Banca March works with Blue Schools Cluster Association to promote care and conservation of the sea among schoolchildren in the Balearic Islands 03 June 2024 Category: Sustainability The bank will finance 14 ocean culture-related activities in the form of workshops and events on the marine environment. 100 schools in the Balearic Islands are certified as blue schools, following the success of the European Erasmus+ project "We are Blue Schools". Blue Schools Cluster is now a new beneficiary of the sustainable Mediterranean Fund by March A.M., Banca March's asset management business, which donates 10% of the management fee to projects related to the conservation of seas and oceans. Banca March is reinforcing its commitment to sustainability and the environment through a strategic cooperation agreement with the Blue Schools Cluster Association to raise awareness and promote sea care and conservation among schoolchildren in the Balearic Islands. The bank will be financing a total of 14 activities related to environmental awareness and the preservation of marine ecosystems by the end of the year. Pupils will attend workshops at their schools, as well as activities in marine environments and joint events with other schools, with a view to promoting a spirit of cooperation and conservation. Blue Schools Cluster was created in Mallorca in response to the success of the European Erasmus+ project "We are Blue Schools", which certifies schools that raise awareness about caring for seas and the oceans in their classrooms, generating a sense of responsibility towards our planet among teachers and students. So far, 100 schools have received this certification. Environmental initiatives Under the agreement, March Asset Management (A.M.), the Banca March Group's asset management business, has allocated part of the annual management fee of the sustainable, socially-responsible Mediterranean Fund to the Blue Schools Cluster Association. This agreement is the latest in a series of collaborations by the fund with organisations which work on various environmental projects and which have also benefited from this initiative by Banca March and March A.M. These projects include: Projecte Cavallets de mar Balears, aimed at preserving the biodiversity of the Mediterranean by facilitating the reproduction of seahorses. Expedición Salva Mares, which collects floating plastics that are subsequently made into polyester fibre to make blankets for the homeless. The launch of the first Mallorca Sustainability Observatory with a view to providing objective information and reliable data on the environmental situation in Mallorca. Project to measure the health of the Mediterranean by monitoring indicators which are used to prepare monthly reports that allow actions to be rolled out to preserve the marine ecosystem and promote environmental education. The results will also be used to monitor the performance of the different projects on which Banca March collaborates. Sonia Colino, Head of the People, Brand and Sustainability Unit at Banca March, said: "At Banca March, we are very proud of the agreement reached through the Mediterranean Fund with the Blue Schools Cluster Association. The Association's environmental awareness activities are closely aligned with the philosophy of our fund, which focuses on financing projects for the conservation and recovery of marine ecosystems." Mediterranean Fund: a sustainable, socially responsible fund March International - Mediterranean Fund is a themed, sustainable, socially responsible equity fund by March A.M. which invests in two key sectors that are expected to outpace global economic growth: the ocean economy and water. This themed equity fund donates 10% of its management fee to projects related to these two areas. Year to date, Mediterranean Fund has posted gains of 7.40% (data at end of March, class A €). The cumulative return since the fund's launch stands at 46.60% (data at the end of March, class A €).