Transition Forum concludes with optimism and focus on solutions

Repeated calls to action emerged as the overwhelming part of proceedings at the second edition of the 2019 Transition Forum in Monaco.

Under the rubric of ‘Shifting to Sustainable Lifestyles’, the two-day gathering brought together about 300 entrepreneurs, climate innovators, corporate executives, fund managers, scientists and representatives of civil society. The debates at the Fairmont Monte Carlo hotel on 26th and 27th June focused on four main themes: Food, Mobility, Production and Consumption, and Housing.

“We are building a unique community of key stakeholders who are not just talking about a sustainable future but taking concrete action to make it a reality,” said Lionel Le Maux, Chairman, Aqua Asset Management and Co-Founder of Transition Forum. “Time is our enemy, but if we are able to implement the solutions that we have heard about over these two days, if we are able to align value and price, then we will be able to take back our destiny and time will again be on our side.”

Over 60 international speakers presented innovative solutions and tackled the challenges of the transition towards a low-carbon future, including Monaco’s Minister of Finance and Economy Jean Castellini, Michelin-Star Chef Pierre Gagnaire, Entrepreneur and Author of The Blue Economy Gunter Pauli, and Johan Eliasch, founder of Cool Earth.

“The TRANSITION forum held in Monaco is a perfect example of the need to consider the ecological transition as a whole, and I am happy to be able to count on the Principality of Monaco, a neighbour with whom we collaborate very effectively,” said Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice, President of the Metropolis of Nice Cote d’Azur and Deputy Chairman of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region, who delivered a keynote. “These recent exchanges allowed me to share the major principles of the metropolitan Territorial Climate Air and Energy Plan 2019-2025 and on the metropolitan environmental policy, developed with and for the inhabitants of the Metropolis which I am committed to accompanying on an eco-responsible path through ambitious measures and significant actions.

Representatives of around two dozen start-ups presented ground-breaking projects that covered everything from the prevention of food waste to the recycling of microplastics from the world’s oceans.

Debates recognised the need for tough choices, but an overall sense of optimism came shining through. This optimism is based on the commitment of the actors present and their achievements.

Many participants of the 2018 Transition Forum, who came back to report on progress made over the past year, highlighted the important role that the exchanges and meetings initiated during last year’s conference had to play in their achievements.

Over the two days, speakers and participants showed that preserving the environment and the economy are compatible. “The California model shows that the world can improve the viability of the economy while reducing carbon emissions,” said Timothy Papandreou, founder of Emerging Transport Advisors.