Active commitment to environmentally friendly production
K+S is committed to sustainable mining practices. As with all raw material extraction, potash mining inevitably affects the environment. Therefore, we continuously strive to mitigate the environmental impact of extracting and processing raw materials. To this end, we employ modern, environmentally friendly production methods while maintaining high economic efficiency. Our active research and development efforts keep us at the forefront of innovation.
K+S Environmental Strategy
Our active commitment to environmentally friendly production is supported by an environmental strategy focused on sustainable mining and responsible business practices.
Our actions are based on compliance with environmental obligations, legal regulations, and high standards. In line with our corporate strategy, we have identified key issues for sustainable environmental protection. At all K+S sites, we focus on three areas of action with the following core topics:
We use key performance indicators (KPIs), such as those related to sustainability, to visualize our progress in all three areas of action.
For K+S, environmentally friendly mining means identifying continuous improvements and balancing economic and ecological interests optimally. Our specific goals are as follows:
- Improve the environmental performance of our sites and ensure they are future-proof.
- Reduce CO2 emissions in line with our climate strategy by switching our energy consumption from fossil fuels to renewable energies and leveraging any available technology.
- Further reduce the impact on groundwater and surface water.
- Continue avoiding and recycling mining residues to mitigate the environmental impact of mining.
- Identify strategic partnerships and further develop resource-saving technologies.
We aim to proactively and reliably shape the framework conditions for our operations. Transparent communication with our stakeholders is key to implementing effective measures and strengthening trust.
The K+S environmental strategy is an ongoing process in which we regularly review potential and continuously develop, implement, and refine measures.
Concrete Goals and KPIs
Environmental management
Our environmental management supports us in achieving our goals. It is coordinated Group-wide and across all topics. The Group companies specify requirements. The sites are also assisted in the implementation process to continuously improve our HSE performance. This is achieved through the ongoing introduction of management systems based on DIN EN ISO 14001 for environmental management and DIN EN ISO 50001 for energy management for key sites. National and international expert committees have been set up to increase efficiency and to exchange experience.
Water protection
Water is a very important resource for K+S. We use water of various qualities in many processes. We need water in production processes and in mining and extraction at certain deposits. Saline wastewater, which we have to dispose of, is generated from production processes and in the area of tailings piles. Across the Group, we aim to keep water-related impacts to a minimum.
Nature and species conservation
Inevitable interventions provide us with the opportunity to achieve significant added value for the respective habitat with qualitative compensatory measures as well as additional improvements in the vicinity of our sites. We, therefore, specifically focus on nature conservation projects with long-term potential, while supporting them from beginning to completion. Together with partners such as farmers, associations, and local nature conservation initiatives, we find the best solutions.
