MOSCOW, September 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has awarded leading young
scientists from all over the world with Green Chemistry for Life
grants under a joint programme with PhosAgro and the International
Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) at the 8th IUPAC
International Conference on Green Chemistry.
Participants in the 5th annual awards ceremony included Prof.
Pietro Tundo, UNESCO Chair on Green
Chemistry, Chair of the IUPAC Committee on Green Chemistry for
Sustainable Development, Ca' Foscari University of Venice; Christopher
Brett, the president elect of IUPAC; Prof. John Corish, Chair of International Scientific
Jury for Green Chemistry, Trinity College,
University of Dublin; Irina
Bokova, former Director-General of UNESCO, Independent
Director of PJSC PhosAgro; Prof. Supavan Tantayanon, Chairperson of
the Organizational Committee of the 8th IUPAC
International Conference on Green Chemistry; Nicole
Moreau, Scientific Board of UNESCO's International Basic
Sciences Programme; Siroj Loikov, PhosAgro Deputy CEO as well as
other representatives of the world's scientific elite.
The decision to implement Green Chemistry for Life was
taken on 29 March 2013 at UNESCO
Headquarters (Paris, France), when
PhosAgro initiated a fund to provide financial and academic support
to promising chemists doing research in environmental protection,
healthcare, food production, energy efficiency and sustainable use
of natural resources.
The expert jury, which consists of 13 scientists from 11
countries, is responsible for reviewing applications. A winning
project must meet several criteria, including academic novelty,
global and local relevance, commitment to the green chemistry
principles, sufficient qualifications of the researcher and their
team, and the technical capacity of the research institute or
laboratory to host the project.
A ceremony celebrating the results of the five years of the
Green Chemistry for Life programme is scheduled to take place this
November. The event will take place at UNESCO
headquarters in
Paris, bringing together the
leadership of PhosAgro, UNESCO and
IUPAC, as well as the
programme's grant recipients, members of the international
scientific jury and experts.
Since the launch of Green Chemistry for Life PhosAgro has
provided financial prizes to 34 young scientists from 26 countries,
including Australia, Argentina, Belgium, Bulgaria, Egypt, France, Italy, Iran,
Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Russia,
Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Tunisia, Ukraine and Uruguay.
The overall number of applications reviewed by the jury since
the programme's launch is well above 600. During the five years
that Green Chemistry for Life has operated, PhosAgro has awarded
grants worth some USD 2 million
(including the phosphogypsum grant, established in 2016). This is
the first ever project under the auspices of UNESCO and the UN to
be funded by a Russian company.
In 2018 the following nine scientists were rewarded grants at
the ceremony: Dr Elisa Souza Orth
(Brazil), Dr Gift Mehlana
(Zimbabwe), Dr Nadav Amdursky (Israel), Dr Muhammad
Shahid (Pakistan), Dr
Joaquín García-Álvarez (Spain), Dr
Roya Sedghi (Iran), Dr Yasmin Adam Ali Aburigal
(Sudan), Dr Suhair Ziad Abed
Alhameed Sunoqrot (Jordan) and Dr
Paltu Kumar Dhal (India).
The winners may use the grant funding to carry out further
fundamental and applied research in order to prepare innovative,
ready solutions in the areas of efficient use of natural and
recycled resources. For example, Dr Suhair Ziad Abed Alhameed
Sunoqrot's (Jordan) project is
about green synthesis of multifunctional nanoparticles from plant
polyphenols for anti-cancer drug delivery to affected tissues,
while Dr Paltu Kumar Dhal (India)
uses an indigenous microorganisms (IMO's)- based technology for
bioremediation of phosphogypsum. Initially, his project was
developed for India only, however,
it can be implemented at phosphoric acid plants in any other
country in the world.
Andrey Guryev, member of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO and PhosAgro
CEO: "When we launched Green Chemistry for Life five
years ago one could only dream that it would generate widespread
discussion in the scientific community and would attract young
scientists from all over the world. I am proud to say that we have
achieved all of this. We managed to turn this project into a way to
identify solutions for more effective natural resources management,
development of renewable energy as well as reduction of the impact
of industry on the environment. But these are the tactical
objectives. The strategic objective of green chemistry research is
global, and it is to support the well-being of future
generations."
Christopher Brett, president-elect of
IUPAC: "One of the main current objectives of IUPAC, in my
opinion, has to do with the application of achievements in the
fields of chemistry, and green chemistry in particular, towards
promoting and advancing sustainable development. Next year will
constitute two anniversaries at the same time: it will mark the
100th anniversary of IUPAC and its role in promoting a common
language and global consensus in chemistry, and the 150th
anniversary of Mendeleev's Periodic Table of the Elements, the
International Year of the Periodic Table. We thank Phosagro very
much for their sponsorship of International Year events."
Irina Bokova, former
Director-General of UNESCO, Independent Director on
the Board of Directors of PhosAgro: "We came
up with his wonderful programme during the International Year of
Chemistry 2011. This is a unique project as UNESCO and the UN, both
of which engage in meaningful cooperation in the areas of
education, science and culture, have for the first time established
cooperation with a Russian company in the field of science,
protection of the environment and innovations."
Prof. Natalia P. Tarasova,
former IUPAC president, jury member: "This
competition enables the development of new scientific thinking
among youth. Such thinking implies that a scientist who is focussed
on building new technological structures or organic synthesis
processes does not think about short-term success and would rather
assess the impact on the environment. A full 80% of the projects
are top-quality scientific projects. The participants present the
list of their publications in highly-ranked journals. It is
encouraging to see that some scientists have been published dozens
of times in such journals. This means that Green Chemistry for Life
is dealing with serious scientists, even though they are
young."
Prof. John Corish, Chair of
International Scientific Jury for Green Chemistry for
Life, Trinity
College, University of Dublin: "The main global challenge faced
by all nations is climate change and minimising its effects.
Green Chemistry for Life is focused on helping new and
promising scientists whose ideas can assist in achieving this. The
initiative is particularly important as it establishes the
scientists as independent, enables them to put their scientific
ideas into practice, make new discoveries and contribute to
worthwhile scientific development."
Prof. Pietro Tundo, UNESCO
Chair on Green Chemistry, Ca' Foscari University of
Venice: "I have participated
in nearly every IUPAC conference dedicated to green chemistry. Now
this event is taking place in this region for the first time and we
can clearly see how the notion of protection of the environment is
spreading across the world through green technologies. I want to
highlight the collaboration between IUPAC and PhosAgro on green
chemistry summer schools. This year such a school was set up in
Venice (Italy) and the next year the lessons will be
held in Tanzania (Africa)."
Prof. Pietro Tundo, UNESCO
Chair on Green Chemistry, Chair of the IUPAC Committee on
Green Chemistry for Sustainable Development, Ca'
Foscari University of Venice: "I have participated in every
IUPAC conference on green chemistry. Now this event is taking place
in this region for the first time and we can clearly see how the
protection of the environment is spreading across the world through
green technologies. I want to highlight as well the collaboration
between IUPAC Committee and PhosAgro on the green chemistry summer
school held in Venice
(Italy) last July. The next year
the School will be held for the first time in Africa, May
14-18, Dar Es Salaam,
Tanzania"
Dr Elisa Souza Orth, a young
scientist from Brazil:
"Chemistry can be widely applied in many spheres of life, but we
chemists have to primarily work on safe reagents and products in
simple and mild conditions. The successful implementation of this
project will enable us to contribute to Brazil's development, ensuring sustainable
agriculture practices and safe food production."
Dr Muhammad Shahid,
a young scientist from Pakistan: "Green chemistry for Life
is a splendid programme. It is well organised and has buy-in from
all of its stakeholders, which enhances the quality of people's
lives. We are going to produce green chemical compounds which
eventually will help stop the use of chemical substances that pose
a risk to the environment."
About PhosAgro
PhosAgro (www.phosagro.ru) is one of the world's leading
vertically integrated phosphate-based fertilizer producers in terms
of production volumes of phosphate-based fertilizers and high-grade
phosphate rock with a P2O5 content of not less than 39% (according
to IFA, Fertecon and CRU).
The Company is the largest phosphate-based fertilizer producer
in Europe, the largest producer of
high-grade phosphate rock worldwide, and one of the top-three
MAP/DAP producers in the world (by production volumes, according to
IFA). PhosAgro is also one of the leading producers of feed
phosphates (MCP) in Europe, and
the only producer in Russia
(according to CRU and RAFP). PhosAgro is Russia's only producer of nepheline
concentrate (according to RAFP).
PhosAgro's main products include phosphate rock, 39 grades of
fertilizers, feed phosphates, ammonia, and sodium tripolyphosphate,
which are used by customers in 100 countries spanning all of the
world's inhabited continents. The Company's priority markets
outside of Russia and the CIS are
Latin America, Europe and Asia.
PhosAgro's shares are traded on the Moscow Exchange, and global
depositary receipts ("GDRs") for shares trade on the London Stock
Exchange (under the ticker PHOR). Since 1
June 2016, the Company's GDRs have been included in the MSCI
Russia and MSCI Emerging Markets indexes.
SOURCE PhosAgro