Prince Albert II inaugurates Latin American office of his Foundation in São Paulo
Since its creation in 2006, the Foundation has already supported twenty-four projects in ten Latin American countries © Michael Alesi – Prince’s Palace
After taking part in the opening of COP30 in Belém, Prince Albert II officially launched the eleventh international office of his Foundation on Friday 7 November.
The ceremony was hosted at the residence of Arnoldo Wald, Monaco’s honorary consul in Brazil and president of the new branch. Five hundred guests from diplomatic, scientific, philanthropic and civil-society circles attended the event.
Arnoldo Wald paid tribute to the Sovereign’s commitment to protecting the planet. “Brazil has approximately 20% of the world’s biodiversity. It has seas, rivers and forests, such as the Amazon, and biomes, such as the Pantanal, which generate the largest carbon credit stocks in the world,” he said, before stressing the private sector’s responsibility in facing environmental challenges.
Ten entrepreneurs present their sustainable solutions
Earlier in the afternoon, the Sovereign attended a meeting at the Armando Alvarez Penteado Foundation. The event brought together students of art, economics and law, as well as young entrepreneurs showcasing their innovative solutions: forest restoration with Morfo, biodiversity conservation through Amazon Research International, access to drinking water with Aguacamelo and Piipee, sustainable food initiatives by MicroTERRA and Nanofreeze, sustainable textile fibres from Phycolabs, climate justice led by Yanuni and territorial resilience through RegeneraRS.
Prince Albert II said: “Sustainable innovation is no longer a choice. It is a necessity. It is the key to build resilient economies, capable of facing crises while respecting the boundaries of our planet. The scientific community continues to sound the alarm, with evidence that is clear, consistent, and irrefutable. Yet we still struggle, collectively, to listen, to accept, and to act.”