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Contributing to Community Development and Environmental Protection

Within the framework of its robust Sustainability Plan, SQM carried out a series of initiatives to create shared social value and prioritize respect for people and care for the environment and the communities near its operations.

Contribution to social and productive development with a focus on priority needs on a local level is the central theme of the community work carried out by SQM in the territory, notably the provision of the remodeling works on the Quillagüa dam, which was instigated two years ago in partnership with the community, the company and the regional government, and today has grown from a capacity of 30,000 to 40,000 cubic meters to improve and maintain a continuous supply of this resource.

This milestone was celebrated by the community in a ceremony that also included the signing of an agreement between the Aymara Community and CONAF, where SQM commits to hand over 17.5 hectares of the “Cerco de Monte Oro” farm on consignment for its agroforestry conservation. It also provided two trucks for the Quillagua Aymara Community and the Rural Potable Water Committee.

Pablo Pisani,  Director of Nitrates and Iodine Communities and Public Affairs for SQM, pointed out that “we have a significant number of working groups to promote dialogue with the communities to jointly co-construct a series of initiatives that aim to improve the quality of life of the towns close to our operations, with a focus on the generation of shared value.”

Electromobility and Clean Energy

In 2022, in conjunction with leading transportation companies, SQM made important strides towards carbon neutrality, implementing the largest and most diverse electric fleet in the national mining industry with 34 fully electric vehicles, including passenger buses, minibuses, pickup trucks, mobile solar checkpoints, Chile’s first high-tonnage electric haul truck, which was also presented to the Tocopilla community to announce its entry into operation.

In addition, SQM teamed up with former national race car driver, Eliseo Salazar, traveling to the towns of María Elena, Tocopilla and Antofagasta as part of Exponor with the E-Kart experience, where environmentally friendly electric vehicles were driven by more than 3,000 people in a sporting event for the whole family, which was full of adrenaline and fun.

Culture and Social Innovation

In the province of El Tamarugal, the company developed initiatives to strengthen productive development, such as the Activa Pisagua program, which benefited 15 enterprises, providing more than 30 million pesos. In November it joined the call for Sustainability Challenges, which seeks out regional projects aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The company also provided support to farmers in Colonia de Pintados and Bajo Soga, territories that develop the Alfalfa Production Center in the El Carmelo sector in La Tirana, and Aymara agriculture in the municipality of Huara. This support represented more than 100 million pesos in equipment such as tractors, trailer carts, rotary tillers and disc plows, among other implements.

“As a company, we are very happy to be able to strengthen our ties with the communities of Tarapacá through serious, responsible work that has prioritized the quality of life of families and care for the land and the environment,” said the Director of Nitrates and Iodine Communities and Public Affairs for SQM’s north zone, Pablo Pisani.

In early 2022, the Salar de Llamara Environmental Education Center (Centro de Educación Ambiental, CEDAM) was inaugurated to promote environmental education and conserve natural heritage. Along these same lines, during the last quarter of the year, the first ViLTI SeMANN International Seminar was held in Iquique, a pioneering program in educational robotics that was presented to teachers and students in the Tarapacá Region and that already has experimental interventions in towns such as La Huayca and La Tirana.

On environmental issues, in conjunction with Compañía Minera Cordillera and Fundación Wayanay, SQM spearheaded the laying of the first stone for the Seabird Rescue Center, which will be located in the Terminal Marítimo Patache for research and conservation activities for rescued endangered species .

In terms of inclusion, SQM developed various training opportunities, highlighting the B Leaching and CAEX Female Operators courses, as well as the “Vamos por + Mujeres en la Minería” (“More Women in Mining”) seminar held in Iquique that brought together more than 100 participants, who analyzed the gaps and opportunities for female inclusion in the industry.

These initiatives are joined by other actions related to health, heritage preservation, culinary traditions, early childhood education and sports, among others, all aligned with the company’s various objectives set forth in its Sustainability Plan.