Company: CF
Filing Date: 2025-02-20
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0001324404-25-000006
Chunk: 52

Company: CF Industries Holdings, Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-02-20
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1A
Chunk 52
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 or conduct business could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Our production facilities emit GHGs, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide, and natural gas, a fossil fuel that releases methane when extracted from the earth, is a primary raw material used in our nitrogen production process. Because conventional ammonia production generates CO2 as an unavoidable chemical byproduct, ammonia production globally is considered an emissions- and energy-intensive industry. We are subject to GHG regulations in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. In the United States, our existing facilities, which are considered large emitters of GHGs, currently are only subject to GHG emissions reporting obligations. New facilities that we build, or existing facilities that we modify in the future, could also be subject to GHG emissions standards included in their air permits.

Concern over the effects of climate change has driven many countries to establish ever more ambitious GHG reduction targets and initiatives to achieve them. These targets and initiatives are subject to significant change based on political leadership. For example, the new U.S. presidential administration and regulatory leadership have proposed, and may propose further, policy, regulatory and enforcement changes that may result in the narrowing and/or repeal of environmental and climate change-related laws, regulations and implementation thereof. These changes, and any administrative and judicial challenges to them or further changes by future administrations, create uncertainty for our business. For example, changes to the IRA may impact our ability to receive anticipated tax credits for our low-carbon ammonia projects, which, in turn, could negatively affect the profitability of these projects. Moreover, lowering of GHG reduction targets and the efforts to achieve them, in or outside the United States, may prevent or significantly reduce the development of demand for our low-carbon ammonia products.

Our manufacturing plants in Canada are subject to regulations that impose a price on excess GHG emissions. These regulations establish carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions standards applicable to our facilities in terms of emissions per unit of production. If CO2e emissions exceed the applicable standards, the excess emissions must be offset, either by obtaining qualifying emission credits or offsets or making a payment for each metric ton of excess emissions, the regulated price of which will increase annually through 2030.  

The EU finalized its overall carbon border adjustment mechanism in May 2023. During the interim phase, covering imports, including nitrogenous fertilizers, entering the EU from the fourth quarter of 2023 through the fourth quarter of 2025, importers must