Awards and recognition

Most recently, Yara’s Sluiskil plant in The Netherlands won the International Fertilizer Industry Association’s inaugural Green Leaf Trophy for Excellence in Safety, Health and the Environment in Production. The prize, announced at the association’s first Global Safety Summit in Bahrain on March 15, 2009, came after Yara had invested in reducing the plant’s own emissions, improved relations with stakeholders, developed products to reduce other plants’ industrial emissions and improved use of energy.

Yara’s production facility in The Netherlands, one of its biggest, was chosen from 37 candidates in 20 countries. It recognized innovations and company initiatives to improve workers’ safety and health, and to reduce their plant’s overall environmental footprint.

The following highlights other awards and recognition for Yara:

Yara has been awarded with the “Best in Class” designation from Storebrand Investments. The Butterfly, a symbol of excellence, is awarded to companies that meet the highest environmental and social standards within their industry.

Glassbjørnen environmental prize
In 2007, Yara was awarded the prestigious Glassbjørnen (Glass Bear) environmental prize honoring its catalyst technology to reduce nitrous oxide N₂O emissions. In making its decision, the jury pointed not only to the significance of the technology for reducing such emissions, but also to its ease-of use in both new and older factories.

EFMA’s Product Stewardship Program
Yara is certified to the EFMA’s (European Fertilizer Manufacturers Association) Product Stewardship Program in recognition of its high operational standards throughout the life cycle of fertilizer products. The certification is based on assessments performed by SGS and applies to all Yara operations worldwide.

In recent years, several of Yara’s production sites and operations have been recognized for their health and safety records, including:

• The American Chamber of Commerce of Guatemala’s Team Workers Development prize 2005 to: Yara Guatemala 

• The VNCI (Federal Dutch Chemical Industry) Responsible Care prize 2005 to: Yara Sluiskil Netherlands 

• The IGV (Industrigaseverband Germany) Anerkennung für Sicheres Arbeiten 2005 to: Yara Industrials Germany 

• The SESI (Servico Social da Indústria, Brazil) Prêmio SESI de Qualidade no Trabalho (related to safety, health and quality at work) to: Yara Brazil Salvador (2005), Yara Brazil Imperatriz (2005), Yara Brazil Vitoria (2005) and Yara Brazil Olinda (2004)     

• The EIGA (European Industrial Gases Association) Road Safety Award Cylinder Vehicles 2004 to: Yara Industrials Norway