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NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

We are committed to being a leading steward of our planet.

We use our expertise and ingenuity to meet environmental and societal needs for today and for generations to come.

Our Governance

As responsible stewards of the environment, we monitor and manage our environmental impacts including energy, GHG emissions and climate, responsible water management, pollution management, and waste and circularity. Our CEO and GBU presidents are accountable for Albemarle's environmental performance, and the Safety, Sustainability and Public Policy (SSP) committee of our Board of Directors provides oversight of Albemarle's natural resource management programs. The committee meets quarterly with our Vice President, Investor Relations and Sustainability, to review our natural resource management performance and progress towards our environmental targets, and the SSP Committee reports to the Board on a quarterly basis. Our environmental policy outlines our commitment to our environmental stewardship.

ENERGY, GHG EMISSIONS AND CLIMATE

As a world leader in the transformation of essential resources into critical ingredients for mobility, energy, connectivity and health, we must do our part to reduce energy use and emissions of our own operations.

Our Approach

  • We strive for continuous improvement and benchmark our performance against our top performing peers.
  • We collect scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions data for all Albemarle sites within our boundary using the principles of the GHG Protocol.
  • We have a company-wide GHG data collection system and obtain third-party assurance for select energy consumption and scope 1 and scope 2 GHG emissions metrics.

 

Programs & Initiatives

  • 80% of our total energy consumption is passive solar energy, used in the Salar de Atacama and Silver Peak production facilities to concentrate brine.
  • We invest in innovative process technologies such as heat recovery and integration systems to optimize energy efficiency.
  • We purchase electricity from renewable or low-emission sources and negotiate power purchase agreements (PPAs) where possible to support efficient and sustainable management of our electricity supply.
  • We conduct life cycle assessments (LCAs) in accordance with ISO 14040/14044 standards to understand the environmental footprint of our products and to drive product and process innovation, sustainable procurement, financial decision-making and customer service.
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CLIMATE STRATEGY

We prepare for and manage climate-related risks and opportunities and commit to reducing the carbon footprint of our operations.

The Albemarle Climate Strategy outlines our approach and responsibility to address the impact of our operations on the environment. We support the goals of the Paris Agreement to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2°C and are pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C.  This is not only the right thing to do but it will also strengthen our competitive position, improve our operational efficiency and create value for our stakeholders.

As part of our Climate Strategy, we complete the CDP Climate Change and Water Security questionnaire annually.

 

Learn more about the CDP Climate Change and Water Security Questionnaire
LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENTS

Just as our customers are interested in the environmental footprint of our products, we strive to understand the footprint of our raw materials.

In 2021, we completed our first Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) related to rock-based lithium hydroxide and brine-based lithium carbonate performed in accordance with ISO 14040/14044 standards using primary data from our Salar de Atacama, La Negra, Greenbushes and Talison operations and design data for the Kemerton production facilities.

We are in the process of building out LCAs for a variety of products and existing LCAs are regularly reviewed. As part of this process, we prioritize which of our products go through full LCAs and which go through internal assessments using a proxy model. We obtain external verification of any full LCAs.

WATER

Water is key to a sustainable future and critical for socio-economic development, energy and food production, healthy ecosystems and human survival. Responsible management of water resources is a core component of Albemarle’s sustainability strategy.

Our Approach

  • We aim to conserve freshwater where possible and to lower our water footprint through monitoring and investment in technologies that improve water efficiency.
  • We collect water withdrawal and consumption data according to the SASB Chemicals Industry Standard and calculate the percentage of freshwater consumed in areas with high and extremely high overall water risk, as defined by the World Resources Institute (WRI) Water Risk Atlas tool.
  • We have a company-wide water data collection system and obtain third-party assurance on select water metrics.
     
  • Our measurement of water use does not include brine (a source of bromine and lithium) due to its extreme salinity, which makes it unsuitable as a freshwater source.
     

 

Programs & Initiatives

  • We identify opportunities to reduce freshwater consumption through significant investments in our facilities and with our research and development efforts.  
    • At our La Negra operations in Chile, we installed a thermal evaporator - a technology that allows us to add production capacity of lithium carbonate without a corresponding increase in freshwater usage.
    • Through our JBC joint venture in Jordan, we invested in a new technology that facilitates recycling of a major co-product stream from our production process. 
    • In Magnolia, Arkansas, we are piloting technology to take water from an artificial marsh to clean and filter it through reverse osmosis to be reused in our facility.
    • At our Silver Peak, Nevada, facility, we are implementing process improvements that are projected to reduce our freshwater usage by six million gallons per year.
  • We are in the process of conducting detailed hydrogeological assessments and ongoing operational monitoring of potential impacts and sharing that information with key stakeholders. 
    • At our Kemerton production facility in Western Australia, we developed a water management plan to ensure that the quality and quantity of surface water and groundwater from our facility are maintained relative to pre-development conditions to protect the environment.
    • In the Salar de Atacama in Chile, we have collected water level and other environmental variables for more than 20 years and have established a detailed hydrogeological model used to verify whether the pumping of the brine has adverse effects on the water systems.
WASTE AND CIRCULARITY

We seek to minimize waste and enable a circular economy through process improvements and closed-loop technology initiatives.

Our Approach

  • We seek to maximize the recovery of extracted resources to minimize waste.
  • We seek end-markets for our co-products, including mining and chemical tailings.

 

Programs & Initiatives

  • We align our tailings management with industry best practices at our sites globally.
    • At our Talison JV mining operations in Greenbushes, Australia, we opened a tailings retreatment facility in 2022. 
    • In Chile, the co-product bischofite is sold as a dust suppressant for dirt roads, reducing waste and freshwater use.
    • In China, our chemical tailings are reused in the cement industry.
BIODIVERSITY

Albemarle embraces our responsibility to understand and address our connection with biodiversity and nature.

Our Approach

  • Our Biodiversity Statement highlights our commitment to protect, sustainably manage and restore biodiversity within and near our existing areas of operation.

 

Programs & Initiatives

  • To minimize the impact of our operations on biodiversity, we work with local communities and other stakeholders to develop and implement site-based biodiversity initiatives.
    • At our Australian operations, we are proactively engaged in the federal nature policy space and with our First Nations custodians as well as pursuing on-ground biodiversity offsets.
    • In the Peine-Punta La Negra lagoon in Chile, we have donated over $1 million since 2016 to support the monitoring of the migration of flamingo populations and have seen an increase in the bird population since the program’s inception.
    • Through collaboration with the Nevada Division of Wildlife and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Silver Peak facility has developed a robust avian protection program.
  • We apply international best practices in conducting thorough analyses and site surveys across our operations.
    • Our commitment under IRMA (Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance) obligates us to prevent and mitigate negative impacts of our mining operations on natural habitats and sensitive ecosystems.