Zacatecas and Fresnillo to Implement Climate Education Project

The government of Zacatecas and Fresnillo will spend MX$600,000 (US$30,000) to train 800 teachers in 800 schools. Supporting the initiative, the government signed an agreement with Fresnillo, the Zacatecan Council of Science, Technology and Innovation (Cozcyt), the Zacatecas Mining Cluster and the Board of Directors of Innovation for the Teaching of Science (INNOVEC).

Zacatecas will implement the Latin America Project for Climate Education (ALEC) promoted by the Climate Education Office (OCE), part of the UN division for Education, Science and Culture, with the aim to establish local educational actions to back up the mission to mitigate climate change. 

The collaborative agreement was signed by the Ministry of Education of Zacatecas, the personal staff of the governor, the Head of Science, Technology and Innovation Council of Zacatecas, the Coordinator of Community Relations of Minera Fresnillo, the company’s Superintendent of Community Relations, the President of the Directive Council of the Innovative Science Education and President of the Zacatecas Mining Cluster. 

INNOVEC’s work is based on the manuals and resources designed by OCE to mitigate climate change and diminish the impact of global warming. INNOVEC trained 40 local teachers with the support of the International Siemens Foundation, which will also be in charge of training the other 800 teachers. 

Recently, the Mexican Confederation of Industrial Chambers (CONCAMIN) awarded Mexican mining companies that have contributed to the development of better industry practices regarding social, ethical and environmental issues. CONCAMIN awarded gold-leading producing company Industrias Peñoles and silver-leading producing company Fresnillo with the 2022 Industry Ethics and Values Award.

Both companies have developed social impact strategies that aim to contribute to the social development of communities living near the companies’ projects. “Transparency is an essential cornerstone for Fresnillo’s corporate governance. Our culture is in line with national and international sustainability principles, which has significantly contributed to the maintenance of our leading position over time,” said Erika Martínez, Deputy Director of Compliance, Fresnillo.