Beijing – The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), in partnership with PhosAgro Group and the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), has awarded research grants in the field of green chemistry to the world's top young scientists for the eighth consecutive year. The first grants to talented young scientists for green chemistry research were awarded 10 years ago, in September 2014.

This year's ceremony was held in Beijing as part of the 10^th IUPAC International Conference on Green Chemistry, sponsored by PhosAgro. The conference, co-organised by the Chinese Chemical Society and the Institute of Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, included around 1,000 delegates from 56 countries. As part of the conference, the international scientific symposium "PhosAgro/UNESCO/IUPAC: Green Chemistry for Sustainable Development and Better Living" was also held.

The award ceremony and symposium were attended by Lidia Brito, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences; Ehud Keinan, President of IUPAC; Christopher Brett, Vice-President of the Scientific Advisory Board of UNESCO's International Basic Sciences Programme (IBSP) and past-President of IUPAC; Shahbaz Khan, Director of UNESCO's East Asia Regional Office; Natalia Tarasova, Director of the Institute of Chemistry and Sustainable Development at the D.I. Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia and past-President of IUPAC; and Siroj Loikov, First Deputy CEO of PhosAgro.

The international scientific jury selected 7 winners, whose research is aimed at developing breakthrough technologies in environmental protection, healthcare, food security, energy efficiency and the sustainable use of natural resources.

The laureates' research focuses on the development of environmentally friendly technologies for processing food waste (Paola Mello, Brazil); improving the efficiency of bacterial processing of agricultural and industrial waste (Bogdan Karlinsky, Russia); creating an analytical sensor for monitoring water pollution by heavy metals (Abdelmoneim Mars, Tunisia); producing bioplastics using 3D printing from fish protein and eco-friendly solvents (Adewale Giwa, UAE); improving the bioavailability of artemisinin, a key component in the treatment of malaria, using natural excipients (Monia Andreia Rodrigues Martins, Portugal); and developing slow-release fertilisers to minimise nutrient loss (Hassan Anwar, Pakistan).

Ivan Nikulin (Russia) was the recipient of a special grant to implement a project on phosphogypsum processing. His project involves an integrated technology for processing by-products from phosphoric acid production to obtain organomineral fertilisers, rare earth elements and their concentrates, gypsum binders and construction materials based on them.

UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences Lydia Brito said: "For over 10 years, UNESCO, IUPAC and PhosAgro have collaborated through the partnership in “Green Chemistry for Life”. So far, 55 projects have been funded and 48 have been completed. I want to thank PhosAgro for its long-standing partnership with UNESCO and IUPAC. The collaboration is a strong example of how green chemistry can tackle global challenges".

IUPAC President Ehud Keinan said: "We very much appreciate 10 years of collaboration with PhosAgro and UNESCO on something which is very important and influential, the idea of promoting research in the direction of green chemistry and related topics. This is important for the sake of research, but also sends a signal to the rest of the world that this area is something we need to evaluate - not only within IUPAC as the leader of the chemistry community worldwide, but also both in academia and industry, and the entire world. I appreciate this initiative and those who started this program 10 years ago".

First Deputy CEO of PJSC PhosAgro Siroj Loikov said: "As a global company, we feel our responsibility to future generations. We produce eco-friendly fertilisers that do not contain concentrations of toxic substances that are hazardous to human health and soils. They are in high demand in 100 countries across all inhabited continents. Business has a key role to play in the sustainable development of the planet. Accordingly, we are grateful to our long-standing partners UNESCO and IUPAC, who supported the idea of launching a Green Chemistry programme 10 years ago. It has been a life-changing initiative for dozens of young scientists from Russia and 32 countries across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America. I wish the winners continued achievements and success in their noble and essential profession!"

The partnership with UNESCO and IUPAC has become an important part of the comprehensive support that PhosAgro provides to talented researchers across the globe. Each year, the company holds Green Chemistry Summer Schools that bring together hundreds of scientists from around the world. Since 2022, a scholarship programme has been implemented to support students at D.I. Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia (MUCTR). Sixty gifted students have already become laureates of the N.P. Lavyorov Scholarship Competition.

PhosAgro (www.phosagro.ru) is a vertically integrated Russian company and one of the world’s leading producers of phosphate-based fertilizers and high-grade phosphate rock with P2O5 content of 39% or higher. PhosAgro’s high-performance fertilizers produce crops with advanced features.

PhosAgro Group is the largest producer of phosphate-based fertilizers in Europe (by total combined capacity for the production of DAP, MAP, NP, NPK and NPS fertilizers), one of the leading producers of MAP and DAP fertilizers globally, one of the leading producers of monocalcium feed phosphates (MCP) in Europe – and the only such producer in Russia – and Russia’s only producer of nepheline concentrate.

PhosAgro’s main products, including phosphate rock, 58 grades of fertilizers, feed phosphates, ammonia and sodium tripolyphosphate, are used by customers in 100 countries spanning all the world’s inhabited continents. The Company’s priority markets beyond Russia and the CIS are Latin America, Europe and Asia.

The Company’s shares are listed on the Moscow Exchange and its global depositary receipts (GDRs) are listed on the London Stock Exchange (MOEX and LSE ticker: PHOR).

More information about PhosAgro can be found on our website: www.phosagro.com.