About
The Principality of Monaco, under the leadership of its Princes, has always been very conscious about environmental protection and ecosystem conservation.
Due to its geographical position, the Principality has been focusing its efforts on specifically addressing pollution of the marine environment. This, however, does not mean it attaches less importance to the risks that air pollution and greenhouse gases pose to the planet for both current and future generations.
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Strategy
The Principality of Monaco made a commitment to carbon neutrality in February 2008 during the 10th special session of the UNEP Governing Council held in Monaco.
The aim to become carbon neutral is in line with Monaco’s policy for the preservation of the environment which has been in place for a long time and, more recently, in the context of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions regulated by the Kyoto Protocol.
The commitment of the Principality of Monaco for carbon neutrality is based on two components:
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Reducing domestic emissions at the national level;
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Offsetting remaining emissions by purchasing carbon credits abroad.
1. Reducing domestic emissions at the national level
The Principality of Monaco will first and foremost minimize the amount of greenhouse gases emitted on its territory. In an exclusively urban context and in the absence of polluting industries, the three main sources of greenhouse gas emissions in Monaco are: housing, waste treatment and transport.
Measures currently being implemented to reduce emissions in these three areas include optimizing urban travel plans; encouraging carpooling, and developing public transport networks. These measures have brought good results while Monaco’s per capita GHG emissions were already well below the average for industrialized countries.
Since 2000, GHG emissions registered at the national level have fallen continuously. In the last three years for which data is available, emissions fell by 3 percent in 2004 and 2005 and by 13 per cent in 2006 compared to 1990 levels.
This trend puts the Principality of Monaco on track in terms of achieving the target agreed under the Kyoto Protocol, that is: To reduce, on average, by 8 percent GHG emissions for the period 2008-2012 compared to the year 1990.
In addition to the commitment under the Kyoto Protocol, the Principality of Monaco has decided to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by:
To achieve these objectives, the Government of the Principality of Monaco will intensify its efforts through an energy and climate strategy that aims at implementing concrete actions:
- Heating buildings with clean energy:
Heating oil is banned in new buildings and a subsidy of 30 per cent is granted for the development of solar heaters to replace boilers operating with fossil fuels;
- Reducing energy consumption in buildings through the implementation of energy audits to identify important sources of savings. For example, natural gas consumption in one school has decreased by 45 per cent in the last two years;
- Ensuring energy supply from renewable sources is equal to 20 per cent of total consumption. Already, 17 per cent of the energy consumed in the Principality is from renewable sources: sea water has been used to heat buildings since the 1960s and future efforts will focus on solar energy;
- All new public buildings will meet high environmental standards, particularly with relation to energy efficiency;
- Ensuring sustainable mobility that favors public transportation, walking, carpooling and clean vehicles. A subsidy of 30 per cent was also allocated by the Government to buyers of electric vehicles;
- Strengthening separation of household waste together with energy recovery from non-recyclables. Waste incineration is used for heating, cooling and electricity production.
2. Offsetting remaining emissions by purchasing carbon credits internationally
The policy of purchasing carbon credits to offset emissions will compliment internal actions and is a continuation of those initiated under the Kyoto Protocol.
For the commitment period 2008-2012 of the Kyoto Protocol, the climate strategy of the Principality also includes a "carbon offset" by obtaining carbon credits from "green" investments in developing countries that are parties to the Kyoto Protocol, as is required by the Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism.
Under the carbon neutral strategy, the Principality will continue to give preference to purchasing carbon credits through the mechanisms regulated by the United Nations.
The Principality will also give priority to purchasing carbon credits generated though emission reduction projects which will benefit the economic and social development of the populations most affected by global warming.
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