Mosaic's Commitment to the UN SDGs

As the world’s leading producer and marketer of concentrated phosphate and crop nutrient products, Mosaic has the opportunity—and responsibility—to contribute to the success of global sustainability. 

There is no denying that mining and fertilizer manufacturing are intensive endeavors. Resource extraction, consumption of materials, generation of emissions in operations, water use—these activities are all necessary to fulfilling our mission to help the world grow the food it needs. From mine-to-market, we are continuously evaluating our sustainability efforts and looking for ways to minimize our negative impacts and maximize our positive contributions to shared challenges.

Mosaic isn’t new to the sustainability space. We’ve worked hard to be transparent and accountable to our stakeholders for more than10 years, but in 2020 we expanded our approach with the launch of 13   environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance targets that will guide our efforts to 2025. 

Our ESG Performance Targets provide an important framework for driving internal improvements, but they’re just one of the ways we are Acting Responsibly. We also assess our impacts in relation to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

The UN SDGs are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and improve the lives and prospects of everyone, everywhere. There are 17 Goals which were adopted by all UN Member States in 2015, as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The goals were written and intended for governments, but we recognize how our business efforts may contribute to the challenges and know that is our responsibility to also be part of the solutions to solve global issues.

In 2020, we worked with a third party to assess the SDGs against Mosaic’s strategy, commitments and ESG Performance Targets. We conducted reviews of our peers’ commitments, consulted industry resources, assessed our current UN SDG commitments and mapped the goals at the indicator level against our own company activities. As a result of this exercise, we are prioritizing five SDGs where our business has the most impact and potential to contribute on a societal level, and here’s why.   

Goal 2: Zero Hunger – There is no SDG that is better aligned to our mission to help the world grow the food it needs. Our work – production and distribution of vital crop nutrients – plays a role in addressing the challenge of food security. 
Goal 6: Clean Water And Sanitation – Water is essential to our operations and it is also a critical resource for society. We understand that growing water risks create challenges for the world’s populations.
Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – The safety and wellness of our employees is critical to our shared success, and an inclusive workforce enables the diversity of voices and insights needed to drive innovation and prepare for our business’s future.
Goal 13: Climate Action – Fertilizers, Mosaic’s primary products, are responsible for 40-60% of the world’s crop yields. We also generate direct and indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the mining, production, distribution and application of our crop nutrient products. 
Goal 14: Life Below Water – Crop nutrient products have the potential to run off farmland and into waterways, which can contribute to impaired water quality and can nourish algal blooms.

While we are prioritizing five goals, Mosaic contributes to several of the SDG goals in varying ways. We understand our contribution and will continue to evolve our ongoing efforts to build a stronger, brighter future. Learn more about Mosaic’s approach to sustainability and our continuing dedication to the UN SDGs.