Team Malizia on tour to protect the oceans
News and interviews
3 min read
Celebrating World Oceans Day with Team Malizia
On the occasion of United Nations World Oceans Day on 08 June 2024, an event dedicated to raising awareness about the critical role of oceans in our lives and for our planet, Boris Hermann brings a spotlight on Team Malizia’s race to protect the ocean. EFG has a long-term partnership with the professional sailing team Team Malizia and its skipper Boris Herrmann. Their mission – “A Race We Must Win” – carries a double meaning: They compete in some of the most challenging races around the globe and use their sailing adventures to help raise awareness about the need to protect the ocean and find solutions in the race against climate change.
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Three questions for Boris Herrmann
1. Why is the topic of ocean conservation so critical? Which concrete steps are you taking to help protect our seas?
The ocean is the biggest ecosystem on our planet and plays a key role in regulating the global climate, so protecting it is vital to our survival. Team Malizia’s ‘A Race We Must Win’ mission raises awareness of the impact of climate change, which we see first-hand. Our boat has an “Ocean Pack” onboard, an automated mini-laboratory that continually measures ocean CO2, temperature, and salinity. The valuable data collected from remote locations helps dedicated scientists better understand the role of the ocean in climate change and monitor ocean health.
2. The Vendée Globe is a single-handed, non-stop, non-assisted round the world race taking place every four years. How do you prepare for such a big challenge?
It is not called “the Everest of the Seas” for nothing! The Vendée Globe is all about preparation and it is a constant learning curve. Our strategy was to build Malizia – Seaexplorer early in 2022, test it as a team during The Ocean Race 2023 and sail as many solo miles as possible in racing mode in 2024, ahead of the start of the Vendée Globe on 10 November. The boat is in perfect condition and the team is primed. Malizia is Vendée Globe ready!
3. In March 2024, you were awarded the German Cross of Merit in recognition of your achievements in the areas of climate action and sport. What does this honour mean to you?
It is one of the most prestigious honours in Germany and I was deeply moved to receive it on behalf of Team Malizia. Our sport offers us a unique campaigning platform and we strive to lead the way both on the water and in the race to protect the ocean.
Partnering to promote ocean protection
To help its partner Team Malizia to increase the reach and impact of its initiatives, EFG runs a volunteering programme that allows its employees to dedicate one working day per year on full pay to help raise awareness about ocean conservation. The volunteers can make a personal contribution to support the international school programme “My Ocean Challenge” created by Boris Herrmann, skipper of Team Malizia, and his wife Birte Lorenzen-Herrmann. The volunteering assignment involves visiting a local school to teach a lesson on this key environmental topic to children aged from 8 to 14 years. Since the start of the initiative, EFG volunteers have helped to educate more than 600 children about ocean conservation and the role of our seas in combating climate change.
Malizia Mangrove Park
As an extension of its work with Team Malizia and its skipper Boris Hermann, EFG is supporting The Malizia Mangrove Park in the Philippines. This ground-breaking project highlights the importance of mangrove forests as one of the world’s most important ecosystems alongside rainforests and the role they play in mitigating climate change, protecting coastal areas and providing a habitat for vast numbers of animals, plants and other organisms. (On average, mangroves can absorb 2 – 4 times more CO2 than other types of forests, including tropical rainforests or temperate forests.) Funded through donations, Team Malizia and the Mama Earth Foundation are working with local communities, as well as the local university, to plant a forest of over two million mangroves by the end of 2024. Since spring 2023, we have additionally funded the planting of 100 mangroves for each new employee joining EFG.
Funded through donations, Team Malizia and the Mama Earth Foundation are working with local communities, as well as the local university, to plant a mangrove forest. At the start of 2024, the Malizia Mangrove Park reached its target of planting one million mangroves and it is working towards its new goal of two million mangroves by the end of the year. Since spring 2023, EFG has funded the planting of 100 mangroves for each new employee who joins the bank.
To find out more about EFG’s commitment to protecting the environment click here.