Disseminating scientific knowlegde
In addition to its “Climate & Biodiversity Initiative” programme supporting scientific research, the BNP Paribas Foundation engages the men and women of the BNP Paribas, its clients and its network in a citizen-led approach. It also contribute to create new narratives for future generations.
The Foundation takes its role of raising awareness of environmental issues among its stakeholders (BNP Paribas employees and clients, the Foundation’s partners, the media or civil society) very seriously.
This enables citizens to become aware of the challenges of global warming and biodiversity through lectures, exhibitions and other public events organised by the BNP Paribas Foundation.
By providing the scientific community and the public with an opportunity to meet each other, the Foundation participates in leading a community of citizens – including youth – who are increasingly responsible and ready to take action, making well-informed choices with help from scientists.
SCIENTISTS MUST HELP CITIZENS TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS
Philippe Gillet, member of Scientific Committee of the Climate & Biodiversity Initiative.
Promoting access to data
Giving power to those who take action also means contributing to the sharing of knowledge. As part of this dynamic:
Global Carbon Atlas
Global Carbon Atlas is a website for the general public on which you can obtain, view and interpret the most recent data on the global carbon cycle, by country, worldwide.
The support from the BNP Paribas Foundation has enabled the Global Carbon Project teams to set up this online platform for researchers from around the world working on the carbon cycle on which they are able to work and share data, and to update it every year since 2013.
Global Carbon Atlas is led by Corinne Le Quéré and Philippe Ciais.
eBioAtlas
In partnership with the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), the Foundation has been supporting the eBioAtlas programme since 2023, which aims to map global freshwater biodiversity using environmental DNA (eDNA),in order to contribute to combat biodiversity loss.
IPBES
In 2021, the Foundation became the first corporate foundation to provide significant support to the work of IPBES, contributing until 2024 to its work on biodiversity sciences and policies.
IPBES : Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
One Planet Fellowship
Launched in 2017, the One Planet Fellowship, which is managed by AWARD (African women in agricultural research and development) is supported by the BNP Paribas and Bill & Melinda Gates foundations, the European Commission, and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC, Canada). Endowed with 20 million dollars over five years, it aims to support local scientific communities and their research on climate change adaptation.
The programme aims to create a dynamic, ultra-connected and intergenerational network of African and European scientific leaders. It is designed as a career-accelerator of high-potential agricultural researchers working on climate change adaptation in Africa by enhancing their skills in leadership, scientific research, networking and mentorship.
Managed by AWARD, One Planet Fellowship adopts an inclusive and gender-responsive approach to agriculture and climate change adaptation in order to support the crucial role that women play in this part of the world. To date, 270 scientists – both men and women – have benefited from this mentorship programme.
Adopt a Float
As part of “the Ocean Decade” and in partnership with the Sorbonne University Foundation, the BNP Paribas Foundation has been helping increase the importance of understanding the Ocean in school curricula: since 2023 it supports the Adopt a Float programme, which combines access to data with citizen science.
United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030
Popularising science and raising awareness of environmental issues
“Climate & Biodiversity Initiative” Conferences
The BNP Paribas Foundation regularly organises conferences to raise awareness among all audiences and give them a better understanding of the phenomena associated with climate change and their impact on biodiversity.
These lectures are given by the researchers leading the laureate projects in the Climate & Biodiversity Initiative programme.
Expositions
Since 18 September 2020, you can visit “Bio-inspired, another approach“, a permanent exhibition at the Cité des sciences et de l’industrie, of which the BNP Paribas Foundation is once again a partner. Wandering through three reconstituted ecosystems, the exhibition provides an opportunity to reflect on our intimate relationship with nature, and shows how living organisms are an inexhaustible source of inspiration for imagining sustainable development models and innovative solutions to environmental problems.
From 2015 to 2022, the BNP Paribas Foundation has supported “Climate, the 360° exhibition” still organised by la Cité des Sciences in partnersip with the Institut français and UN Environment. The exhibition was shown in 17 countries where the Group is present.
In autumn 2021, the BNP Paribas Foundation financed naturalist illustrators Delphine Zigoni and Julien Norwood‘s expedition to Guyana. It renewed its support in 2022 by contributing to the creation of an exhibition of their work – “Tropical Autumn – Travelogue in Guyana” – held in autumn 2022 at the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelles garden’s Grandes Serres (big greenhouses) in Paris. Delphine Zigoni and Julien Norwood set off on an expedition to discover Guyana’s and Amazonia’s biodiversity, questioning the role of the naturalist artist in today’s scientific missions. They then shared their sketches, gouache paintings and, above all, the story of their encounters: during this journey, they discovered 8 emblematic plants and the initiatives undertaken by scientists and local people to protect biodiversity as well as promote traditional knowledge in this region.
Our support for scientific research
Understanding and protecting the planet