With clear commitments, deadlines and an investment of over US$200 million, SQM is executing a robust plan that deepens its responsibility with the environment and the sustainability of its operations.
Environmental goals
Goals and Environmental Commitments
With clear commitments, SQM Litio is implementing a robust Sustainability Plan aligned with the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), deepening its responsibility to the environment, the sustainability of its operations, and the entire value creation cycle in which we participate. The plan was developed based on the SDGs, which includes a series of company-wide initiatives that seek not only to demonstrate but also to guarantee our commitment to the environment and the communities surrounding our operations.
We envision a responsible business that must meet global needs, recognizing that evolution means working today to build a better future. The challenges SQM Litio faces every day affect all our business lines. We produce and develop products for essential industries that contribute to human progress and well-being, such as healthcare, nutrition, renewable energy, and technological development.
Brine extraction decrease
At SQM Litio, our Sustainability Policy urges us to constantly take on new challenges and commitments, aligned with the aspirations of the communities surrounding our operations, our customers, our employees, and the various stakeholders with whom we interact.
At Salar de Atacama, from 2020 to December 2024, we have achieved a 32% reduction in brine extraction.
Committed to deepening and strengthening our environmental management, we will continue to make progress toward reducing brine extraction by 50% by 2028.
Continental Water Reduction
We are committed to reducing inland water consumption to 120 l/s in all our operations in the Salar de Atacama, corresponding to a 50% reduction by 2030. With the development of the Futuro project from 2031 to 2060, we aim to eliminate water extraction from inland sources.
Water extraction from the Salar de Atacama is authorized at 240 l/s. However, as part of our efforts to ensure proper water use, we have reduced the maximum to 120 l/s. In addition, we have recovered 8 l/s through wastewater treatment. In the Salar de Atacama, from 2020 to December 2024, we have achieved an 8% reduction in well water extraction.
For its part, water for the Carmen Lithium Chemical Plant is obtained through third parties, primarily from treatment and desalination plants. Furthermore, the Solution Recovery Plant (SRP) recovered 33 l/s of water during the reporting period, equivalent to 47% of the water input to the operation.
In 2024, 107 l/s were extracted, 7% less than in 2023 and 11% less than the approved flow rate. None of our operations discharge water.
Neutral Carbon
We are currently one of the global lithium producers with the lowest carbon footprint.
This is aligned with science-based targets to limit global warming to 1,5°C. In 2024, our near-term emissions reduction targets were validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), including a 46,2% absolute reduction in Scopes 1 and 2, and a 55% intensity reduction in Scope 3 by 2031, using 2021 as the base year.
Additionally, we measure our GHG emissions monthly under the GHG Protocol standard, which are verified by independent third parties and reported annually to the CDP.
Our lithium products contribute directly to the global energy transition, playing a key role in the development of electromobility and renewable energy storage.
Creation of shared value
For years, SQM Litio has guaranteed safe and inclusive working conditions, while strengthening local economies and the development of neighboring communities, contributing to the creation of shared social value. SQM Litio is committed to continuing to improve its monitoring systems for the ecosystems surrounding it to provide an even more timely response. It also highlights the reduction of waste generated in its operations, as well as by suppliers, workers, collaborators, and offices in Chile and around the world.
High standard in reportability
By 2030, we aim to be a company that publicly partners with the world's green industries. To this end, we have made progress in sustainability through the publication of a Corporate Sustainability Policy for SQM Litio; an online monitoring plan for operations in the Salar de Atacama; membership in the United Nations Global Compact and adherence to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); and participation in the Global Battery Alliance, among other measures that we intend to continue expanding.
Our Annual Sustainability Report, which follows the highest ESG publishing standards and is audited by independent experts, was incorporated into the measurement and certification methodology proposed by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). Recently, S&P Dow Jones Index announced the results of the assessments carried out and SQM qualified for both the DJSI Chile Index and the DJSI MILA Pacific Alliance Index.
Likewise, we started a diagnostic process at CDP; an international non-profit organization that helps companies and cities publicize their environmental impact related to greenhouse gases, water use and consumption, and biodiversity.