CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Albemarle
Corporation (NYSE: ALB), a leader in the global specialty chemicals
industry, announced today that it has begun the path toward
certification under the stringent standard of IRMA, considered as
the certification standard for assurance of responsible mining that
has the greatest depth, breadth and specificity.
Last month, Albemarle began
IRMA's self-assessment process at the Salar Plant, located in
northern Chile in the Salar de
Atacama, thus constituting the first step toward obtaining the
verification and certification that guarantees ecological and
socially responsible mining products. Albemarle uses no fresh water in its brine
extraction and concentration process in the Salar, and the company
shares a percentage of its sales with the local indigenous
communities through a historic agreement signed in 2016.
"Today, the demands of sustainability are not an option, they
are an obligation," said Ellen
Lenny-Pessagno, Albemarle Country Manager, Chile. "We undertake this commitment with
great humility, and we recognize the responsibility we have with
all of our stakeholders. Certifying that our processes are
sustainable is fundamental to our corporate strategy. We are
dedicated to sustainability in the lithium value chains, but also
within the communities we operate."
"We welcome Albermarle's commitment to use the IRMA program to
improve environmental and social responsibility," said Aimee Boulanger, IRMA's Executive Director.
"This provides opportunity for more transparent communication
between the company, workers, communities, NGOs, and others with a
shared interest to protect this unique region and the rights of
people who call it home."
"As one of the world's leading producers of lithium, it is
critically important for us to take a leadership role in
transparently showing how we sustainably produce lithium," said
Eric Norris, Albemarle President,
Lithium. "We hope to replicate this process in other sites, because
this certification is aligned with the company's sustainable
operations and business model of creating long-term value for all
stakeholders by focusing on innovation, customers and product
quality, financials, business ethics and regulatory
compliance."
For further information about IRMA, please refer to
www.responsiblemining.net.
About Albemarle
Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB), headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is a global specialty
chemicals company with leading positions in lithium, bromine and
refining catalysts. We think beyond business-as-usual to power the
potential of companies in many of the world's largest and most
critical industries, such as energy, electronics, and
transportation. We actively pursue a sustainable approach to
managing our diverse global footprint of world-class resources. In
conjunction with our highly experienced and talented global teams,
our deep-seated values, and our collaborative customer
relationships, we create value-added and performance-based
solutions that enable a safer and more sustainable future.
We regularly post information to www.albemarle.com, including
notification of events, news, financial performance, investor
presentations and webcasts, non-GAAP reconciliations, SEC filings
and other information regarding our company, its businesses and the
markets it serves.
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SOURCE Albemarle Corporation