©BVergelyCan you explain the role of the CSR unit you lead at the Monaco Convention Bureau?
Our CSR department’s primary mission is to make Monaco a sustainable destination for tourists and businesses alike. In 2022, we launched an action plan following the release of our White Paper for Responsible Tourism in Monaco. This document helped define our CSR strategy, aligning it with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our efforts are centred around five key areas: educating and training stakeholders, improving communication on sustainability, managing the destination’s environmental impacts, promoting inclusive tourism, and measuring our actions’ effectiveness.
Monaco is globally known for its luxury tourism. How has the Principality adapted to include sustainable practices, especially in the tourism sector?
The tourism sector here has embraced sustainability with great enthusiasm. Over 80% of our hotels hold environmental certifications like Green Globe or Green Key, and 97% of them have signed the National Energy Transition Pact, committing to reduce energy consumption, improve waste management, and promote sustainable mobility.
Restaurants have followed suit, sourcing local and organic produce. Several chefs maintain their own vegetable gardens and are actively fighting food waste by promoting the use of ‘La Petite Boîte’ – the local version of the doggy bag.
While Monaco is a highly urbanised area, we’ve worked hard to protect and expand green spaces, which now cover about 20% of the territory. In terms of mobility, our small size – just 2 square kilometres – makes Monaco an ideal walking destination, supplemented by eco-friendly transportation options.
How do these sustainability efforts benefit business events held in Monaco?
The business events sector in Monaco is fully equipped to offer sustainable event solutions. Our key venue, the Grimaldi Forum, is ISO 14001 certified and will soon achieve ISO 20121, a sustainability standard for the events industry. This guarantees that event organisers can easily implement sustainable practices. Furthermore, our ‘Sustainable Event Managers Guide’ was introduced to assist planners in organising responsible events, providing details on everything from energy-efficient logistics to local, eco-certified suppliers.
One of the most impactful tools we’ve developed is our online carbon calculator, created in collaboration with Monaco’s Mission for the Energy Transition. Available on our website, it helps event organisers estimate their event’s carbon footprint and offers recommendations on how to minimise it. The calculator has two versions: a simplified option for quick estimates and a comprehensive version that takes more details into account.
How do you ensure that your sustainability efforts are in line with international standards, and what certifications have been achieved?
Sustainability is embedded in Monaco’s tourism DNA, and we strive to uphold the highest international standards. In addition to the certifications of the Grimaldi Forum, the Principality signed the Glasgow Declaration under the United Nations’ Tourism Initiative, which urges tourism operators to reduce their carbon emissions. By committing to these international agreements and standards, we ensure our sustainability practices are credible, measurable, and transparent.
Can you highlight any successful collaborations with local businesses or organisations to enhance sustainability at events?
Collaboration is at the heart of everything we do. The Monaco Convention Bureau works closely with hotels, restaurants, and local service providers to create sustainable options for events. For instance, almost all our partners, including hotels and congress venues, have their own Green Teams or CSR Managers, ensuring that sustainability practices are integrated at every level.
One of our notable collaborations was with Luxepack, the premier trade show for luxury packaging. In both 2023 and 2024, we helped organise a special Paris-Monaco train journey, which dramatically reduced the carbon footprint of attendees by replacing flights with a rail option.
Monaco has made remarkable strides in sustainability. What feedback have you received from event organisers regarding these efforts?
The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Many of our clients are impressed by the depth of our sustainability initiatives. For some, it has even become a deciding factor when choosing Monaco for their events. Nowadays, many companies are required to include CSR metrics in their annual reports, and Monaco’s sustainability credentials are seen as a huge advantage. By choosing Monaco, they are not only ensuring a top-tier event but also aligning with sustainable values, which adds an extra layer of prestige and responsibility to their event.
What are the future plans for advancing sustainability in the tourism and events sectors in Monaco?
Our current action plan, launched in June 2022, will run until June 2025. During this period, we are continually assessing our progress and developing new ways to minimise environmental impact. For example, we’re further integrating eco-design into our summer exhibitions and maintaining sustainable teleworking and flexible working hours for our staff. We are also focused on fighting food insecurity and waste, redistributing unused food to local charities. After 2025, we’ll evaluate our actions and define the next steps to keep Monaco at the forefront of sustainable tourism.
More information: Estelle Antognelli, Head of the C.S.R Department / conventionbureau@gouv.mc