Robert Redford will be Guest of Honour at 3rd Monte Carlo Gala for the Global Ocean

Chaired by HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, the third Monte-Carlo Gala for the Global Ocean will take place on Thursday 26 September 2019 on the terraces of the Monte Carlo Opera House. Alongside the Sovereign, international artists and philanthropists will be gathering around the same goal: to work for a sustainable global ocean, for future generations and for the future of our planet.

This prestigious evening, organized by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation with the support of Mr. Milutin Gatsby, Global Fundraising Chairman, achieves the challenge of bringing the major ocean issues to the front of the international scene.

World-renowned actor, director and producer Robert Redford will be recognized for his outstanding commitment to the planet and will be guest of honour at the third Monte-Carlo Gala for the Global Ocean. 

“I am very honoured to be recognized by HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and his Foundation,” said Robert Redford, “the Prince’s tireless leadership in the struggle for the preservation and protection of our ocean is an example that we must all follow. It is our responsibility to work together to meet the challenges ahead of us in the struggle to save our ocean, and in turn, our planet.”

“We are pleased to honour Robert Redford, who has been instrumental in raising public awareness about the environmental challenges facing the world,” said Prince Albert II of Monaco.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Orlando Bloom were honoured in previous years, in recognition of their efforts to raise public awareness concerning issues related to the protection of the environment and the ocean.

The 2019 Monte-Carlo Gala for the Global Ocean will feature red carpets, a cocktail dinner, a dinner prepared by a Michelin-starred chef and performances by international artists, whose names will be unveiled in the coming weeks. An auction offering unique experiences, collectibles and souvenirs, as well as a selection of works by some of the most important international artists will also take place during the event. Profits will support the Foundation’s actions in its mission to preserve the global ocean.

Robert Redford has dedicated his career to encouraging real change using the power of the media. His films, including The President’s Men, The Candidate, Quiz Show, Out of Africa and Truth, have always brought a message of responsibility and advocacy for the truth and for the preservation of the land and those who live on it.

In 1981, Robert Redford founded the Sundance Institute. The Sundance Film Festival is one of the largest and most respected film festivals in the world, attracting a diverse audience to the work of emerging independent film artists. In 2005, Mr. Redford and his son, James Redford, created the Redford Centre, which aims to harness the power of film, video and new media to engage the general public through insightful stories which galvanize environmental action.

In December 2015, Robert Redford delivered an inspiring message to the UN Assembly prior to COP 21, on behalf of the National Resources Defense Council, which he has been a director of for more than 40 years.

The 2019 Monte-Carlo Gala for the Global Ocean will take place the day after the release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on the Ocean and the Cryosphere in the Context of Climate Change (SROCC ). This report, which the Principality of Monaco and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation have strongly mobilized for, will be unveiled at a press conference on Wednesday 25 September at 11am at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco.

The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation devotes more than 60% of its financial support to initiatives for the oceans, in particular the development of marine protected areas, the protection of marine species under threat, the mitigation of the impact of climate change and ocean acidification and the fight against plastic pollution.

“Today, the global ocean cover more than two-thirds of the planet are more threatened than they have ever been in the history of mankind. The ocean needs us (…) it needs us to establish a new relationship with it: more attentive, more responsible, more sustainable,” said HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco.

A need all the more urgent as the health of our oceans have reached a critical threshold:

• More than 10 billion tonnes of waste enter the ocean every year
• By 2050, there will be more plastics in the ocean than fish
• 80% of international trade is by sea
• Vulnerable coastal areas now shelter almost half of the world’s population
• CO2 emissions from fossil fuels destabilize the ocean’s temperature and acidify it 100 times faster than at any other time in human history.

And yet:

• 50% of the oxygen we breathe comes from the ocean
• 25% of greenhouse gas emissions are absorbed by the ocean
• The ocean represents 97% of the Earth’s biosphere
• 1 billion people around the world derive their main source of protein from the ocean.