"La Boudeuse", a prestigious three-masted Schooner, set off from the French coast last November as it embarks on the Terre - Océan (Land & Sea) Expedition, a two-year mission assigned to it following the Grenelle de la Mer (Ocean Roundtable). The purpose of this mission conferred by Jean-Louis Borloo upon Captain Patrice Franceschi and his crew is to study the impact of day-to-day human activity on the environment. This scientific and human project includes two separate programmes, one of which is to be carried out along the banks of the main South American rivers (the Amazon, the Orinoco, the Paranà and the Patagonian channels) and the second on several Pacific islands which risk disappearing altogether as a result of global warming (in Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia).
This mission has the twofold objective of defending the planet for future generations to come and of building awareness of the need for a more human form of ecology. The Land & Sea mission focuses on the problems of both the ocean and the land, hence the name of this mission which forms a link between two worlds all too often considered as being separate but which need to be considered together if we are to successfully prepare the world for the future generations.
EDF’s commitment to "La Boudeuse" clearly demonstrates the group’s worldwide policy aimed at promoting biodiversity, the protection of our environment and our natural resources. For EDF, the Land & Sea mission provides a new opportunity to build awareness among our staff and partners of the need to protect biodiversity.
As an energy producer, EDF works to protect the future for future generations by combating climate change, limiting its environmental impact and by encouraging economic and social development in France and throughout the world.
The group also works to provide access to energy for as many people as possible, including island regions, and contributes to the development of these areas. As an example, in Guiana (where "La Boudeuse" is carrying out several scientific and human studies) EDF provides 70% of the electricity requirements via the Petit Saut dam, while also working to expand the use of solar energy and to improve access to electricity for areas at great distances from the coast.
