A building of which the design, construction, and management take into account the requirements of sustainable development on our planet." These values are intrinsic to the Grimaldi Forum Monaco, which was designed from the outset with a respect for - and integration into - the environment.

Now, the Grimaldi Forum Monaco will take its eco-friendly approach a step further by obtaining ISO 14001 international certification, anticipated in September 2008. The ISO 14001 standard, internationally recognized and delivered by an authorized outside body, commits a company to managing those environmental aspects over which it may have an influence. In-house, this dynamic is reflected in the "eco-responsibility charter" Grimaldi Forum staff have signed, showing their commitment to an ecologically responsible attitude in their day-to-day work.

Right from the start, the architects who designed the Grimaldi Forum Monaco included in their specifications - including insulation, energy use, and air conditioning - the key notion of respect for the environment.

Town planning restrictions meant that two-thirds of the building had to be built below ground, but the architects turned this into an asset. While it initially caused high construction costs, it has since provided efficient natural heat insulation. The above-ground third, the visible part, is insulated with foam glass, a recyclable material that complies with all the standards of the High Environmental Quality (HQE) label.

The Grimaldi Forum Monaco prides itself on zero direct emissions of greenhouse gases; the only energy source used for running the building is electricity, except for two oil-fired emergency generators.

Hot water and the chilled water needed for air conditioning are produced by heat pumps that draw the calories and frigories required for temperature and hygrometry control from seawater. The electricity used to run the pumps is not used to produce heat but merely to transport it.

Since the Grimaldi Forum opened, a Centralized Technical Management system has been in place: Remote control from the Security Room switches off lights when they are not needed; all air conditioning units are under servo-control, planned according to customers' needs, to reduce their running time. Vestibules between radar-operated sliding doors reduce the loss of conditioned air. Major parts of the Grimaldi Forum were equipped from the outset with light fittings that use low-energy bulbs. There are currently 11,000 fluo-compact bulbs in the building.

In 2004, the big window in the reception lobby of the Grimaldi Forum was decked with decorative lights, in full accordance with the energy saving policy adopted at the outset. The LEDs used consume 2.5 kw for the whole installation - 15 times less than the original lighting.

The Grimaldi Forum Monaco will be reporting on the environmental actions it takes with a page soon to be added to www.grimaldiforum.mc, accompanied by an "Act Green with Us" advertising campaign.

The active, dynamic eco-responsibility approach adopted by the Grimaldi Forum Monaco fits naturally with the Monaco-wide action desired by S.A.S. Prince Albert II, an ardent defender of environmental issues.