TEL AVIV, Israel, November 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --
35% reduction in ICL's GHG emissions worldwide between 2008 and 2014 -ICL's "Carbon Disclosure Index" score of 99 (out of 100) places it among the top 120 companies worldwide, and demonstrates the company's high level of transparent reporting - ICL's scores are above those of several of the world's leading chemical companies
ICL (NYSE and TASE: ICL), a global manufacturer of products based on specialty minerals that fulfill essential needs of the world's growing population in the agriculture, processed food and engineered materials markets, today announced that its 2015 report to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) received a score of 99 (out of 100) in the CDP's Carbon Disclosure Index. This score places ICL among the top 120 reporting companies in the world. In the CDP's performance index, ICL achieved a high "B" grade (on a scale from A to E) in recognition of its 35% reduction in emissions worldwide between 2008 and 2014.
CDP is the leading international organization which examines and reports on climate change policies of over 2,000 leading companies worldwide, including their carbon footprints and greenhouse gas emissions. It published its annual findings in advance of the upcoming 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or Conference of Parties ("COP"), to be held in Paris beginning on November 30, 2015.
Yonatan Shteibel, Vice President, Business Development, of ICL Fertilizers, who also heads the Carbon Footprint Activities Center at ICL, commented, "The Israeli government, within the framework of its preparation for the COP, recently established a national goal to lower greenhouse gas emissions per person by 26% by 2030. ICL is extensively involved in reducing the GHG emissions of its products and is proud to have achieved the ambitious target it previously set for itself of reducing its absolute emissions by a minimum of 30% between 2008 and 2017."
ICL's standing in the CDP's reduction and reporting measurements is very high in comparison to other fertilizers producers worldwide. With respect to reducing GHG emissions, ICL ranks in the second category, above leading companies such as Monsanto, Agrium, Potash Corp. and Uralkali. With a score of 99 in the transparency category, ICL surpasses all of these companies, as well as the score achieved by another major fertilizer company, Syngenta.
ICL has voluntarily submitted a detailed report to the CDP for the past several years as part of its strategy of sustainability, corporate responsibility and transparency. The report provides information regarding greenhouse gas emission levels of the company's production facilities throughout the world, as well as the company's goals for reducing its emission levels and extensive information regarding its efforts to deal with the global challenge of climate change.
In the CDP's performance index, ICL achieved a "B" grade (on a scale from A to E) in recognition of its reduction of its argon emissions by 35% between 2008 and 2014. The reduction results in part from the company's conversion to natural gas at its plants in Israel, energy efficiency projects it has undertaken and new technologies it has implemented in the company's production processes at ICL's Magnesium plant at the Dead Sea (Sdom), as well as at its Fertilizers and Chemicals plant located in Haifa.
In an attempt to identify additional possible GHG sources to reduce, and to demonstrate its commitment to sustainability to customers, the company has also completed measuring the carbon footprint of around 60 of its leading products (including potash, bromine, green and white acid). The measurements were conducted according to the strict international standard, PAS 2050. ICL is one of the leading companies in Israel engaged in this ongoing project.
Shteibel added, "Our ability to monitor GHG emissions at ICL's production sites in Israel and around the world requires exceptional professional expertise as well as considerable financial investment. Both of these represent an expression of the seriousness with which we are pursuing the company's strategy of sustainability, which includes investing in excess of half a billion shekels (~$130 million) annually to pursue our objectives, the most of any company in Israel.
ICL's high level of transparency in the report includes a broad itemization of ICL's strategy regarding climate change, risks and opportunities related to the company's activities, the methods by which ICL calculates its GHG emissions based on various parameters and results. Among other things, the report includes a description of the external independent verification process of ICL's GHG emissions at one of the company's facilities outside of Israel for the third consecutive year. ICL initiated this process to ensure the reliability and quality of its calculation methods and to better manage its environmental information. In addition to reporting to the CDP, ICL works in cooperation with Israel's Ministry of Environmental Protection by reporting its emissions in accordance with a voluntary mechanism established by the ministry through the submission of the company's annual Corporate Responsibility reports, as well as through other additional voluntary and obligatory reports.
About ICL
ICL is a global manufacturer of products based on specialty minerals that fulfill humanity's essential needs primarily in three markets: agriculture, food and engineered materials.
ICL produces approximately a third of the world's bromine, and is the sixth largest potash producer, as well as the leading provider of pure phosphoric acid. It is a major manufacturer of specialty fertilizers, specialty phosphates and flame retardants. ICL's mining and manufacturing activities are located in Israel, Europe, the Americas and China, and are supported by global distribution and supply networks.
The agricultural products that ICL produces help to feed the world's growing population. The potash and phosphates that it mines and manufactures are used as ingredients in fertilizers and serve as an essential component in the pharmaceutical and food additives industries. The food additives that ICL produces enable people to have greater access to more varied and higher quality food. ICL's water treatment products supply clean water to millions of people as well industry around the world. Other substances, based on bromine and phosphates help to create energy that is more efficient and environmentally friendly, prevent the spread of forest fires and allow the safe and widespread use of a variety of products and materials.
ICL benefits from a number of unique advantages, including its vertically integrated activities and complementary and synergistic downstream operations for the production of unique end products; its balanced and varied product portfolio in growing markets; broad presence throughout the world and proximity to large markets, including in emerging regions.
ICL operates within a strategic framework of sustainability that includes a commitment to the environment, support of communities in which ICL's manufacturing operations are located and where its employees live, and a commitment to all its employees, customers, suppliers and other stakeholders.
ICL is a public company whose shares are dual listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (NYSE and TASE: ICL). 46% of ICL's equity is held by Israel Corp., 13.8% by Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan and the remainder by the public.
The company employs approximately 14,000 people worldwide, and its sales in 2014 totaled US $6.1 billion. For more information, visit the company's website at http://www.icl-group.com.
Forward Looking Statement
This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements", many of which can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "anticipate", "believe", "could", "expect", "should", "plan", "intend", "estimate" and "potential" among others. Forward-looking statements are based on our management's current beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to our management. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements due to various factors, including, but not limited to, changes in the demand and price environment of the products as well as shipping and energy costs, whether caused by actions of governments, manufacturers or consumers, changes in the capital markets, including fluctuations in currency exchange rates, credit availability, interest rates, changes in the competition structure in the market, shortage with respect to our principal raw materials, the difference between actual reserves and the reserve estimates, accidents or disruptions in the manufacturing facilities, failure to provide the necessary infrastructure and services, and those in "Item 3. Key Information-D. Risk Factors" in the Company's annual report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on March 20, 2015. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update or revise them or any other information contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
Contact: Rony Glass Alony, rony@kd-pr.com, +972-3-5299636
