Rooted in Sustainable Thinking
It takes strong roots to grow a healthy plant and, with each passing year, our sustainability program becomes more deeply entrenched with a greater ability to build long-term value for stakeholders.
This process was evident in 2008 as we:
- established a model farm in Trinidad, sharing our knowledge to improve agricultural practices and contribute to economic development in the community;
- extended bonuses to all hourly employees for the first time, recognizing their value and commitment to making our company more successful; and
- completed a 1.5-million-tonne capacity expansion at our Lanigan potash operation, increasing our ability to meet the long-term needs of customers.
Our commitment to sustainability gained international recognition, as PotashCorp became the first North American fertilizer producer to be added to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for North America.
The year, however, was not without challenges and concerns. Our recordable injury rate increased by 9 percent and our lost-time injury rate was up 84 percent. Our aim in 2009 is to not only regain the ground lost, but to improve upon our strong performance of 2007.
Guided by our Core Values, we continue to seek improvement in every aspect of our business, especially regarding safety of our people and protection of the environment. By linking our sustainability program to operational goals and targets, we improve performance in areas that matter to our stakeholders.
This linkage has taken hold in our company, providing the strong roots that help PotashCorp grow in a healthy, responsible manner for the benefit of all our stakeholders.