DRMumbai: Monaco Tourist Authority, Visit Monaco, has announced the launch of the principality’s ‘Green is the New Glam’ campaign to become a destination that is as environmentally conscious as it is glamorous.
Home to the hugely successful Monaco e-Rallye, the eco-responsible Grimaldi Forum and Cultural Centre, and the marine conservation Monaco Blue Initiative attended annually by experts in ocean management and conservation from the UN, UNESCO, European Commission and more, Monaco has long made bridging the gap between luxury and sustainability a priority.
The ‘Green is the New Glam’ campaign aims to build on this commitment and bring it to the forefront of the principalities agenda.
Several targets have been put in place in order to achieve this, including the ultimate goals of cutting greenhouse gas emissions before 2030 by 50 per cent compared with 1990 levels and of achieving total carbon neutrality by 2050.
The Government of Monaco has unveiled a number of measures to ensure that the principality meets the targets for sustainability. This includes the setting up of a ‘Mission for Energy Transition’, which manages a fund to support green initiatives, with grants to help local businesses make the transition to renewable energy sources.
At the heart of the campaign are initiatives relating to Monaco’s tourism industry. Comprising €5.9 billion (over 6.2 per cent) of the principality’s GDP, the sector draws in over 3,55,000 visitors per year, meaning that changes made by key industry partners will be instrumental in protecting the local environment and safeguarding the future of the planet.
One example is the government-funded ‘Smart+’ programme, which has seen hoteliers gifted a Smart Box allowing them to easily monitor their electricity consumption along with an action plan to help them make considerable energy savings. Since the recent installation of the Smart Box at the Monte-Carlo Bay, the hotel adapted over 800 light fittings enabling it to save one month’s worth of electricity per year.
Visit Monaco’s tourism partners are fully invested in the drive towards sustainability, from the family business, L’Orangerie, which produces delicious orange liqueur from the left-over orange rinds of local restaurants and hotels, to the organic, Michelin-starred Blue Bay restaurant at the Monte-Carlo Bay hotel which grows much of its produce in its onsite kitchen garden run by urban agriculturalists Terre de Monaco.
Other key initiatives include the recent installation of beehives at the four-star Novotel Monte-Carlo, while the iconic Fairmont Monte-Carlo’s entire central heating and air conditioning system is powered by four underground heat pumps, a renewable energy source which draws heat from the seawater surrounding the hotel.
Both the Monte-Carlo Beach and Monte-Carlo Bay hotels have earned Green Globe certifications in recognition of their efforts towards sustainability, while in 2017 Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo funded and organised the reforestation of a nearby hillside after it suffered from severe forest fires. Though the Metropole’s ‘my very own tree’ programme, hotel guests may sponsor the acquisition of new trees in the area.
With 3,86,000 trips made daily within the 2.02 km-squared principality, new transportation options have made it easier for citizens and tourists alike to reduce their carbon footprint. While 17 bike stations, a solar powered bus boat and a dozen hybrid buses are available, two Tesla-compatible charging stations mean that eco-conscious travellers can still experience the thrill of Monaco’s iconic roads and hairpin bends in style.
“We are thrilled to unveil the Green is the New Glam campaign”, said Corinne Kiabski, Director, Visit Monaco Communications.”Monaco is undoubtedly one of the world’s most iconic destinations, and we look forward to introducing visitors to a side of our principality unknown to them.” For more information on the Visit Monaco and the Green is the New Glam campaign, visit www.visitmonaco.com
