Monaco, as largest donor per capita, welcomes UN Green Climate Fund amid world tour

30/03/2023

The UN Green Climate Fund has met with key environmental players in Monaco, including the Prince Albert II Foundation and the Oceanographic Institute.

On 29^th March, Hong-Thuy Paterson, Financial Director of the Green Climate Fund, paid a visit to the Principality alongside Gabriel Boc, Specialist in Agriculture and Food Security.

The representatives were first received at the Ministry of State by Isabelle Rosabrunetto, Director General of the Department of External Relations and Cooperation, to discuss Monaco’s partnership, the results of the Fund and its strategic vision for the coming period.

Key environmental players in the Principality then gathered for a deeper discussion on the Green Climate Fund. They included the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, the Oceanographic Institute, Marine Protected Areas Fund, and the MedFund.

The Green Climate Fund, created in 2015, is the largest multilateral fund mandated to support climate action in developing countries, in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

Since 2019, the Fund has invested nearly $12 billion in more than 200 projects. With co-financing from other donors, they represent a total value of $45 billion. The projects supported aim to promote low-carbon development that is resilient to climate change in more than one hundred countries, with particular attention paid to the least developed countries.

“Faithful to the commitments made under the Paris Agreement, the Prince’s Government has made climate financing one of the spearheads of its development cooperation policy and has supported the Green Climate Fund since its creation,” said the government in a statement. “Monaco is the leading donor per capita over the 2020-2023 period and intends to continue its support in the future.”

The Fund has entered a mature phase and established itself as an essential element of the global climate finance architecture. Drawing on its experience, it is now well positioned to effectively help the most vulnerable countries to deal with the climate crisis.

“While the Fund’s financing capacity remains limited in view of the trillions needed to achieve the required transition, this unique instrument is called upon to play a catalytic role with a view to mobilising diversified capital on a large scale,” concluded the Monaco government.

SEE ALSO:

Monaco Ocean Week: Prince Albert launches ReOcean Fund to encourage private investors to save the oceans

Sign up for the Monaco Life newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Photo source: Government Communication Department

Photos: Grace Kelly’s “architectural gem” in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin listed for €39 million

by: Elsa Carpenter

30/03/2023

Dating from the 1890s, this incredible 15-bedroom property at the gates of Monaco has ties to not only Princess Grace, but a history intimately interwoven with the architecture of the Principality.

This “Belle Epoque masterpiece”, as it is described by Sotheby’s Côte d’Azur International Realty, which has a co-exclusivity for its sale, was built back in 1891 by the former mayor of Beausoleil, Camille Blanc. He had commissioned Henri Schmidt, the General Director of Architecture at Société des Bains de Mer, for its design, and together they conceived a magnificent and almost palatial property that has stood the test of time.

The Villa L’Aiglon later became the private property of Grace Kelly, Monaco’s Princess Grace, and she hosted many a famous face within its walls. The most memorable stay was perhaps that of Joséphine Baker, who became enchanted by the area and Monaco itself, and was buried in the Principality after her death in 1975.

Over five floors of living space, the main house has 10 bedrooms and 20 further rooms, including a number of stunning marble bathrooms. There is also a 205m2 caretaker’s house – the Villa Colmiane – with an additional five bedrooms.

villa l'aiglon grace kelly — *Uninterrupted views of the Mediterranean to the east and west. Photo: Sotheby’s*

Outside, a swimming pool and 2,665m2 of beautifully landscaped gardens are complemented by uninterrupted views over the Mediterranean, Cap Martin and the Principality.

“Its luxurious materials, its high ceilings, its beautiful volumes typical [of] the Belle Epoque are authentic and make an inimitable asset,” notes the listing. “You will be seduced by its finishings, its unique environment, and rich historical and architectural assets.”

For further information on the property, which has been listed for €39 million, please click here.

Sign up for the Monaco Life newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Photos: Sotheby’s Côte d’Azur International Realty

Basketball: Roca Team winning streak broken in Lithuania

by: Luke Entwistle

30/03/2023

AS Monaco Basketball’s five-game unbeaten run in the Euroleague came to an end at the hands of Zalgiris Kaunas (79-70) on Wednesday, in a detrimental but not decisive defeat in their quest for the top four.

The Roca Team began slowly in the cauldron of Zalgirio Arena, giving their Lithuanian opponents a generous headstart in the first quarter (28-19). Monaco never recovered from it, despite the playmaking efforts of Mike James (six points, four assists) and Joran Loyd (13 points, five assists).

Monaco were made to pay for their inefficiencies outside of the key. Donatas Motiejunas (13 points), back in his homeland for the fixture, found success in and around the basket, but their opponents were finding success from outside the key, which allowed them to keep the scoreboard ticking, and maintain a healthy gap throughout.

Monaco’s destiny within their own hands

The difference in quality between the sides were clear to see, despite Zalgiris being one of the Euroleague’s most profligate sides. The defeat (79-70) was, therefore, a logical one.

However, Monaco remain in control of their destiny in the quest to finish in the top four, synonymous with a home-court advantage in the post-season playoffs. Fenerbahçe’s defeat last night further helps the Roca Team’s cause. Should Milan beat Maccabi Tel-Aviv on Thursday, fourth place would be all but secured.

“We didn’t manage to play like we usually do. The best team won this evening. We need to sit down, watch the video and correct the errors. There were lots of them. It is difficult to have a lucid analysis after such a match. We’ll have to move forward in two days at Bayern,” said Motiejunas post-match.

Monaco face Bayern Munich on Friday, where a victory will as much as confirm their top four position with two games to spare.

Sign up for the Monaco Life newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Photo by AS Monaco Basket

Getting a taxi between Monaco and France to become easier

by: Elsa Carpenter

30/03/2023

A new system launched by the Monegasque government could spell an end to the confusion – and confrontations – between taxi drivers in France and Monaco.

The sticker or vignette system devised by the government is set to be rolled out from 1st April. It will allow non-Monaco registered taxi drivers to legally pick up passengers from within the Principality’s borders. This is something that had previously been prohibited, causing countless issues for passengers and drivers on both sides of the border.

Minister of State Pierre Dartout says that the new system will put the customer first, adding that it is “a matter of common sense”.

“We hope that the implementation of this system will be accompanied by reciprocal measures on the part of the French authorities, in order to allow Monegasque taxis to pick up customers heading for the Principality, in particular from the airports of the Côte d’Azur,” he said.

In total, 320 vignettes will be made available for drivers from outside of Monaco: 300 for VTCs – voiture de transport avec chauffeur or a passenger car with a driver – and a further 20 for taxis. Uber drivers, for example, will only be able to obtain a vignette if they hold a legal VTC license.

According to Jean Castellini, Monaco’s Minister of Economy and Finance, the number of vignettes available for foreign-registered drivers is three times the number of vehicles with the same classifications that are based in Monaco.

Each vignette costs €600 for the coming seven months. No plans for after this specific time period have been announced.

Sign up for the Monaco Life newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Photo source: Alias Ezzerrar for Unsplash

A new weekly farmer’s market opens near the Palace

by: Stephanie Horsman

30/03/2023

From this Friday, the vibrant new Petit Marché de Monaco Ville will be held every week, selling a bounty of fresh produce and breathing new life into this historic, but largely touristic, part of the Principality.

Monaco-Ville, colloquially known as The Rock or Le Rocher, is the neighbourhood that encompasses the Palace, the cathedral and some of the oldest streets in the Principality. The Grimaldi family has resided in this section since 1297, making it an important historic centre, though one that is often overlooked by locals.

Efforts to change that, and thus revitalise the area, are being put in motion with plans hatched by Marjorie Crovetto, the Principality’s Delegate for Commerce, Halls and Markets, now coming to fruition.

The weekly farmer’s market, called the Petit Marché de Monaco Ville or the Little Market of Monaco Ville, is starting up on Friday 31st March. For now, just one producteur of fruit and vegetables will be present.

It can be found between 8am and 1pm on the the Alleé Saint Jean-Paul II, a stone’s throw from the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.

A home delivery service

For those who find it a challenge to make it up to the Rock, a home delivery service has been set up by the townhall for people who reside in Monaco and need a bit of extra help transporting purchased items. It is similar to the service offered at Monaco’s two other market centres: La Condamine and the Marché de Monte-Carlo.

Do you have an event in Monaco or the French Riviera that you would like us to include in our What’s On section and events calendar? Please email editor@monacolife.net.

Photo source: Shelley Pauls for Unsplash

Photos: Hundreds join Prince Albert for official launch of Kate Powers Foundation

by: Cassandra Tanti

29/03/2023

The legacy of one of Monaco’s most beloved members of the community will live on in the Kate Powers Foundation, which has been officially launched in the presence of lifetime friend Prince Albert II of Monaco.

It was a packed house at Twiga on Tuesday 28th March as close to 400 members of the Monaco community came together for the official launch of her namesake foundation. It was a clear testament to how much they all loved and respected Kate Powers, including Prince Albert II of Monaco.

“It is wonderful to see so many familiar faces here, so many friends,” said Monaco’s Sovereign. “Your presence is a great testimony to Kate, to what she meant to us, and for what she did in her life. It’s all about giving back and helping others, and helping our planet as well. As she really embodied these values and this vision, I think we owe it to her to continue the work that she started with her family and many of you in this room.”

American-born Kate spent most of her life in the Principality after her mother, Jeanne Kelly, moved to Monaco to be with her friend Princess Grace. The Grimaldi and the Powers children grew up together.

As founder and owner of the popular former Stars n’ Bars family restaurant with her life partner Didier Rubiolo, Kate Powers was passionate about her local community and the environment. She passed away from cancer in August 2021, but her legacy to make the world a better place will live on.

*Didier Rubiolo and Annette Anderson, former manager of Stars n’ Bars at the launch of the Kate Powers Foundation, photo credit Ed Wright Images*

“Do what you love, love what you do, and make a difference”

During the official launch, President of the Kate Powers Foundation Rhonda Hudson relayed the moment that she and Kate decided to create the foundation in 2021.

“She looked at me and said, ‘Well I guess I could use a little help right now with all my ideas’, and she smiled,” revealed Rhonda. “She then asked me, ‘Why would people want to be a part of my foundation?’ and I repeated to her her most commonly used words: ‘Do what you love, love what you do, and make a difference’. The Kate Powers Foundation was created to serve the community of Monaco. We will continue Kate’s passions and desires by focusing on the environment, education and wellbeing in the Principality.”

*Prince Albert with members of the Kate Powers Foundation board, photo credit Ed Wright Images*

New water fountains to reduce single use plastic

Rhonda Hudson then announced the first project that the Kate Powers Foundation will undertake: the installation of drinking fountains at different locations throughout Monaco. It will help reduce the consumption of single-use plastic, something that was a key mission of the late Kate Powers. The aim is to place permanent, portable and temporary “Kate’s Fountains” throughout Monaco.

“These filtered drinking fountains will unite the community so we can all make an effort to reduce the consumption of single-use plastics,” said Rhonda. “We are excited to announce our collaboration for this project with the Water Smart Foundation.”

The community can support the Kate Powers Foundation projects by providing funding directly at https://www.katepowersfoundation.com.

Click on the gallery below to see more images from the launch. Photos source: Ed Wright Images…