Climate & Biodiversity Initiative
Discover the program
17.02.2022 | Corporate philanthropy
Resulting from the fifth edition of the Climate & Biodiversity Initiative programme dedicated to climate change and biodiversity erosion, six to nine research projects will be selected and funded by the BNP Paribas Foundation over a period of three years (2023-2025), for a total budget of €6 million. Applications are open until 20 April 2022.
The BNP Paribas Foundation supports research on climate change and biodiversity erosion, two of the greatest environmental challenges of our time. Its ambition is to improve the understanding of the interactions between climate and biodiversity and assess the effects of their disruption on our environment and human societies in order to allow all actors to adapt their behaviour.
With a budget of €6 million over three years, the programme will support six to nine laureate projects selected by a renowned Scientific Committee. The selection process has three stages:
"Having a true talent-spotting eye for high-profile research projects, the ‘Climate & Biodiversity Initiative’ programme aims to promote scientific excellence. By doing so, the BNP Paribas Foundation not only spreads understanding of those projects among an international community of researchers, but also helps make them more visible to decision makers and the public. This was notably the case for our eFOCE project, that aimed at measuring the impact of acidification of the Mediterranean Sea on a local plant present on coastlines, and which was set up following the first edition of the programme 12 years ago."
international research projects supported
70% of projects (co-)led by a woman
budget
dedicated to the Climate & Biodiversity Initiative programme
people made aware
of the two biggest environmental issues of our time
Up to today, the programme has funded 27 international research projects – 70% of which are (co-)led by a woman – and raised awareness of various themes among nearly 690,000 people, including past climates, risks linked to invasive alien species, ocean acidification, melting permafrost, carbon sequestration in farmland in Africa, preservation of coral reefs, climate change adaptation mechanisms, transmission of pathogens between species, etc.
All the projects supported are presented on the BNP Paribas Foundation website and YouTube channel.
"The BNP Paribas Foundation is the only Foundation that supports research into climate change and the erosion of biodiversity. A consistent choice made by BNP Paribas Group's environmental and social commitment policy over the long term. It is necessary to develop it to improve understanding on the interactions between climate and biodiversity, and to assess its effects on our environment and human societies. The BNP Paribas Foundation's ‘Climate & Biodiversity Initiative’ programme also helps to support the ecological awakening observed during the health crisis through the discovery of the issues related to nature preservation."
Isabelle Giordano, Head of Group Philanthropy and General Delegate of the BNP Paribas Foundation.