each other’s actions, and to collaborate on concrete solutions.

Last year, there was a very significant agreement signed, tell me about that and how the Transition Forum fosters these types of deals?

Transition Forum aims to bring together key stakeholders in the ecological transition, and fostering partnerships with sustainability as their purpose is integral to our mission. The timing of our inaugural forum, of which Prince Albert is the high patron, was perfect for the announcement of the partnership between IOC and C40 to make the Olympic Games sustainable. We welcome and encourage all members of our community to use Transition Forum as a platform to announce and launch their sustainable initiatives.

Can we expect any big announcements this year? 

Our focus is not so much on making one big announcement. What’s even more important and impactful will be a number of announcements from diverse international players, followed by concrete actions which can be measured year after year. That’s why, on the first day of this year’s Forum, we’ll open the floor to speakers and participants who wish to share the progress they’ve made on their actions since last year.

Why was it important to focus on the societal impact of the ecological transition this year? 

The transition is about all of us. But, for citizens to fully understand the challenges of the ecological transition, they must be able to measure its impact on their daily lives. We will be focusing on food, housing, mobility, and patterns of production and consumption, because all those aspects of our day to day lives will be radically transformed in the coming years.

Is Monaco an environment for you that inspires people to make investments in sustainable practices? 

Definitely. The actions of the Principality in this area are undeniable, and HSH Prince Albert II has set an inspiring example for others by clearly demonstrating his commitment to leading Monaco on the path towards a low-carbon future.

What concrete or innovative solutions have emerged since the first edition? 

You need to come to the second edition to learn about the wide variety of mind blowing innovations that will be presented: from the latest carbon capture technologies to flexible solar films, to boats powered by plastic waste, photosynthetic architecture, urban cable cars, indoor vertical farming, and much more.

What are the most innovative solutions one can expect to learn of this edition?

I mentioned some of these innovations above. We will hear from a combination of small startups and large companies who have already transformed their business models to embrace sustainability. They’ll share innovative solutions for feeding a burgeoning population, housing people, producing and consuming goods, and low-carbon mobility. But while technology and innovation are obviously important, what is really going to propel us on the path towards a low-carbon future is how we embrace these innovative technologies in our daily lives. Each of us have an important role to play in the ecological transition, and we need to share the responsibility for building a new model for human progress while preserving our planet.

Monaco Life is proud to be a media partner of Transition Forum

The recent European elections drew more than 47 million voters across France, whilst in Monaco only 777 people went to the polls to make their choice.

The election was held on Sunday 26^th May and with 35% of the votes, the Renaissance list, supported by La République en marche, Democratic Movement (Modem) and its partners, came in first.

Out of the 4,922 registered voters in Monaco, only 777 chose to vote in this year’s election, representing a participation rate of just 15.6%. A total of 760 votes were cast, 10 ballots were cancelled and seven blank ballots were cast.

The Renaissance list obtained 35% of the votes in front of Jordan Bardella’s (Rassemblement National) with 23.29%.

The overall participation rate in France was significantly higher than in 2014, at 50.12% as opposed to 42.43%. In the Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur region, 376,692 people went to vote with a participation rate of 49.84%.

Highest number of votes in Monaco (top four):

Renaissance – Nathalie Loiseau: 35%

Prenez le pouvoir – Jordan Bardella: 23,29%

Union Droite-Centre – François-Xavier Bellamy: 14,21%

Europe écologie – Yannick Jadot: 10,79%

While Monaco is known for having charity galas, the Monaco Better World Forum took a different approach in Cannes during the Film Festival. Beyond the traditional evening gala, the Forum organised daytime events including a Green Cross-led Ocean Ambassadors training, where participants may have discovered a solution for ocean cleanup.

Cannes during the film festival may conjure images of celebrities, gowns and galas. Although these were true during the evening at the Monaco Better World Forum, the daytime held something different: education and innovation. The Monaco Better World Forum, MBWF, is a global platform of thought leaders and influencers dedicated to innovating and enhancing the standard approaches to humanitarian aid, business best practices, biodiversity preservation, and environmental conservation.

In a private area above the Terrace Casino in Cannes, a group of great minds gathered. The Monaco Better World Forum organised an Ocean Impact Day and after lunchtime, people from as far away as Dubai and the United States were seated at tables, ready to learn.

In both English and French, participants were guided and trained in the latest research regarding the ocean. For example, did you know that there is a new boat that can convert non-recyclable plastic into fuel, which will be ready to go by 2020? The group went into deep discussions about conservation efforts currently underway, and became aware of gaps in the conservation scene via an interesting case study project.

Separated by table groups, participants from the Forum were challenged to choose a case study and brainstorm to come up with a solution to solve the problem. Groups were challenged to find solutions to help solve issues that are a result of changes in our oceans, such as storm readiness on remote islands. I was placed at a table with remarkable people, including Dr. Zayd Sharif, a specialist in regenerative medicine based in London, and Alessandro Vincenti, the CEO of green scooter sharing company, MiMoto, in Italy. Together with other group members, we chose to brainstorm about how to clean plastic from the sea.

We came up with a plan where single use plastic should be taxed like cigarettes, and have similar disturbing photos on single use plastic packaging. We also discussed pressuring governments to stop the production of new plastics in five to 10 years, to encourage investors to select recycling projects or studies of new materials in lieu of creating more pollution. Our easiest idea was a fine on littering. In many cities in the US, people are fined if they don’t pick up their dog’s poop. Why not make a similar fine for littering? These initiatives would prevent new plastic pollution into the sea.

One guest of interest was “Mr. Bin”, a self-described activist otherwise known as Edmund Platt, whose goal is to communicate the dangers of plastic pollution wherever he goes. A regular on French television and social media, his French and English language campaign encourages individuals to help clean the planet by using the trash bin.

“I was flying all the time, earning loads of money, polluting a lot,” he said. “Then I realised we had this problem of plastics in the ocean and everybody is capable of picking up at least one piece of rubbish a day.

He described little actions people can do every day to help the planet, such as eating less meat, moving to slow fashion and buying vintage clothes. Just thinking about your carbon footprint is helpful. He suggested that people who believe in helping the ocean should make an effort not to buy single use plastic items.

A few hours after the Green Cross training, the Gala began. Guests of honor included Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, who received the Colombe d’Or in recognition of his ongoing contribution to global environmental protection. At his table was American actor Chris Tucker and British actress Kiera Chaplain.

However glamorous the gowns, the guests and the dinner, what shined the most at the Monaco Better World Forum was the organisation’s dedication to actioning its goals. Time will tell what changes are made due to the group’s efforts with the Green Cross Ocean Ambassador training, but the outlook seemed to be as as sparkling as guests’ gowns.

MonacoTech’s top five participants in a recent competition were welcomed by Monaco’s Minister of Finance and Economy Jean Castellini on Tuesday 28th May. Throughout the entire week, the project leaders will have the opportunity to be involved in workshops and private meetings with business leaders and MonacoTech representatives to help guide the businesspeople of tomorrow and assist them in their next steps.

“These startups are part of a strategy of economic development, positioning of the Principality and communication, both within the borders of our country and abroad, in projecting a new image of Monaco: a digital Monaco, more modern, more open to the world, and ready to face the challenges that await us,” said Mr Castellini.

The chosen projects are innovative and future oriented and the selected participants benefit from a follow up program where they are reviewed independently every six months to assess their progress.