Eni Signs UNESCO MOU

Eni has announced that the company and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have signed a four-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Mexico.

Under the deal, Eni said the parties will evaluate specific opportunities of collaboration within several areas of intervention, such as the conservation and sustainable management of natural resources. The partners also aim to collaborate in the protection and promotion of culture and traditional knowledge, promoting economic diversification, Eni highlighted.

“Sustainability plays a central role in Eni’s strategy and goes hand in hand with the development of business opportunities in the countries where the company operates,” Alberto Piatti, Eni´s head of sustainable development, said in a company statement.

“Mexico is a concrete example of such a model. We are implementing projects that are directly linked to the Sustainable Development Goals and the carbon neutrality objectives, strengthening partnerships with international organizations,” Piatti added in the statement.

“The MOU signed with UNESCO is a first step in this direction and will contribute to the sustainable development of Mexico,” he went on to say.

Frédéric Vacheron, UNESCO’s representative in Mexico, said, “for  more than 75 years UNESCO has contributed to the conservation, protection and promotion of cultural and natural heritage”.

“As an agency of the United Nations system with a multiple mandate that includes five major fields of action (Education; Natural Sciences; Social and Human Sciences; Culture; and Communication and Information) UNESCO brings an intersectoral and multidisciplinary approach,” Vacheron added.

Eni noted that Mexico is a key country in its future organic growth strategy. The company’s relationship with Mexico dates back to 1967, according to Eni’s website, which outlines that the company produced five million barrels of oil equivalent in the country back in 2020.

In October 2019, Eni formally committed not to perform oil and gas exploration and development activities within the boundaries of natural sites included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. In a company statement at the time, Eni noted that the commitment gave official recognition to a policy that Eni was already following in its operations.

UNESCO seeks to build peace through international cooperation in education, sciences and culture, the organization’s website states. The organization was founded in 1945.

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