Case study navigator on UN SDGs

The Sustainable Development Committee assessed the Company’s performance on 10 out of 17 UN SDGs, which are the key drivers for ensuring environmental responsibility and preserving the planet for future generations. As a producer of safe and pure fertilizers with no harmful impurities, PhosAgro plays an important role in protecting consumer food safety, good health and well-being (SDG 3), and maintaining responsible production and consumption (SDG 12).

Apart from its domestic market, PhosAgro supplies essential crop nutrients to farmers in more than 100 countries around the world, contributing to global food security and addressing the world hunger challenge (SDG 2). Our environmentally friendly fertilizers cause no harm to soils and prevent them from being degraded, which is one of the key obstacles to fighting hunger as 52% of farm soils are facing moderate or severe degradation. Moreover, PhosAgro became the first Russian company chosen by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) to run a global initiative for soil protection.

We use a zero discharge production system at our facilities, which ensures that no waste water is discharged into natural bodies of water (SDG 6). The Company also strives to maximise recycling and the use of by-products (SDG 12). As a result of regular investment in R&D, production expansion and upgrade in line with the best available techniques (RUB 180 bln over the past five years) and allocation of RUB 2.5 bln annually to back educational, healthcare, sports, youth and social programmes across its footprint, PhosAgro ensures decent working conditions and economic growth (SDG 8), supporting sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11) and quality education (SDG 4).

Together with UNESCO and IUPAC, PhosAgro has initiated and run the Green Chemistry for Life grant programme for young scientists working in the field of chemistry. The programme supports innovation (SDG 9) and helps build partnerships to foster sustainable development (SDG 17).

Finally, our key priorities include restoring and promoting sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems (SDG 15). To this end, PhosAgro takes global-scale action, implementing a joint project on sustainable soil management with FAO and supporting its Global Soil Partnership.

In 2019, PhosAgro spearheaded the creation of Green Club, an independent association of producers and suppliers of eco-friendly products that will be sold under the Green One national brand.

The initiative will cover all parts of the agricultural and food production chain, including mineral fertilizer and crop protection segments, agricultural production and food industry and national retailers, and will be joined by the heads of the Standardisation Committee on Organic Agricultural Products, Feedstock and Food, the RSPP Agricultural Commission, industry associations and unions.

During the Green Club meeting, its participants from the agrochemical industry, agricultural holdings, retail chains, unions and associations discussed the promotion of the Green One label both in Russia and globally.

The Green One brand will establish a legal and regulatory framework for Russian agricultural, food, agrochemicals, pesticides and animal feed producers to highlight environmental advantages of their products and communicate them to consumers. The initiative will foster the use of high quality mineral fertilizers to produce sustainable agricultural products without additional costs.

As part of this effort, PhosAgro initiated and all members of the Russian Association of Fertilizer Producers supported the adoption of ecolabels for Russian-made mineral fertilizers, first in kind in Russia.

Environmentally safe Russian-made phosphate-based fertilizers, along with a variety of agricultural products, will be included in the national branded segment of products with improved environmental characteristics.

The initiative contemplates potential harmonisation of Russian regulations with the global green regulations, including certification and labelling of Russian products based on modern European and international standards.

The registered owner of the ecolabel logo is the Russian Association of Fertilizer Producers.