The Energy Programme came into being in 2005 in order to analyse the combination of the climate and energy crises and how they relate to the Pelagos Sanctuary. For the present, the programme’s aim is to analyse and publish scientific information on the impacts of climate change on Mediterranean cetaceans. Furthermore, it allows the quantification of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from human activity within the Pelagos Sanctuary (Bilan Carbone® - the French government’s carbon calculator methodology). The values obtained will serve as the basis for evaluation of the dependance on fossil fuels in commercial navigation and whale watching. Finally, by examining existing alternatives around the world, the Energy Programme will develop experiments and realistic, efficient new organisations in the activities concerned, with a view to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and more generally dependance on fossil fuels ("carbon strategy").

More specifically, the aims are the following:

• To unify known and alleged ecological impacts of the increase in greenhouse gases on Mediterranean cetaceans and their habitats.
• To evaluate dependance on fossil fuels and to quantify all greenhouse gas emissions resulting from human activities of interest to Pelagos Sanctuary management programmes (commercial navigation and whale watching in particular), by implementing several carbon calculators (Bilan Carbone®).
• To evaluate the economic and social factors of this dependance (and in particular the sustainability of economic resources in the context of continued increases in actual energy prices).
• To evaluate the possibilities of reorganising the activities concerned in order to reduce their consumption of fossil fuels and their GHG emissions ("carbon strategy").
• To amalgamate existing alternatives from around the world (renewable energies, new technologies) which are adaptable to local issues, and to provide a data base of designers and suppliers likely to be interested in experimentation in the zone.
• To review current legislation and the commitments of the three governments concerning reduction of GHG emissions.
• To formulate a plan of action (reorganisation and alternative energies) in the form of local experimentation to reduce consumption of fossil fuels in the activities concerned, and to identify related issues (e.g. “what place will aviation have in transport between Corsica and the continent if maritime traffic is to be reorganised?”). With this as its purpose, Pelagos would become a resource area in terms of reduction in dependance on fossil fuels on a local scale.

To date this programme has already given rise to an "energy and climate" module (produced by Carbon 4, a french audit and consulting firm for carbon strategy) as part of the training course for navigation company personnel offered by the Ecole Nationale de la Marine Marchande (French National Merchant Marine School of Marseille). In addition, the Compagnie Méridionale de Navigation (Southern Navigation Company of Marseille) has committed to a Bilan Carbone® which is already being followed up by concrete actions. Finally, recommendations concerning carbon consideration have been made.

In order to avoid limiting the impact of efforts made by certain navigation companies in terms of experimentation and reorganisation, political intervention in the Pelagos territory (Provence, Alpes, Cote d’Azur, Corsica and Liguria regions) is absolutely necessary. As it is reproducible, a local policy for CO2 emission reduction will act as a model, at the same time allowing voluntary regional adaptation to the petroleum shortage that is estimated to occur around 2015.

• GAMBAIANI D., MAYOL P. & ISAAC S. (2006) Literature review of potential impacts of global warming on cetaceans. 20th ECS conference. 2,7 April 2006, Gdynia, Poland. (English, pdf 266 KB)


• MAYOL P., GAMBAIANI D., AMANT S. & JANCOVICCI J.-M. (2008) - Activités humaines du Sanctuaire Pelagos et dépendance aux énergies fossiles: Quels enjeux? Comment limiter cette dépendance? Souffleurs d’Ecume Ed. 8 p. document (French, pdf 1.4 MB)


• MAYOL P., GAMBAIANI D., AMANT S. & JANCOVICCI J.-M. (2008) - Human activities in Pelagos Sanctuary and oil dependence: What stakes? How to limit this dependence? Souffleurs d’Ecume Ed. 8 p. (English, pdf 1.3 MB)


• GAMBAIANI D., MAYOL P., ISAAC S.J. & SIMMONDS M.P. (2009) – Potential impacts of global change and greenhouse gas emissions on Mediterranean marine ecosystems and cetaceans: a review. JMBA. 89(1): 179-201. Special issue on cetaceans.
  (English, pdf 402 KB)