Prada Group is to donate 1 percent of all revenues from its Re-Nylon collection to the Sea Beyond educational program — and the Italian brand is inviting its luxury peers to do the same.
Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada’s head of corporate social responsibility, swept into Paris on Tuesday to reveal the financial commitment — and an enhanced partnership with Sea Beyond — during the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission’s Member States Assembly, which runs through Friday.
At a press conference attended by ambassadors from dozens of countries including Bangladesh, Iceland, Colombia, Chile and Indonesia, the executive said the scope of its partnership, initiated in 2019, would extend to ocean-related scientific research and humanitarian projects.
In addition, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission-UNESCO plans to establish an Ocean Decade Coordination Office in Venice to encourage the implementation of a “blue curriculum” across all of its 193 member states, plus a host of other initiatives.
Since Sea Beyond’s debut, more than 600 secondary school children in eight countries have completed its educational module, while about 120 preschoolers completed Kindergarten of the Lagoon outdoor lessons in Venice, Italy, earlier this year.
That may seem like a drop in the ocean, but Bertelli is convinced that “culture and education are fundamental for making change happen. We need to invest in a constructive dialogue with young generations to contribute to a more sustainable future and preserve our ocean.”