Environmentally sustainable tourism initiatives in Monaco

Publication date: 10/03/2023
As part of its proactive policy, the Monaco Government Tourist and Convention Authority is committed to several environmentally sustainable initiatives, relying on its newly created CSR department and essential support from agencies of the Prince’s Government, including the Mission for Energy Transition. Here’s the lowdown on five practical measures for a more environmentally-friendly future.

Calculators 

Tourism already accounts for 8% of the world’s total annual greenhouse gas emissions, and that figure could even rise as high as 25% by 2030 if solutions are not found. To address this issue, the Tourist & Convention Authority are doing their bit for the cause by adopting concrete measures.
With the support of the Mission for Energy Transition, the Tourist and Convention Authority is providing awareness-raising tools enabling visitors and event organisers to estimate their carbon footprint in the Principality in minutes.
The calculators are easy and fun to use. They provide some useful tips throughout the questionnaire, and the footprint results come with suggestions for alternative solutions specific to Destination Monaco.

Recycling tarpaulins 
As part of the latest European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR) on the theme of textiles, the Tourist and Convention Authority launched an initiative aimed at recycling its unwanted banners and tarpaulins. The goal is to ensure they are no longer simply thrown away, but instead given a second life, in this case by turning them into bags or pouches.

Carbon footprint
An essential tool for calculating greenhouse gas emissions, the carbon footprint is invaluable for understanding and analysing the activity of individuals, groups, companies, or whole communities.
At the behest of its CSR department, the Monaco Government Tourist and Convention Authority produced its own carbon footprint at its annual meeting involving its promotional offices abroad. The results were used to assess the main sources of emissions, from transportation to accommodation, catering, and conference rooms.
One of the main aims of these impact measurements is to be able to cut emissions year on year as part of a continuous improvement approach. Within the Tourist Authority, efforts by the Coordination, Promotion and International Logistics department have allowed this annual event to be organised with a minimal footprint.

Climate Fresk
Understand climate change in just three hours! The Climate Fresk is a collaborative workshop teaches the fundamental science behind climate change and empowers people to take action. In three years, the Climate Fresk has become a leading resource worldwide and more than 800,000 participants have already used it. The Tourist and Convention Authority recently joined their ranks, around the CSR department and the Mission for Energy Transition of the Principality. The fun and educational activity helped awareness and was a valuable experience for the teams taking part.

Digital World CleanUp Day
Aimed at fighting pollution by bringing citizens together to collect waste, World Cleanup Day takes place every September. There is also a Digital World Cleanup Day. For while digital technology is a source of major advances, its rapid growth is problematic for the environment. The fourth edition of this event on 18 March 2023 will aim to encourage as many people as possible to take part in two kinds of actions:

● A “Digital Data CleanUp” - to delete unnecessary data stored on our devices and in the cloud.
● A “Digital Devices CleanUp” - to collect digital devices so that they can be used re-used, reconditioned, or recycled.

The Tourist and Convention Authority will be playing its part in efforts to counter the damaging impacts of digital technology, which is responsible for 4% of greenhouse gas emissions, a figure that could double by 2025.

Photo credits: Benjamin Vergély / DR