SQM Lithium
SQM Lithium, officially known as Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile, is a leading player in the lithium industry, headquartered in the United States. Founded in 1968, the company has established a strong presence in key operational regions, including South America, where it harnesses the rich lithium brine resources of the Salar de Atacama. Specialising in the production of lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide, SQM Lithium stands out for its commitment to sustainable practices and innovative extraction methods. The company has achieved significant milestones, including expanding its production capacity to meet the growing demand for lithium in electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy storage. With a robust market position, SQM Lithium is recognised for its contributions to the global transition towards clean energy, making it a vital player in the evolving lithium supply chain.
DitchCarbon Score
How does SQM Lithium's carbon action stack up? DitchCarbon scores companies based on their carbon action and commitment to reducing emissions. Read about our methodology to learn more.
Industry Average
Mean score of companies in the Business Services industry. Comparing a company's score to the industry average can give you a sense of how well the company is doing compared to its peers.
Industry Benchmark
SQM Lithium's score of 38 is higher than 97% of the industry. This can give you a sense of how well the company is doing compared to its peers.
SQM Lithium's reported carbon emissions
In 2023, SQM Lithium reported significant carbon emissions, totalling approximately 1,486,288,000 kg CO2e. This figure includes 308,815,000 kg CO2e from Scope 1 emissions, 536,571,000 kg CO2e from Scope 2 emissions, and 1,147,902,000 kg CO2e from Scope 3 emissions. The Scope 3 emissions encompass various categories, with notable contributions from purchased goods and services (531,773,000 kg CO2e) and upstream transportation and distribution (373,560,000 kg CO2e). Over the years, SQM Lithium has seen fluctuations in its emissions. For instance, in 2022, the total emissions were about 3,518,079,000 kg CO2e, with Scope 1 at 300,299,000 kg CO2e and Scope 2 at 508,077,000 kg CO2e. The company has not publicly disclosed specific reduction targets or initiatives as part of its climate commitments, indicating a potential area for improvement in transparency regarding its sustainability efforts. SQM Lithium's emissions intensity based on production for lithium hydroxide is reported at 8.42 tCO2 per tonne, significantly lower than the industry benchmark of 14.7 tCO2 per tonne. This suggests that while the company has not set formal reduction targets, it is performing better than some industry standards in terms of emissions per unit of production. Overall, SQM Lithium's emissions data highlights the scale of its carbon footprint and the importance of establishing clear reduction commitments to align with global climate goals.
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Add to project| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scope 1 | 18,280,000 | 00,000,000 | 000,000,000 | 000,000,000 | 000,000,000 | 000,000,000 |
| Scope 2 | 20,928,000 | 00,000,000 | 000,000,000 | 000,000,000 | 000,000,000 | 000,000,000 |
| Scope 3 | 125,754,000 | 000,000,000 | 000,000,000 | 0,000,000,000 | 0,000,000,000 | 0,000,000,000 |
Industry emissions intensity
Location emissions intensity
Reduction initiatives & disclosure networks
Companies disclose and commit to reducing emissions to show they are serious about reducing emissions impact over time. They can also help a company track its progress over time.
SQM Lithium is not committed to any reduction initiatives we track. This may change over time as the company engages with new initiatives or updates its commitments. DitchCarbon will update this information as it becomes available.
