Yara believes the private sector has a great responsibility to help deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The adoption of the SDGs in 2015 coincided with Yara’s first materiality assessment. We had already oriented our strategy towards creating shared value, and the SDGs were a natural benchmark for identifying societal impact.
Since then, sustainability has been embedded and integrated into Yara’s strategy. We firmly believe that our knowledge and purpose give us a competitive advantage in a market that values sustainable development.
Our 2021 materiality update is the basis for our SDG impact assessment. While we see all 17 SDGs as relevant to Yara, we have highlighted the ones where we believe we have the greatest potential to enhance positive and mitigate negative impacts on society.
UN SDGs at the core of our business
| Sustainable development goal | Impact | Yara KPI | Supporting initiative | Linked to material topics |
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We envision a world without hunger. This can be supported by sustainable intensification of agriculture, as well as the development of more fair and resilient food systems. Yara’s products help grow enough nutritious food to feed 289 million people, our 800+ agronomists support farmers around the world to improve yields and quality, and our many region-specific projects and strengthen local and regional food systems. |
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Women make up almost half of all farmers globally, yet they face gender-specific obstacles like access to land and resources. Empowering female farmers would both improve gender equality globally and significantly contribute to food security. Gender equality is also a priority within Yara. The chemical industry has traditionally been a field dominated by men, and we currently work to recruit more women in general and more female senior managers in particular. |
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Agriculture accounts for 70 percent of freshwater use worldwide (FAO, 2017). Greater food demand, driven by a rising world population, will put further strain on water resources. Yara contributes to improving water management through precision farming technology, fertigation, and best practice crop nutrition management knowledge. |
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The world needs a clean energy transition fast. Clean ammonia and hydrogen are two possible future clean fuels. As a global leader in ammonia production for fertilizer, with many partnerships and projects underway globally, we are well positioned to support a clean energy future in both shipping and food production. |
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Yara works to be an attractive employer that ensures decent work, fair pay, andbenefits. Yara values the work-life balance of its employees and works closely with unions. The health and safety of employees is our no 1 priority, and we set high goals for ourselves at an already industry-leading level. In addition, Yara has an important role to play to ensure that agriculture provides sufficient financial reward for farmers and rural communities. |
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As a large industrial company committed to developing a culture of entrepreneurship, Yara wants to take a leading role in demonstrating that the industry is integral to developing the technology and solutions needed for a green transition. Innovation is part of our DNA, and through innovative technology and new partnerships, we are taking steps to enable the hydrogen economy, fossil-free food production, and nature-positive farming practices. |
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A diverse and inclusive work environment in which employees feel valued for their unique contributions and feel safe to speak up benefits our business and innovation and supports social and economic equality. While we have had gender diversity on our leaders’ agenda for quite a few years, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is now firmly anchored in Yara’s strategy. |
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We have more mouths to feed, limited land to farm and fewer resources to draw upon, which makes it critical to develop more sustainable consumption and production patterns. Yara works to reduce food waste through improved nutrient balance in food and improved market access for farmers, and to recycle non-renewable nutrients in our production. |
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Climate change is the greatest global challenge we face and a serious threat to agricultural productivity in many parts of the world. We are contributing along two main avenues: reducing greenhouse gas emissions from our own operations, and offering and exploring new, sustainable solutions for farmers, food companies, and the hydrogen economy. Environmental performance is a vital part of our license to operate. |
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Use of fertilizer – of both mineral and organic origin – comes with a risk of runoff, leaching or volatilization, which can cause eutrophication of waterways, or even dead zones in lakes or coastal waters. Yara provides agronomic advice for balanced crop nutrition, precision farming tools and digital solutions to enhance the efficiency of crop nutrition. This in turn helps to mitigate risk of nutrient pollution. |
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We are aware of our contributions – and limitations. We cannot solve global challenges in isolation and strongly advocate more cross-sectoral and innovative partnerships. We collaborate with a large number of governmental agencies, private companies and organizations to facilitate knowledge sharing and sustainable development. |
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