Eni and UNIDO strengthen the cooperation in key sectors, from energy to youth employability to agriculture

San Donato Milanese (Milan), 17 June 2022 - The CEO of Eni, Claudio Descalzi, and the Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Gerd Müller, have signed a joint declaration strengthening collaboration in areas of common interest, particularly in Africa. It isin line with SDG 9 (Industry, innovation and infrastructure).

The agreement signed at Eni's Research Center in San Donato Milanese focuses on developing initiatives to contribute to a just energy transition. The areas which the collaboration will focus on are new energy vectors for decarbonisation such as green hydrogen, renewables, energy efficiency, technical education, youth employment and the agricultural value chain.

"UNIDO is a key partner for us, with whom we have been working for years to promote tangible sustainable development in countries of mutual interest, leveraging on the industrial sector that is at the heart of our collaboration. We are implementing projects that range from renewable energy to economic diversification, pooling experience, know-how and expertise. Today, our partnership is reinforced, with new and more ambitious goals," said Claudio Descalzi, CEO of Eni.

“We will strengthen cooperation to help achieve the goals and targets of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We have areas of common interest like youth employment, green hydrogen and renewable energy. And our focus will be on industrial development in Africa”, said Gerd Müller, UNIDO Director General.

Concrete examples of jointly developed projects include the Oyo Centre of Excellence for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in the Republic of the Congo, which will be inaugurated in 2022. Eni and UNIDO will work to foster its recognition as a central institution to support the energy transition, both nationally and regionally, by engaging public and private actors to ensure the long-term sustainability of the center. In Mozambique, the partners will renew their cooperation to improve youth and female employment in the agribusiness supply chain through agricultural development projects.