Paris – UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay together with PhosAgro CEO and member of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO Andrey Guryev discussed prospects for continuing successful cooperation.
During the meeting at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, which is the venue for events marking the centennial of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), the parties commended the effective partnership between PhosAgro, one of the world’s leading producers of phosphate-based fertilizers, and UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Audrey Azoulay and Andrey Guryev discussed the interim results of the PhosAgro, UNESCO and IUPAC programme Green Chemistry for Life and noted the valuable contribution the programme has made to facilitating the search for new solutions to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Within the framework of the programme, which was initiated by Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of PhosAgro Andrey G. Guryev in 2011 and aims to support innovations by young scientists adhering to the principles of green chemistry, an international jury has reviewed more than 600 applications and selected 34 young scientists from 26 countries as grant recipients.
With the programme gaining recognition worldwide, in February 2019 the parties agreed to extend Green Chemistry for Life until 2022. The renewal of the agreement implies that PhosAgro’s contribution from 2013 to 2022 will amount to almost USD 2.5 million. At the meeting, the parties discussed the details of the sixth award ceremony, which is scheduled for the autumn of 2019.
UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay noted that cooperation with PhosAgro is an important step to gaining knowledge that results in progress without harming the environment.
“UNESCO is grateful to PhosAgro for the long-term partnership that benefits science. Our joint projects seek to transform the scientific environment, motivating young scientists to develop technologies for the effective and rational use of natural resources and recycling. The support we receive from PhosAgro is an example of responsible behaviour by business, which society needs to ensure the well-being of future generations,” said Director-General Audrey Azoulay.
PhosAgro is also a partner of the International Year of the Periodic Table (IYPT 2019), in honour of the periodic table created by the great Russian scientist Dmitri Mendeleev 150 years ago. As part of IYPT 2019 agenda, UNESCO has organised a number of scientific conferences, thematic exhibitions, competitions for young scientists and educational initiatives, the purpose of which is to strengthen international cooperation in science, technology and innovation.
During the meeting, Andrey Guryev, CEO of the only Russian company chosen by UNESCO to finance green chemistry initiatives on an extrabudgetary basis, thanked Audrey Azoulay for the opportunity to contribute to the development of environmentally safe technologies and to be part of the great scientific heritage of the Russian scientist, which is the basis of modern approaches to solving global problems.
The PhosAgro CEO commended the activities carried out by UNESCO as part of IYPT 2019 and voiced confidence that they will be important facilitators for technological progress in green chemistry.
“We consider our cooperation with UNESCO, which has already been going on for more than eight years, to be a long-term investment for the benefit of future generations.
“The Green Chemistry for Life programme, along with our other joint projects with the UN, such as the Global Initiative for Soil Protection and our work on corporate social responsibility and sustainable development under the UN Global Compact, which we joined last year, demonstrates our contribution to building partnerships for sustainable development, designated as one of the UN SDGs.
“The broad support of our initiatives in the scientific community, as well as the growing number of applications from young scientists to participate in the programme, confirms that our efforts to popularise the ethics of progress with concern for preserving the natural diversity of the earth and reducing the anthropogenic impact on the environment are successful and effective.
“PhosAgro, whose environmentally friendly fertilizers are in high demand in 100 countries, will continue its mission to ensure food security as part of its sustainable development strategy. The creation of the Committee for Sustainable Development of the PhosAgro Board of Directors confirms the Company’s commitment to achieving the UN SDGs, which were identified as a key priority in PhosAgro’s strategy to 2025,” Andrey Guryev said during the meeting.
