The Prince Albert II Foundation (Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco) held its annual awards ceremony for planetary health in the Salle des Étoiles at Sporting Monte-Carlo on Friday, October 16, bringing together members of its governing bodies and partners.
The Foundation says the annual ceremony honors “individuals and organizations whose work and commitment help advance knowledge, develop solutions, and strengthen collective action to protect the environment.”
This year’s ceremony was particularly significant, as the Monegasque organization celebrated 20 years of environmental action.
To mark the anniversary, the ceremony returned to the Principality after last year’s edition was held in London.
Two Honorees From Africa
Three honorees were recognized for their work and commitment.
The first was Dr. David Obura, a Kenyan scientist who has spent more than 30 years studying coral reef biodiversity, resilience, and vulnerability to climate change.
His research also examines the consequences of reef degradation for the communities that depend on these ecosystems.
He founded the NGO Cordio East Africa as part of that work.
“This award marks a transition between my past work on coral reefs, which shows how dangerously close we continue to come to their irreversible decline, even though the solutions are largely known, and my current and future work, focused on understanding how our economy and financial system must be reconnected with the limits of nature and the needs of society, rather than the other way around,” Obura said.
The second recipient was CorPower Ocean, a Swedish company developing technology to generate electricity from wave energy, which was honored in the Innovation and Solutions category.
“Wave energy is a field in which Europe holds a leading position,” said Patrick Möller, the company’s CEO and founder.
“We have an opportunity to develop a new European industrial sector, create sustainable jobs, and produce clean, competitive energy from our own coastlines.”
“And we can do so while respecting the Ocean and protecting the marine life with which we share this space.”
The third honoree was Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, a member of Chad’s Mbororo pastoral community who advocates for Indigenous peoples’ rights and for their knowledge to be incorporated into responses to climate change.
She was recognized in the Awareness category.
“My mission is simple: to make our knowledge heard, defend our rights, and ensure that my people are not left behind,” she said.
“This award is a responsibility that commits me to go further, for my people, for Indigenous peoples, for our planet, and for future generations.”
20 Years of Action and Tangible Results
All three recipients received their awards from Prince Albert II.
For the Foundation’s 20th anniversary, the Sovereign also paid tribute to those who have supported its work over the past two decades.
“They have made it possible to successfully complete more than 850 projects, sometimes under difficult circumstances,” he said.
He cited in particular efforts to conserve bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean and the doubling of the monk seal population.
After two decades of action, Prince Albert II also expressed a wish for what comes next :
“To inspire us for the next 20 years… and, I hope, beyond!”