Prince Albert II officially opened the third edition of the Green Shirt Festival on Wednesday evening. The three day festival challenges businesses and citizens to reimagine their relationship with the planet.
The evening kicked off with a compelling session on ethical recycling practices, featuring Jean-Philippe Fusier, sharing a pivotal moment that transformed his company’s approach to waste management.
“A few years ago, China approached us to purchase our recycling materials for an enormous sum,” Fusier revealed. “However, when I enquired about the intended use of these materials, they mentioned creating Hello Kitty toys for children amongst other products. I thought of my own children and turned the offer down.”
The decision initially proved costly but ultimately revolutionary for Fusier’s business model. “We lost a substantial amount of money initially. But by changing how our company operates, we now have a turnover ten times greater,” he explained. Fusier’s example showcases how ethical practices can prove more profitable than purely profit-driven approaches.
The evening also featured local Councillor Marjorie Crovetto presenting the Mairie’s collaboration with artist Maud Louvrier-Clerc. Their project explores individual environmental commitments through innovative ‘soul portraits.’
Art meets activism
Louvrier-Clerc’s artistic methodology came from her experience with international climate negotiation. “I was convinced we could achieve something significant after Copenhagen, leading to the Paris Accords,” she said. “I thought, ‘This is happening from the top down, but what’s happening from the bottom up?’. That is when I realised we needed to understand citizens’ commitments.”
Drawing inspiration from Walt Whitman’s poetry, particularly the line “that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse,” Louvrier-Clerc has developed a participatory protocol, asking individuals to complete four questions, creating portraits that capture what she calls the “intangible energy needed for environmental transformation.”
“We’ve always created portraits of bodies in art—through drawing, painting, and photography. But what’s often missing is the invisible part: a person’s state of mind, their energy, and unshakable faith that change is possible. This sense of optimism is crucial, especially when the challenges we face are so big. It’s immaterial, yet deeply powerful.” she explained
Reimagining the future
The festival’s programming extended beyond these discussions, featuring a unique futuristic discussion with historians and prospectivists Mathieu Baudin and Hélène Binet. Their presentation, set in the year 2050, imagines a world where ecological transition has been successfully achieved through citizen action and innovative policies.
Speaking about their vision of successful environmental transformation, Baudin noted how “we’ve moved beyond seeing ourselves in crisis—after 40 years, that’s too long to be called a crisis. We’re in metamorphosis, possibly even renaissance.” Their performance challenges audiences to imagine positive futures rather than dystopian outcomes.
Hélène Binet, serving as ‘archivist of victories’, guides audiences through successful environmental initiatives, explaining: “My role is to collect, preserve, and transmit stories of citizen conquests, living fragments that are very real, and relate them to you. It’s about finding what worked, putting it in a box, and bringing it out tonight.”
The Green Shift Festival represents Monaco’s unique approach to environmental advocacy, combining artistic expression with practical business solutions
The third edition of the Green Shift Festival continues through Friday 6th June, with all events free and open to the public.
Monaco Life was there! See more in Kyriaki Topalidou’s video reel below…
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