Certifications and Alliances

Protect & Sustain certification is the development and implementation of sustainable business management processes throughout the life cycle of fertilizers. These are necessary to take greater responsibility not only for the way products are produced, but also for the way they are developed, sourced, stored, transported and used.

IFA’s industry-driven Protect & Sustain (P&S) initiative is a central component of the Association’s strategy to facilitate the fertilizer industry’s transition to more sustainable operations.

This certification was developed jointly by IFA members with two of the world’s leading certification and accreditation companies recognized by governments and institutions worldwide: SGS and DNV. The 6 areas of assessment are:
1. Management system.
2. Product development and planning.
3. Sourcing and contractor management.
4. Manufacturing techniques.
5. Customer supply chain.
6. Marketing, sales, and implementation.

The level of recognition within the IFA PS scheme that we have achieved is:
– Excellence in product management.

This certificate is valid for the following scope of application:
– Manufacture and distribution of mineral nitrogen and potassium fertilizers.

ECOPORTS is the leading environmental initiative for the European port sector. The Port Environmental Review System (PERS) is an environmental management standard specifically for the port sector, developed by the EcoPorts initiative. This system not only incorporates the main requirements of recognized standards such as ISO 14001, but also considers the particularities of ports. PERS provides ports with clear objectives to improve their environmental performance and its implementation is independently reviewed by LRQA Nederland B.V.

ISO 9001:2015 is a globally recognized quality management standard. It helps organizations of all sizes and industries to improve their performance, meet customer expectations and demonstrate their commitment to quality. Its requirements define how to establish, implement, maintain and continually improve a quality management system (QMS).

Implementing ISO 9001 means that our organization has implemented effective processes and trained personnel to deliver flawless products or services time after time.

ISO 14001:2015 is the internationally recognized standard for environmental management systems (EMS). It provides a framework for organizations to design and implement an EMS and continually improve their environmental performance. Organizations adopting this standard can ensure that they are taking proactive steps to limit their environmental footprint, meet relevant legal requirements and achieve their environmental objectives. The framework defined by ISO 14001 covers various aspects, from resource use and waste management to environmental performance monitoring and stakeholder involvement in environmental commitments.

Implementing ISO 14001 means that our organization has implemented processes that improve environmental performance and strive for operational excellence. The standard not only helps environmental legal compliance, but also helps manage these risks and takes into account the interests of environmental stakeholders.

ISO 50001 is an international standard developed by ISO that aims to maintain and improve an energy management system (EMS) in an organization. It enables continuous improvement of energy efficiency, energy security, energy use and energy consumption with a systematic approach.
In implementing ISO 50001, our organization seeks to establish energy policies, goals and objectives, and develop an action plan to achieve them. This includes identifying areas of energy inefficiency and taking action to improve them.

The Responsible Care Management System is the voluntary commitment by which chemical companies are obliged to responsibly manage the processes of production, handling, distribution, use and disposal of their products, in order to obtain the best health and safety conditions for people and the most adequate protection of the environment and the community’s assets. Responsible Care’s ethical statement intends, through its principles, to maintain a standard that goes beyond legal compliance in matters related to Industrial Safety, Occupational Health, Environmental Care and Social Responsibility.

The Clean Production Agreement (APL) Transition to a Circular Economy is articulated by Acción Empresas and Corfo’s Climate Change Sustainability Agency (ASCC).

Obtaining the Clean Production Agreement (APL) Seal at SQM generates a positive impact within the company by promoting more sustainable and responsible practices in all its operations. This certification boosts efficiency in the use of resources, reduces the environmental footprint and minimizes the risks associated with environmental management. By adopting the APL, SQM not only improves its operational performance, but also reinforces its commitment to sustainability, ensuring compliance with environmental regulations and strengthening its reputation in the market. In short, the APL Seal promotes a culture of continuous improvement and sustainability within the company.

The Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI), target the top 10% of sustainability performers, as well as broader market indices, such as the S&P 500 ESG Index, which targets the top 75% of the floating market capitalization of each GICS® industry group within its core indices according to the S&P Global ESG Score.

S&P Global ESG Score The S&P Global ESG Score measures a company’s performance relative to material ESG risks, opportunities and impacts and their management based on a combination of company disclosures, media and stakeholder analysis, modeling approaches (prior to the 2023 CSA, the S&P Global ESG Score did not contain any modeling approaches) and in-depth company engagement through the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA). The S&P Global ESG score is a relative score that measures a company’s performance relative to ESG risks, opportunities and impacts and its management compared to peers within the same industry classification.
The S&P Global ESG score uses a dual materiality approach, whereby a sustainability issue is considered material if it has a significant impact on society or the environment and a significant impact on a company’s value drivers, competitive position and long-term shareholder value creation.

CDP is a non-profit organization that leads the global disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states and regions to manage their impact on the environment.

CDP is internationally regarded as one of the most comprehensive environmental reports on corporate and city action.

CDP is a disclosure portal for effective carbon and climate change risk management. It solicits information on climate risks and low-carbon opportunities from the world’s largest companies, backed by more than 700 capital market signatories representing over US$142 trillion in assets and more than 330 major buyers with over US$6.4 trillion in procurement spending.

The International Fertilizer Association (IFA) represents between 75-80% of global fertilizer production, including producers, sales and distribution. The International Fertilizer Association (IFA) was founded in 1927 and is the world’s only global fertilizer association, with around 500 members in some 80 countries and a mission to promote the efficient and responsible production, distribution and use of plant nutrients. This mission plays a key role in helping to feed the world sustainably. The IFA represents suppliers of plant nutrition solutions. Members include fertilizer producers, traders and distributors, as well as their associations, industry service providers, research organizations, agricultural technology start-ups and non-governmental organizations.

The EcoVadis platform helps us manage ESG risk and compliance, achieve corporate sustainability objectives and drive impact at scale. On an annual basis, we voluntarily respond to the EcoVadis questionnaire that assesses us on 21 sustainability criteria, divided into the following thematic:
– Environment: Includes resource management, emissions reduction and implementation of sustainable practices.
– Labor Practices and Human Rights: Evaluates labor conditions, equal opportunity and respect for human rights.
– Ethics: Analyzes business integrity, anti-corruption and ethical behavior.
– Sustainable Procurement: Examines procurement practices and supply chain management to ensure they are responsible and sustainable.

Each of the topics needs supporting evidence, and the results allow us to compare performance with companies in the same industry, as well as to work on our gaps.

SQM S.A. supports the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact in the areas of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption. We are committed to making the United Nations Global Compact and its principles part of our company’s strategy, culture and daily operations, and to participating in collaborative projects that advance the broader development goals of the United Nations, particularly the Sustainable Development Goals.