SQM’s Iodine and Plant Nutrition Division receives global certification for energy and environmental management

Thanks to the energy and environmental efficiency throughout SQM’s Iodine and Plant Nutrition Division’s production chain, international certifier TÜV Rheinland accredited that the Coya Sur and the Nueva Victoria mine and leaching areas meet high standards of excellence in these matters.

The international ISO 50001 and ISO 14001 certifications were presented to executives from SQM’s Iodine and Plant Nutrition Division by Gonzalo de Castro, Global Field Manager of Management Systems Certification, TÜV Rheinland and Thorsten Malchow, Head of System Certification Division for South America.

Pablo Altimiras, CEO of SQM’s Iodine and Plant Nutrition Division, commented, “Receiving these international certifications is very important for the company, because it shows our consistency with our Sustainability Plan. In addition, two of our values are sustainability and excellence. Rather than just paying them lip service, we must move forward with different actions and concrete challenges, and these ISOs demonstrate the work we are doing to care for the environment and our surroundings.”

Gonzalo de Castro, Global Field Manager of Management Systems Certification for TÜV Rheinland, said, “Although the certification process was long, I thank SQM for its commitment to continuous improvement, energy efficiency management and the environment. I am confident that they will once again achieve the same successes they have already had with ISO 9001, and that today, through these two certifications, they will make their operations increasingly sustainable.”

At the ceremony, a panel discussion entitled “Challenges and Advances in Certification Processes” was held. Participants included Gonzalo de Castro and Thorsten Malchow from TÜV Rheinland; Ignacio Majluf, Management and Sustainability Manager for SQM’s Iodine and Plant Nutrition Division; and Adrián Becerra, Sustainability Engineer for SQM’s Iodine and Plant Nutrition Division, who explained the importance of implementing these standards for the industry’s environmental stewardship.

In this context, Ignacio Majluf, Management and Sustainability Manager for SQM’s Iodine and Plant Nutrition Division, remarked, “For us these two major milestones are very relevant because they help us as a company to advance in environmental and energy management issues, structuring orderly action plans, with leadership, roles and functions that drive continuous improvement in all our processes.”

CERTIFICATIONS AND ALLIANCES

Currently, SQM’s Iodine and Plant Nutrition Division has several national and international certifications, which demonstrates the company’s ongoing commitment to reduce the impact of climate change. These objectives are part of its Sustainability Plan roadmap, which responds to the expectations of both the communities surrounding its operations and regulatory, social, environmental and commercial requirements, in addition to the commitments acquired in its Environmental Qualification Resolutions.

One of the most recent certifications was ECOPORTS, which was awarded to SQM’s Port of Tocopilla operations for complying with and managing environmental regulations with global port sector standards.