FMC

Lobbying
FMC discloses a list of trade associations of which it is a member.

Stakeholder engagement
FMC discloses an overview of the issues raised during its stakeholder engagement activities and states the channels it uses to engage with its stakeholder groups. Furthermore, its stakeholder engagement covers nature, nutrition, and social issues.

Sustainability strategy and accountability
FMC discloses its process for identifying and prioritising its most relevant sustainability impacts as well as the outcome of this process, in relation to its sustainability strategy and reports consistently against all its targets. Furthermore, it provides evidence of linking performance criteria in senior executives’ remuneration policies to targets and objectives which cover nature, including biodiversity, and social issues.

GHG emissions
FMC has set time-bound targets to reduce its scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions as well as report progress against them. Additionally, the company reduces its scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions and its targets are aligned with a 1.5-degree trajectory.

Resource exploitation and circularity performance
FMC discloses activities to improve soil health or agrobiodiversity in its production or sourcing practices.

Solid and air pollution
FMC is reducing the production of hazardous waste and reports on the proportion of hazardous waste directed to disposal. It has also committed to not developing new highly hazardous pesticides, which has been phased out of its portfolio. Furthermore, the company reports regularly on air quality parameters of emissions of harmful air pollutants.

Water
FMC demonstrates reducing water withdrawal in its own operations, and reports how much water is withdrawn for its own operations in water-stressed areas and engages with suppliers to reduce water withdrawal. The company reports a decrease in water pollution and its processes for monitoring water quality, and discloses its processes for implementing preventive and corrective action plans for identified specific risks to the right to water and sanitation in its own operations. Finally, the company works with its business relationships to improve their practices regarding access to water and sanitation.

No leading practices were identified in the social inclusion and community impact area.

Act ethically
FMC discloses a public commitment to protect personal data. It also discloses a global tax strategy, and unveils an executive-level body responsible for the strategy. In addition, the company has a policy prohibiting bribery and corruption, and has a grievance mechanism for stakeholders to raise related concerns and complaints.

Provide and promote decent work
FMC has a publicly available policy statement in which it commits to respecting the health and safety of workers, extending this commitment to its business relationships, and disclosing how it monitors compliance.

Furthermore, FMC discloses the proportion of its workforce covered by collective bargaining agreements. It also reports the percentage of employees in each employee category by age group, gender and race or ethnicity.

Moreover, FMC publicly commits to gender equality and women’s empowerment. It reports having 30% women on the board, and sets a target to increase the representation of women in its global workforce to 50% by 2027.

Respect human rights
FMC has a publicly available policy statement committing it to respect human rights and expecting suppliers to uphold the ILO core labour rights.  In addition, the company provides a case study illustrating how it has acted on a salient human rights risk issue. It also offers a human rights grievance mechanism accessible to all workers and external stakeholders who may be adversely impacted by the company’s activities.

Lobbying
While FMC states it assesses the position of some trade associations with its climate policies, it has an opportunity to disclose a clear and detailed framework for assessing alignment of its trade associations with nature-positive policies.

Sustainability strategy and accountability
FMC discloses some sustainability objectives/targets including climate and social inclusion. However, it has an opportunity to establish group-wide targets for the most material parts of its value chain. Furthermore, while the company states that the board of directors has expertise in sustainability, it could disclose whether its highest governance body has expertise with respect to the company’s most material sustainability topics.

Ecosystem conversion and restoration
No evidence was found regarding FMC’s efforts to avoid ecosystem conversion, including deforestation, or promote restoration. The company has an opportunity to develop a strategy and publicly report on specific, time-bound targets.

Impact and dependencies assessment
FMC has an opportunity to disclose assessments of its impacts on nature, including biodiversity, within its own operations and in its supply chain. It also has the opportunity to disclose its dependencies on nature within its own operations and upstream business relationships.

Invasive species
FMC has not identified any activities that could lead to the introduction of invasive alien species in its own operations.

Key areas and species
FMC has an opportunity to disclose locations within or adjacent to areas important for biodiversity, both in its own operations and its supplier locations. It could also disclose existing species populations existing in or adjacent to both its own and its suppliers’ locations, as well as the conservation status of species identified at its own sites according to national and international lists.

Resource exploitation and circularity performance
No evidence was found regarding FMC’s efforts to work towards a circular economy or which organisms it exploits. The company has an opportunity to develop a strategy and publicly report on specific, time-bound targets.

Solid and air pollution
FMC should commit to avoid developing or marketing new chemicals or products with SVHC (substance of very high concern) properties. It has an opportunity to disclose time-bound targets to reduce air pollutants across the most material parts of its value chain. The company could also provide quantitative evidence regarding plastic use reduction and use of sustainable packaging, including the amount of plastic waste generated and proportions directed from or to disposal.

Water
FMC has an opportunity to disclose a time-bound target to reduce water withdrawal across its own operations and reports progress against the target. The company does not regularly report on water pollution, and it does not disclose targets to reduce water pollution. Finally, FMC does not disclose a commitment to respect the right to water.

Indigenous Peoples’ and land rights
FMC does not show if it is committed to respecting Indigenous Peoples’ rights or land rights of local communities.

Safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment
FMC  has an opportunity to commit to respecting local communities’ right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment, and to zero tolerance for acts of violence, threats, intimidation or judicial harassment committed against land and environmental rights defenders. Moreover, it should track its actual or potential negative impacts on the health of local communities.

Act ethically
FMC has an opportunity to detail its process for identifying bribery and corruption risks and impacts within its own operations. While it includes anti-bribery and anti-corruption clauses in its contracts with business relationships, it could specify consequences for breaching these clauses.

Furthermore, despite FMC’s statement that it adheres to all laws governing participation in public affairs, it could create a policy outlining its approach to lobbying and political engagement. Additionally, although the company states it makes political contributions in accordance with applicable U.S. laws and after seeking approval from its general counsel and vice president of government affairs, it could clarify whether these contributions are made on an exceptional basis and define the criteria for such exceptions. Moreover, the company, in addition to disclosing its political contributions, could also disclose its expenditures related to lobbying activities.

Provide and promote decent work
While FMC states that it pays at least the minimum wage to its employees, it has an opportunity to commit to paying a living wage by setting a time-bound target. It could also reveal the methodology for determining living wage across all operational regions. Relatedly, while the company has set expectations on the wage paid by its suppliers, it has an opportunity to add a requirement for them to pay a living wage, and disclose how it supports the payment.

Moreover, transparency could be bolstered through the disclosure of data, such as the ratio of the basic salary and remuneration of women to men.

Respect human rights
While FMC discloses statements committing it to respect the ILO’s fundamental rights at work, it has an opportunity to use stronger language to transform these statements into a formal commitment. Additionally, although the company discloses that it conducts a materiality assessment to identify the main risks to business, it could outline the process it employs for identifying its human rights risks and impacts throughout its operations and supply chain. The company could further elaborate on its process for assessing and identifying its salient human rights issues. Moreover, the company could disclose a global system to act on, prevent or mitigate its salient human rights issues.