Banque Libano-Française (BLF) and the United Nations Development Program in Lebanon (UNDP) offered USD 40,000 to the winners of the 2013 Earth Card Competition “Promoting Water Conservation”, during an event held at Le Gray Hotel on February 19, 2014. The winning projects "Water Heroes" by arcenciel and "Water Conservation and Sustainable Development" by Collège Saint-Joseph Antoura, were selected by a jury comprised of both BLF and UNDP representatives, as well as technical experts in water conservation.

"The financing of both projects was generated by the revenues of BLF Earth MasterCard Credit Card, the first green card in Lebanon launched in 2011, while their technical supervision and implementation will be carried out by UNDP", said Myrna Wehbé, Head of Cards Services at BLF.

During the event, the theme of the 2014 competition “Greening your Neighborhood” was announced. Proposals for this new round can be downloaded from www.eblf.com/green and they should be submitted before May 15, 2014. 

As stressed by Luca Renda, UNDP’s Country Director, “Our mission in Lebanon is to promote peace and sustainable development, working with partners from the public and private sectors. We are especially proud of the alliance with BLF, with which we share the corporate values of responsibility, humanism and engagement with the community. Through the Earth MasterCard Credit Card, UNDP and BLF are able every year to improve the lives of hundreds of people, supporting community initiatives that improve environmental conservation and energy efficiency ».

“We are very proud to have collaborated with BLF and UNDP two years ago to launch the Earth MasterCard Credit Card, a first-of-its-kind in the country. It is particularly heartening to note that the program is making a significant contribution to the welfare of the local community. Over the past few years, MasterCard has been at the forefront of supporting various community projects in Lebanon and we remain committed to making a positive impact in the community,” said Basel El Tell, Market Manager, Levant, MasterCard.

Keen on contributing to local sustainable development and on addressing green issues in Lebanon, BLF partnered with UNDP and MasterCard in 2011 to launch the Earth MasterCard Credit Card and its ecological competition. In 2013, a call for proposals on "Promoting Water Conservation" was launched among youth groups, local communities, NGOs and community-based organizations, whereas it tackled sustainable energy in 2012.