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Prince’s Foundation joins Clean Arctic Alliance

by: Cassandra Tanti
22/01/2021

The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation has signed the Arctic Commitment and pledged its support for a ban on the use and carriage of heavy fuel oil in Arctic shipping.
The Prince’s Foundation joins more than 165 companies, explorers, politicians and NGOs who have committed their support for the ban.
The Arctic Commitment was launched in 2017 and calls on the global governing body for shipping, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), to eliminate the use and carriage of heavy fuel oil (HFO) in Arctic shipping.
An effective ban would protect Arctic communities and ecosystems – already under pressure from climate change – from the risks posed by a spill of HFO – a viscous and polluting fossil fuel that accounts for 80% of marine fuel used worldwide, along with black carbon pollution emitted from burning HFO as fuel.
“The Clean Arctic Alliance is honoured to welcome the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation as a signatory to the Arctic Commitment,” said Dr Sian Prior, Lead Advisor. “The gracious support of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation for the Arctic Commitment demonstrates the increasing groundswell of support for a rapid phase-out of the use and carriage of HFO as fuel by ships operating in the Arctic. With sea ice receding due to the climate crisis, and ships making greater and earlier use of the Arctic Ocean for transporting goods, Arctic nations should put in place bans on HFO use and carriage in their own waters that will prove more ambitious than the ban recently approved by the IMO.”
“The Polar Regions are the first to witness global warming and are among the first territories to suffer from its negative consequences and from the impact of human activities, especially in the North Pole,” added Olivier Wenden, Vice-President and CEO of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. “Since the creation of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation in 2006, they are one of our top priority areas of action. We are proud to have been able to support more than 90 various projects in almost 15 years in these regions, whose issues are both local and global.
“Today we are pleased to stand with the Clean Arctic Alliance and support their initiative that aims to limit human pollution in an area that must be preserved more than ever,” added Mr Wenden. “New maritime routes open because of global warming making the way to the North Pole easier. Freight and tourism activities, and the use of heavy fuel oil in particular, are today a real risk for the balance of the North Pole that requires our collective action”.
In November 2020, during a virtual meeting of the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 75), a ban on the use and carriage of heavy fuel oil was approved by member states, and if adopted at MEPC 76 in June 2021, will come into effect in 2024.
However, according to recent analysis by the International Council on Clean Transportation, the regulation approved today will only reduce the use of HFO by 16% and the carriage of HFO as fuel by 30% when it takes effect in July 2024, and will allow 74% of Arctic shipping to continue with business as usual, until the ban comes fully into effect in 2029.
Between July 2024 and July 2029, the amount of HFO used and carried in the Arctic is likely to increase as shipping in the Arctic increases, and as newer ships replace older vessels and are able to take advantage of the exemption or change flag and seek a waiver from the ban.
“With the current ban, it will be nearly a decade before the proposed Arctic HFO ban takes full effect, and 20 years after the Arctic Council first identified that the greatest risk to the Arctic from shipping is from oil spills,” said Dr Prior. “In the meantime, Arctic ecosystems wildlife and its people will continue to be at risk of an HFO spill and the impacts of black carbon emissions. The IMO must act quickly to reduce black carbon emissions that are already having drastic impacts on the Arctic, and this action should be the immediate switching from HFO to distillate or cleaner fuels. Arctic nations could also support rapid action by banning HFO use and carriage in their own waters ahead of the IMO’s ban – Norway is already leading the way and consulting on an extension to an existing ban on HFO in the waters surrounding the island archipelago of Svalbard”.
 
Source: Clean Arctic Alliance. Photo by Hubert Neufeld on Unsplash
 
 

Through the eyes of a prince

by: Stephanie Horsman
20/01/2021

Prince Michael of Yugoslavia has combined his love for Monaco and passion for photography in one exhibition titled ‘Promenade dans Monaco’ at the Banque Havilland Monaco.

Prince Michael of Yugoslavia has worn many hats in his life. He has tried his hand at careers as diverse as investment executive, real estate broker, socialite and philanthropist. But his true passion is photography.
Using his love of the medium combined with considerable talent, he joined with Banque Havilland Monaco to organise an exhibit of his works “inspired by life in the Principality”.
Promenade dans Monaco is a series of snapshots of life in the Principality featuring unique seaside perspectives, iconic landmarks and beautiful landscapes to portray the country in all its diversity.
“I am happy to present my exhibition Promenade dans Monaco held at the Bank Havilland in Monaco,” Prince Michael said on his social media page alongside sample pieces from the event.
The exhibition was made possible through Banque Havilland’s programme to promote local artists and personalities.
Son of Prince Alexandre of Yugoslavia and Princess Maria Pia of Savoy, Prince Michael cultivated a passion for photography in his childhood and has participated in several exhibitions both in the US and across Europe. He credits his love of art to his mother, who had an excellent eye.
“Since we were not rich, rather than buying, my mother was often changing the placement of furniture (in our home). Volumes and perspectives were always evolving,” he says, reminiscing on his entry into the world of visuals.
As a young man, his royal family was forced to live in exile. As a result, he spent a lot of time travelling and this is where his appreciation was cultivated further. “On each trip I would visit art fairs. I was reunited with a whole group of friends in all these large cities. During these years, I would sharpen my look on art and paintings, but also on photography.”
Prince Michael’s style has been called “well-groomed and rigorous, where every detail is thought of” allowing people to see Monaco with fresh eyes and new angles.
The exhibition began on 1st January 2021 and will run until the end of April at Banque Havilland Monaco on Boulevard des Moulins. Visits can be made by appointment only.
 
Photo © Michel de Yougoslavie
 
 

Prince to headline Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week

by: Cassandra Tanti
14/01/2021

Prince Albert will give a keynote speech on national resilience in the face of Covid-19 at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, designed to help set the agenda for a green recovery from the health crisis.
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), hosted by Masdar, is a global platform for accelerating sustainable development and will be held virtually from 18th to 21st January 2021.
ADSW 2021 will feature a series of high-level virtual events, including the ADSW Summit, IRENA Assembly, Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum, Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum, Youth 4 Sustainability Virtual Forums and the World Future Energy Summit Webinars.
“As our economies and industries begin to recover from the impact of the global pandemic, we have an opportunity to set ambitious goals, invest in new technologies and put the necessary policies in place that will deliver a sustainable recovery,” said Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE’s Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Special Envoy for Climate Change and Chairman of Masdar. “Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week embodies the United Arab Emirate’s proactive and forward-thinking approach to climate change and sustainability and underlines the UAE’s role as a responsible, solutions oriented global citizen, enabling dialogue to be turned into action.”
Dr Sultan Al Jaber will be delivering a keynote speech at the ADSW Summit, which will feature more than 70 high-level speakers from around the world, including Prince Albert II of Monaco, Head of State, who will share how his Principality has handed the coronavirus crisis.
“The Covid-19 pandemic continues to cause unprecedented levels of disruption to lives all over the world. But the recovery period offers energy policy makers and the investment community a moment to realign their decisions and actions with sustainable growth, economic resilience, and shared prosperity,” said Francesco La Camera, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). “The IRENA Assembly and Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week represent a starting point for a year that we must come to define as pivotal in our pursuit of a sustainable future.”
This year’s summit follows a successful 2020 edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, which hosted around 45,000 attendees from 170 countries, with more than 500 high-level speakers from around the world. After this year’s virtual event, the physical program of ADSW will return in 2022.
To ensure the safety of all participants, ADSW 2021 and all related high-level events will take place virtually. The physical program of ADSW will return in 2022.
 
 

How many workers in Monaco are female?

by: Stephanie Horsman
14/01/2021

Women made up 41% of the workforce in large companies in 2019 and the majority of working females in Monaco were French. These are just some of the findings to come out of the latest report by IMSEE.
New figures by Monaco’s statistics body show that 53,091 people were employed in the private sector in 2019. Of those, just over 21,000 were women, constituting 40% of the total.
The overwhelming nationality was French at 63%, while Italians made up 15%, and Portuguese 7%.
Meanwhile, 43% of women lived in Monaco or the communities immediately surrounding it such as Beausoleil, Cap d’Ail, La Turbie and Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. This is compared to 32% of private sector men.
The average age of women skewed a bit lower than that of the men, but only just. Males were aged 42.2 on average, and women 41.6 years. In the 25 to 34 age range, women had a slight edge over men, making up 25% of the sector’s workforce compared to 22% of men.
The biggest sector in Monaco – Scientific and Technical Activities, Administrative Services and Support – is also the biggest employer of women in the Principality, with 3,000 females coming under this umbrella.
Hospital Activities, GSA Admin, Teaching and Social Health and Action Services are primarily female dominated sectors, with seven out of 10 employees being women.
On the other end of the scale, only one construction worker in 10 was female.
The number of working hours each week varied only slightly in two categories. Women worked more than 39 hours a week in 12% of cases, whilst 26% of men did the same. In other categories, it is roughly even. For those working under 20 hours per week, women came in at 12% and men at 9%. Meanwhile, 41% of women worked exactly 39 hours a week compared to 39% of men.
The figures show that women made up the majority of employees in small companies in the private sector. In those with less than five employees, they represented 53%. However, in companies with 50 or more employees that figure drops to 41%.
Finally, there were 48 companies of more than five employees that were 100% female, versus 129 that were 100% male.
 
Photo source: Unsplash
 
 

Roca Team clobbers Nanterre in Euro Cup match

by: Stephanie Horsman
14/01/2021

The Roca Team came out swinging and never stopped in their Wednesday night Euro Cup 7 Top 16 match against Nanterre, beating their opponent 93 to 65.
AS Monaco Basketball is back on form after their disappointing loss to Orleans last weekend when they were knocked out of the Coupe de France.
It was clear from the start that Nanterre didn’t stand a chance on Wednesday. The team was determined to take home the win and win they did. They delivered both offensively and defensively, dominating the game on the opponent’s home turf.
Top scorer Marcos Knight had praise for his team, saying “I think we played a big team game in defense. We forced them to take some tough shots and from our side we shared the ball well.”
Knight took home 20 points and seven rebounds on the night, followed by Rob Gray who had 19 points and an impressive four for seven three-pointers. Damien Inglis had 11 points and nine rebounds, and JJ O’Brien brought home 10 points. Will Yeguete picked up 10 rebounds to match his 10 points scored.
The team made 26 out of 38 shots on the night and a whopping 39 total rebounds.
“I’m very happy with the performance of my team, with the way we won this match,” said Coach Zvezdan Mitrovic. “We produced a very good game in attack, collectively. Everything worked out well with a good share of the ball, it was really better than usual in this sector. We confirmed our status as the best defense in the Euro Cup but I really liked what I saw in attack. It’s only the first game but the Top 16 is off to a good start.”
The Roca Team face off against Unicaja Malaga next Tuesday at home at Salle Gaston Médecin.
 
Photo source: AS Monaco Basketball
 
 

Crucial funding continues for Monaco's main cultural centre

by: Cassandra Tanti
13/01/2021

The Grimaldi Forum’s largest sponsor, CMB, has renewed its partnership for 2021, securing Monaco’s world-class cultural programme for the year including the exciting Alberto Giacometti summer exhibition.
The partnership was signed in front of the press on Wednesday by CMB Monaco Chairman Etienne Franzi, CMB CEO Francesco Grosoli, Grimaldi Forum Chairman Henri Fissore and Grimaldi Forum General Manager Sylvie Biancheri.
It marked the continuation of a 16-year union between the two Monegasque companies, and was particularly significant for Sylvie Biancheri, who told Monaco Life: “Following the difficult times of 2020, the fact that the CMB accepted to renew their partnership at the same level as 2019 is very important to us.”

Photo: CMB Monaco Chairman Etienne Franzi, CMB CEO Francesco Grosoli, Grimaldi Forum Chairman Henri Fissore and Grimaldi Forum General Manager Sylvie Biancheri, by Monaco Life.

The funding allows the Grimaldi Forum to push ahead with its major concerts, congresses and exhibitions for the year, particularly the incredibly popular summer exhibition which this year takes the theme: Alberto Giacometti, A Restrospective, Marvelous Reality.
“We have been planning the Giacometti exhibition for three years, and it would have been disastrous to not have the support of CMB because of what happened in 2020. It is an enormous relief,” said Ms Biancheri.

For Etienne Franzi, the sponsorship symbolises CMB’s confidence in the dynamic company and the private bank’s commitment to contributing to the cultural influence of the Principality.
“It is important for the CMB to keep its strong partnership with the Grimaldi Forum because it is the heart of culture in the Principality,” Mr Franzi told Monaco Life. “Putting our name close to the Grimaldi Forum is even more crucial today because culture is one of the sectors suffering most, and it is important that we are here to support and work hand in hand with the forum in the weeks and months ahead.”
The Grimaldi Forum is proving very resilient in light of the event cancellations that took place in 2020 and the postponements that continue to unfold this year. Sylvie Biancheri has a very positive outlook for 2021 because, she says, the team has learnt to adapt.
“We have been working as though 2021 is completely normal in terms of programming,” she said. “We will be delivering the best. However, to minimise risk, we are organising more events from France.”
Meanwhile, disruptive works related to the neighbouring land extension which were due to take place in autumn have been brought forward to the start of the year, capitalising on a slow first quarter.
 
Photo of the Grimaldi Forum by Cassandra Tanti for Monaco Life, all rights reserved