Completion of Environmental and Social Impact Assessment

Emmerson Plc, the Moroccan focused potash development company, is pleased to announce that it has completed the baseline and all of the workstreams required for the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (“ESIA”) for its Khemisset Potash Project in Northern Morocco (“Khemisset” or “the Project”). The ESIA package will now be submitted to the relevant governmental bodies for approval.

The ESIA package comes as a capstone to two concurrent phases: an extensive baseline programme, which commenced in the early stages of the Project development; and the ESIA study, which commenced in early 2020 (See RNS dated 20 January 2020). The project team, in partnership with Moroccan headquartered firm Phénixa S.A.R.L. (“Phénixa”), has consulted the various project stakeholders at every stage and inventoried the applicable Moroccan legislation.

The related workstreams have been completed in compliance with International Finance Corporation (“IFC”) Performance Standards and the Equator Principles. These standards are the global benchmark for the development of mining projects and complying with them is vital for mining projects, especially those seeking finance from international capital providers.

The Company vision of doing the right things in the right way is translated to effective actions in the ESIA workstreams. Findings of the baseline investigations have been integrated in the ESIA and the proposed monitoring programmes. These are planned to be reflected in the final project design in the forthcoming FEED (“Front End Engineering Design”) so that positive impacts are maximised and negative impacts are minimised in the construction, operation, and closure stages.

Graham Clarke, CEO of Emmerson, commented:

“We have said that we want to do the right things in the right way, with no exceptions. The ESIA has been done to the highest standard recommended by the World Bank, with no corners cut. It is the culmination of two years of studies and monitoring in the field and is a piece of work that everyone involved can be proud to have delivered. The environmental and social impact of a new major project is of real importance to any company that concerns itself with maintaining a record of sustainability. We are confident that the results of our work will demonstrate that Khemisset is going to be accepted as an important new potash mine to the benefit of Morocco and the shareholders of Emmerson. I am grateful to the dedication of all those who were involved in producing this excellent report.”