UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

(RULE 14a-101)

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN

PROXY STATEMENT

SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Amendment No.     )

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HARSCO CORPORATION

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

Notice of 2017 2019

Annual Meeting

of Stockholders

and Proxy Statement

Harsco Corporation

350 Poplar Church Road

Camp Hill, PA 17011 USA

350 Poplar Church Road

Camp Hill, PA 17011 USA

Invitation to Attend 20172019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders

Tuesday, April 25, 201723, 2019

9:00 a.m., Eastern Time

Hilton Harrisburg, One North Second Street, Harrisburg, PennsylvaniaThe Wagner at the Battery, New York, New York

Dear Fellow Stockholders:

You are cordially invited to attend the 20172019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of Harsco Corporation (the “Company”), which will be held on Tuesday, April 25, 2017,23, 2019, beginning at 9:00 a.m., Eastern Time, at The Wagner at the Hilton Harrisburg, One North SecondBattery, Two West Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.New York, New York 10004.

Information about the business to be conducted at the Annual Meeting, including a listing and discussion of the various matters on which you will be asked to act, can be found in the attached Notice of 20172019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and Proxy Statement.

Your vote is very important to us, and I encourage you to vote your shares whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting. There are several ways in which you can vote your shares, including via the Internet, by telephone, or by signing, dating and returning your Proxy Card. Specific information about each of these voting methods can be found beginning on page 6 ofin the Proxy Statement.Statement under the heading “Questions and Answers About the Company’s Annual Meeting.”

I hope you will be able to attend this year’s Annual Meeting, and I look forward to greeting as many of you as possible. On behalf of my fellow members of the Board of Directors, I want to thank you in advance for voting and for your continued support of the Company.

March 13, 201714, 2019

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350 Poplar Church Road

Camp Hill, PA 17011 USA

Notice of 20172019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders

Tuesday, April 25, 201723, 2019

9:00 a.m., Eastern Time

Hilton Harrisburg, One North Second Street, Harrisburg, PennsylvaniaThe Wagner at the Battery, New York, New York

The 20172019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of Harsco Corporation (the “Company”) will be held on Tuesday, April 25, 2017,23, 2019, beginning at 9:00 a.m., Eastern Time, at The Wagner at the Hilton Harrisburg, One North SecondBattery, Two West Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.New York, New York 10004.

The purposes of the meeting are as follows:

The Proxy Statement accompanying this Notice of 20172019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders describes each of these items in detail. TheIn addition, the Proxy Statement contains other important information that you should read and consider before you vote.

The Board of Directors of the Company has fixed the close of business on March 1, 2017February 26, 2019 as the record date for the determination of stockholders who are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting and any adjournment or postponement thereof.

The Company is furnishing proxy materials over the Internet as permitted under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Under these rules, many of the Company’s stockholders will receive a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials instead of a paper copy of the Notice of 20172019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and Proxy Statement, our Proxy Card, our Annual Report on Form10-K and the Letter from our Chairman & CEO. We believe this process allows us to provide our stockholders with the information they need while lowering the costs of printing and distributing proxy materials. Stockholders who do not receive a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials will receive a paper copy of the proxy materials by mail.

Your vote is very important to us and we encourage you to vote your shares as soon as possible even if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting in person. Information about how to vote your shares via the Internet, by telephone, or by signing, dating and returning your Proxy Card can be found beginning on page 6 ofin the enclosed Proxy Statement.

By order of the Board of Directors,

Russell C. Hochman

Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer & Corporate Secretary

March 13, 201714, 2019

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Stockholder Meeting to be Held on April 25, 2017. 23, 2019. The Notice of 20172019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and Proxy Statement, our Proxy Card, our Annual Report on FormForm 10-K and the Letter from our Chairman & CEO are available free of charge atwww.envisionreports.com/hsc (for registered stockholders) orwww.edocumentview.com/hsc (for all other stockholders), or by calling toll-free (866)(800) 652-8683641-4276. or bye-mailingkjulian@harsco.com.

350 Poplar Church Road

Camp Hill, PA 17011 USA

Proxy Summary

20172019 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

VOTING MATTERS AND BOARD RECOMMENDATIONS

This Proxy Summary contains highlights of certain information in this Proxy Statement. Because it is only a summary, it does not contain all the information that you may wish to consider prior to voting. Please review the complete Proxy Statement and the Company’s Annual Report on Form10-K for additional information.

OUR DIRECTOR NOMINEES

You have the opportunity to vote on the election of the following eight nominees for Director. Additional information regarding each Director nominee’s experience, skills and qualifications to serve as a member of the Company’s Board of Directors can be found on pages 15 – 18.in the section entitled “Nominees for Director.”

GOVERNANCE HIGHLIGHTS

•      Average age of Director nominees is 64

•      Average tenure of Director nominees is 6.4 years

•      3 new Directors in last 5 years

•      Highly qualified Directors reflect broad mix of business backgrounds, skills and experiences

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION HIGHLIGHTS

Our executive compensation program is intendeddesigned to provide competitive compensationpay based on Company performance, attract, retain and contributions to the Company, to incentivize, attract and retain key executives, tomotivate our senior leaders, align the interests of our key executives with the intereststhose of our stockholders, and to drivelong-term stockholder value. To achieve these objectives, our executive compensation program includes the following key features:

We Pay Competitively

by setting total target compensation at the median of our defined market for talent.

350 Poplar Church Road

Camp Hill, PA 17011 USA

Proxy Statement

This Proxy Statement and the accompanying form of proxy are first being sent to the stockholders on or about March 14, 2019, and are being furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies on behalf of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Harsco Corporation (the “Company,” “Harsco,” “we” or “us”) for use at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of the Company (the “Annual Meeting”) to be held at The Wagner at the Hilton Harrisburg, One North SecondBattery, Two West Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania,New York, New York 10004, on Tuesday, April 25, 2017,23, 2019, beginning at 9:00 a.m., Eastern Time.

Should you wish to obtain directions to The Wagner at the Hilton HarrisburgBattery in order to attend the Annual Meeting and vote in person, contact Kenneth D. Julian, Senior Director –our Corporate Communications Department by telephone atcalling (717)(717) 730-3683 or bye-mail atkjulian@harsco.com.763-7064.

The Notice of 20172019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and Proxy Statement, our Proxy Card, our Annual Report on FormForm 10-K and the Letter from our Chairman & CEO are available free of charge atwww.envisionreports.com/hsc (for registered stockholders) orwww.edocumentview.com/hsc (for all other stockholders), or by calling toll-free (866)(800) 652-8683641-4276. or bye-mailingkjulian@harsco.com.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE COMPANY’S ANNUAL MEETINGQuestions and Answers about the Company’s Annual Meeting

Please see the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials or the information your bank, broker or other holder of record provided you for more information on these voting options.

Q:

Can I vote in person at the Annual Meeting instead of voting by proxy?

If you do not instruct the Trustee how to vote your shares, the Trustee will vote them in the same proportion as those shares for which the Trustee did receive voting instructions.

holders of shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting.

Proposal No. 1: Election of Directors – nominees for the Board of Directors will be elected if more votes are cast in favor of a nominee then are cast against such nominee by the holders of shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting.

Proposal No. 2: Ratification of the Appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as Independent Auditors – the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the shares cast at the Annual Meeting, in person or by proxy, is required.

Proposal No. 3: Vote, on an Advisory Basis, to Approve the Compensation of the Company’s Named Executive Officers – the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the shares present at the Annual Meeting, in person or by proxy, and entitled to vote is required.

In certain circumstances, a stockholder will be considered to be present at the Annual Meeting for quorum purposes but will not be deemed to have cast a vote on each particular proposal. This occurs when a stockholder withholds a vote or abstains from voting on a proposal, or in the event of a brokernon-vote. In accordance with Delaware law and our restated certificateRestated Certificate of incorporationIncorporation andby-laws, brokernon-votes will not be treated as votes cast with respect to the election of Directors (Proposal No. 1) and therefore will not affect the outcome of Director elections. With respect to the advisory vote onto approve the compensation of our named executive officers (Proposal No. 3), as well as the advisory vote on the frequency of advisory votes on the compensation of our named executive officers (Proposal No. 4), abstentions will be treated ashave the effect of negative votes, but brokernon-votes will not have any effect. With respect to the ratification of our auditors (Proposal No. 2) and the proposal to approve Amendment No. 1 to the 2013 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan (Proposal No. 5), abstentions will be treated ashave the effect of negative votes.

If a Director’s resignation is not accepted by the Board, then the Director who tendered that resignation will continue to serve on the Board until the 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and until his or her successor is elected and qualified, or until his or her earlier death, unconditional resignation or removal.

The individuals appointed by the Board to serve as proxies for the Annual Meeting will vote your shares in accordance with the instructions you provide on your proxy card or through your Internet or telephonic vote.

If you submit a proxy but do not indicate how your shares should be voted on a particular matter, your shares will be voted as follows:

compensation.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORSThe Board of Directors

General Oversight

The Board has general oversight responsibility for the Company’s affairs. Although the Board does not have responsibility forday-to-day management of the Company, Board members stay informed about the Company’s business through regular meetings, site visits and other periodic interactions with management. The Board is deeply involved in the strategic planning process for the Company and each of its business divisions. The Board also plays an important oversight role in the Company’s leadership development and succession planning processes.

Composition

The Board is currently comprised of eight Directors, seven of whom qualify as independent. In accordance with the Board’s Corporate Governance Principles and applicable sections of the NYSE Listed Company Manual (the “NYSE Rules”), the independent Directors regularly meet in executive session. These meetings allow the independent Directors to discuss important issues, including the business and affairs of the Company as well as matters concerning management, without any member of management present. During the 20162018 fiscal year, the independent Directors held sevenfive meetings. On average, the group of independent Directors attended 93%98% of the independent Directors’ meetings held in 2016.2018.

Leadership Structure

The Company’s governance documents provide the Board with flexibility to select the leadership structure that is most appropriate for the Company and its stockholders. The Board regularly evaluates the Company’s leadership structure and has concluded that the Company and its stockholders are best served by not having a formal policy regarding whether the same individual should serve as both Chairman of the Board and CEO. This

approach allows the Board to elect the most qualified Director as Chairman of the Board while also maintaining the ability to separate the Chairman of the Board and CEO roles when necessary or appropriate. For example, as of September 10, 2012, we separated the positions of Chairman of

In 2018 the Board and CEO in light of the fact that our then-recently elected CEO was both new to the Company and had not previously served on a public company board of directors. Currently, F. Nicholas Grasberger III, serves as our President & CEO, a position he has held since August 1, 2014. In this role, Mr. Grasberger is responsible for managing theday-to-day operations of the Company and for planning, formulating and coordinating the development and execution of our corporate strategy, policies, goals and objectives. Mr. Grasberger is accountable for Company performance and reports directly to the Board.

Effective August 1, 2014, the Board appointed David C. Everitt to serve as theNon-Executive Chairman of the Board. In thisaddition, the Board elected David C. Everitt as independent Lead Director of the Board. When the Board appointed Mr. Everitt as the Lead Director, the Board reviewed the Lead Director’s role and responsibilities to ensure responsible oversight, including taking into account feedback received from existing investors (see “Engagement Regarding Leadership Structure” below).

As Lead Director, Mr. Everitt’sEveritt has the following responsibilities, includewhich are set forth in the following:Company’s Corporate Governance Principles:

Finally, the Board has established three standing committees to assist with its oversight responsibilities: (1) the Audit Committee; (2) the Management Development and Compensation Committee (the “MD&C Committee”); and (3) the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (the “Nominating Committee”). Each of the Audit Committee, MD&C Committee and Nominating Committee is comprised entirely of independent Directors.

TheEngagement Regarding Leadership Structure

In order to continuously evaluate the Company’s governance and compensation policies and processes, we continually engage our stockholders on various issues through an extensive and thoughtful investor relations program. In addition to the Company’s outreach via investor conferences, roadshows, and other means, an engagement team specifically reached out to holders of over 60% of our outstanding shares regarding governance matters and the potential recombination of our Chairman and CEO roles before the Board believes that its current leadership structure provides an appropriate balance among strategy development, operational executionelected Mr. Grasberger as Chairman. During those engagements, Harsco received valuable feedback on considerations for, and independent oversightresponsibilities of, a Lead Director. In addition, during those engagements Harsco also gained valuable insight on several topics, including:

This feedback was shared with the best interests of the CompanyBoard and its stockholders.relevant committees.

Board Role in Risk Oversight

Management is responsible for identifying, evaluating, managing and mitigating the Company’s exposure to risk. It is the Board’s responsibility to oversee the Company’s risk management process and to ensure that management is taking appropriate action to identify, manage and mitigate key risks. The Board administers its risk oversight responsibilities both through active review and discussion of key risks facing the Company and by delegating certain risk oversight responsibilities to committees for further consideration and evaluation. The following table summarizes the role of the Board and each of its committees in overseeing risk:

* Further detail regarding the MD&C Committee’s review of compensation-related risks can be found under the heading “Compensation Policies and Practices as They Relate to Risk Management” on page 61 of this Proxy Statement.

The decision to administer the Board’s oversight responsibilities in this manner has a key effect on the Board’s leadership and committee structure, described in more detail above. The Board believes that its current structure – including separate Chairman of the Board and CEO roles, seven independent Directors (out of eight) and committees comprised entirely of independent Directors – helps to ensure that key strategic decisions made by senior management, up to and including the President & CEO, are reviewed and overseen by independent Directors of the Board.

Experiences,Experience, Skills and Qualifications

The Nominating Committee works with the full Board to determine the appropriate characteristics, skills and experiences for the Board as a whole as well as its individual members. While the Nominating Committee has not established minimum criteria for Director candidates, it has established important factors that it considers when evaluating potential candidates. These factors are set forth in the Board’s Corporate Governance Principles and include integrity and strength of character, mature judgment, strategic thinking, demonstrated leadership skills, relevant business experience, experience with international business issues and risk, public company experience, innovation, technology or information technology expertise, brand marketing experience, availability, career specialization, relevant technical skills, time and willingness to perform duties as a Director, absence of conflicts of interest, diversity and the extent to which the candidate would fill a present need on the Board. In addition, as explained in more detail below in the section entitled “Diversity,” the Board is committed to a policy of inclusiveness that requires all new Board nominees to be drawn from a pool that includes diverse candidates, with a commitment to seeking out highly qualified women and minority candidates.

In addition to evaluating new Director candidates, the Nominating Committee regularly assesses the composition of the Board in order to ensure it reflects an appropriate balance of knowledge, skills, expertise, diversity and independence. As part of this assessment, each Director is asked to identify and assess the particular experiences, skills and other attributes that qualify him or her to serve as a member of the Board. Based on the most recent assessment of the Board’s composition completed in February 2017,2019, the Nominating Committee and the Board have determined that, in light of the Company’s current business structure and strategies, the Board has an appropriate mix of Director experiences, skills, qualifications and backgrounds.

Set forth below is a general description of the types of experiences and skills the Nominating Committee and the Board believe to be particularly relevant to the Company at this time:

•

Brand Marketing Experience – Directors with a proven track record for marketing and growing global brands bring valuable skills that can have a positive impact on the Company’s operational results, especially as it looks to leverage its brand to expand into new markets and territories.

Directors who have demonstrated significant leadership experience over an extended period of time, especially current and former executive officers, provide the Company with valuable insights that can only be gained through years of

managing complex organizations. These individuals understand both theday-to-day operational responsibilities facing senior management and the role Directors play in overseeing the affairs of large organizations. Seven of the eight nominees are current or former executive officers.

International Experience

Given the Company’s global footprint and current focus on growing its presence in emerging markets, Directors with experience in markets outside the United States are critical to the Company’s long-term success.

Innovation and Technology Experience

In light of the important role of innovation and technology to the Company’s businesses, Directors with innovation and technology experience add significant value to the Board.

General Industrial Experience

Directors that have direct experience with industrial businesses bring key insights to the strategic planning process and provide important practical experience to the Board and management.

Brand Marketing Experience

Directors with a proven track record for marketing and growing global brands bring valuable skills that can have a positive impact on the Company’s operational results, especially as it looks to leverage its brand to expand into new markets and territories.

Financial Experience

Directors with an understanding of accounting, finance and financial reporting processes, particularly as they relate to large, multi-national businesses, are critical to the Company. Accurate financial reporting is a cornerstone of the Company’s success, and Directors with financial expertise help to provide effective oversight of the Company’s financial measures and processes.

A description of the most relevant experiences, skills, attributes and qualifications that qualify each Director and Director candidate to serve as a member of the Board is included in his or her biography.

Diversity

The Board believes that diversity is one of many important considerations in board composition. To ensure the Board is comprised of members with an appropriate mix of characteristics, skills, experiences and backgrounds, the Board has adopted a Board diversity policy, which is set forth in the Board’s Corporate Governance Principles as well as the Nominating Committee’s written charter. Pursuant to the diversity policy, the Board is committed to seeking out highly qualified women and minority candidates as well as candidates with diverse backgrounds, experiences and skills as part of each Board search the Company undertakes, and to ensuring that Board nominees are drawn from a pool that includes diverse candidates, including women and minority candidates.

As noted above, the Nominating Committee evaluates the current composition of the Board fromtime-to-time to ensure that the Directors reflect a diverse mix of skills, experiences, backgrounds and opinions. Depending on the current composition of the Board, the Nominating Committee may weigh certain factors, including those relating to diversity, more or less heavily when evaluating potential Director candidates.

The Board and the Nominating Committee believe that the Company’s current Directors, as a group, reflect the diverse mix of skills, experiences, backgrounds and opinions necessary to foster an effective decision-making environment and promote the Company’s culture across the globe. Each of the Company’s current Directors has significant experience working in international environments (including Directors who have lived and worked outside the United States for significant portions of their careers), and Board member experiences cover a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, rail, accounting, consulting, consumer products, industrial services and education.industries.

PROPOSALProposal 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORSElection of Directors

The first proposal to be voted on at the Annual Meeting is the election of eight Directors, each of whom has been recommended for election by the Board. If elected, the Directors will hold office until the next annual meeting of stockholders or until their successors are elected and qualified, subject to the Board’s resignation requirement (as described in more detail below).

The Board recommends that stockholders vote “FOR” the election of each of the following nominees:

Nominees for Director

Each nominee for election as Director was previously elected by our stockholders. All of the following Directors have been recommended for election by the Nominating Committee, and the Board has approved all such recommendations. Each nomineeof the following nominees for Director has accepted the nomination and has agreed to serve as a Director if elected by the Company’s stockholders.

The information set forth below states the name of each nominee for Director standing forre-election, his or her age (as of March 1, 2017)2019), a listing of present and recent employment positions, the year in which he or she first became a Director of the Company, other directorships held, the nominee’s specific experience, qualifications, attributes or skills that qualify him or her to serve as a Director and the committees of the Board on which the individual serves.

MEETINGS AND COMMITTEES OF THE BOARDMeetings and Committees of the Board

Meetings of the Board and Director Attendance at Annual Meeting

The Board held sevenfive meetings during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016.2018. Each Director attended at least 75% of the aggregate number of Board and applicable committee meetings held during the period of 20162019 for which he or she served as a Director.

It is our policy to request that all Board members attend annual stockholder meetings. However, we also recognize that personal attendance by all Directors is not always possible. All Directors that served on the Board at the time of our current Directorsthe Annual Meeting of Stockholders in 2018 attended the Annual Meeting of Stockholders in 2016.2018.

Committees of the Board

The Board has established standing Audit, Management Development and Compensation, and Nominating and Corporate Governance committees. Membership in each of these committees, as of March 13, 2017,1, 2019, is shown in the following chart:

All Directors listed above, including committee chairs, served on the respective committees listed above for the entire 20162018 fiscal year, except as follows:

The table below identifies the number of meetings held by each committee in 2016,2018, provides a brief description of the duties and responsibilities of each committee, and provides general information regarding the location of each committee’s charter:

Committee		Meetings		Duties and Responsibilities		General Information
				•     Review the overall structure and operation of the Company’s compensation programs to ensure they do not encourage excessive risk taking; •     Oversee other benefit and compensation plans applicable to executive officers; •     Oversee the executive officer assessment, development and succession planning process; and •     Review and discuss with management the Compensation Discussion & Analysis to be included in the proxy statement.
Nominating		4 5		•  Establish criteria for the selection of new Directors to serve on the Board; •  Identify individuals qualified as candidates to serve on the Board and recommend Director candidates for election to the Board; •  Consider matters relating to the retirement of Board members, including term limits or age caps; •  Review matters relating to Director and Director nominee independence;   •     Review and make recommendations to the Board regarding Board and committee size and composition; •     Oversee the evaluation of the Board and each of its committees; •     Make recommendations to the Board regardingnon-employee Director compensation, including equity compensation; •     Oversee the Company’s corporate governance program and Corporate Governance Principles;		•     Reviewed its charter in 2016. Updated the charter to reflect the Nominating Committee’s oversight of risks identified by enterprise risk assessments •  Copy of the Nominating Committee charter can be viewed at the Corporate Governance section of our website atwww.harsco.com/about-us •  Additional details regarding the role of the Nominating Committee can be found in the section entitled “Nominations of Directors” beginning on page 23

CORPORATE GOVERNANCECorporate Governance

We have a long-standing commitment to good corporate governance practices. These practices come in many different forms and apply at all levels of our organization. They provide the Board and our senior management with a framework that defines responsibilities, sets high standards of professional and personal conduct and promotes compliance with our various financial, ethical, legal and other obligations and responsibilities.

Corporate Governance Principles

The Board has adopted Corporate Governance Principles that, along with the charters of the Board committees, provide the framework for our Board’s operation and governance. The Nominating Committee is responsible for overseeing and reviewing our Corporate Governance Principles at least annually and recommending any proposed changes to the Board for approval. The Corporate Governance Principles are available on our website atwww.harsco.com/about-us in the Corporate Governance section.

Code of Conduct

We have adopted a Code of Conduct applicable to our Directors, officers and employees worldwide. The Code of Conduct is issued in booklet form and an online training program facilitates new employee orientation and individual refresher training. Our Code of Conduct is produced in over 20 languages. The Code of Conduct, including amendments thereto or waivers thereof granted to a Director or executive officer, if any, can be viewed on our website atwww.harsco.com/about-us in the Corporate Governance section.

Stockholder and Interested Party Communications with Directors

The Board has established a formal process for stockholders and interested parties to communicate directly with theNon-Executive Chairman, Lead Director, thenon-management Directors or with any individual member of the Board. Stockholders and interested parties may contact any member of the Board by writing to the specific Board member in care of our Corporate Secretary at our Corporate Headquarters (350 Poplar Church Road, Camp Hill, PA 17011). Our Corporate Secretary will forward any such correspondence to the applicable Board member; provided, however, that any such correspondence that is considered by our Corporate Secretary to be improper for submission to the intended recipients will not be provided to such Directors. In addition, Board members, including theNon-Executive Chairman, Lead Director, can be contacted bye-mail atBoardofDirectors@harsco.com.

Director Independence

The Board has affirmatively determined that the following seven Directors are independent pursuant to the applicable independence requirements set forth in the NYSE Rules and by the SEC because they either have no relationship with the Company (other than as a Director and stockholder) or because any relationship they have with the Company is immaterial: Messrs. Earl, Everitt, Graham, GrowcockLonghi, Purvis and Widman and Ms. Eddy and Ms. La Roche.Haznedar. In making these independence determinations, the Board, in consultation with the Nominating Committee, reviewed the direct and indirect relationships between each Director and the Company and its subsidiaries, as well as the compensation and other payments each Director received from or made to the Company and its subsidiaries.

Nominations of Directors

The Nominating Committee is responsible for overseeing the selection of qualified nominees to serve as members of the Board. Consistent with the Board diversity policy, in administering its oversight responsibilities, the Nominating Committee is committed to seeking out highly qualified women and minority candidates as well as candidates with diverse backgrounds, experiences and skills as part of each Board search the Company undertakes, and to ensuring that Board nominees are drawn from a pool that includes diverse candidates, including women and minority candidates. Beyond those specific parameters, the Nominating Committee has not adopted formal selection procedures, but instead utilizes general guidelines that allow it to adjust the selection process to best satisfy the objectives established for any Director search. The Nominating Committee considers Director candidates recommended by any reasonable source, including current Directors, management and stockholders. In the case of Ms. Haznedar, the Nominating Committee

considered the recommendations of a third-party search firm. Pursuant to its charter, the Nominating Committee has the authority to retain search firms to assist it in identifying candidates to serve as Directors and to approve the fees and other retention terms of any such firms.

The Nominating Committee evaluates all Director candidates in the same manner, regardless of the source of the recommendation of such Director candidate.

The Nominating Committee will consider recommendations for Director candidates from stockholders if such recommendations are submitted in writing to:

Corporate Secretary

Harsco Corporation

350 PolarPoplar Church Road,

Camp Hill, PA 17011

Any such written recommendation from stockholders must set forth the following information:

NON-EMPLOYEENon-Employee DIRECTOR COMPENSATIONDirector Compensation

The general policy of our Board is that compensation fornon-employee Directors should be competitive with similarly situated companies and should be comprised of a mix of cash and equity. Our Nominating Committee annually reviews market data regarding comparable director compensation programs. This data is prepared by management and the independent compensation consultant utilizing several broad board compensation studies completed within one year of the Nominating Committee’s review.

As part of its efforts to reduce costs across the Company in recognition of market conditions, the Board, upon recommendation by the Nominating Committee, unanimously agreed to reduce Director compensation in 2016. Effective April 26, 2016 all cash amounts paid tonon-employee Directors for their service on the Board and its committees were reduced by 10%. The compensation structure fornon-employee Directors for 2016, after such reduction, were2018 was as follows:

In addition to the above listed compensation, Directors are reimbursed for reasonable travel expenses related to attendance at Board or committee meetings.

Our Board has instituted a stockholding requirement for Board members equal to five times theirthe annual retainer. Board members have five years from the date they join the Board to comply with this requirement. Vested and unvested Restricted Stock Units (“RSUs”), as well as phantom shares acquired through deferral of Director fees (as described below), are included for purposes of determining compliance with Director stockholding requirements. At December 31, 2016,2018, all of ournon-employee Directors who had served for at least five years were in compliance with Director stockholding requirements.

Beginning in 2016, RSUs are granted under the new 2016Non-Employee Directors’ Long-Term Equity Compensation Plan (the “Director Plan”). Prior to 2016, RSUs were granted under the 1995Non-Employee Directors’ Stock Plan. Each RSU under the Director Plan vests at the close of business on the earlier of (i) the first anniversary of the grant date or (ii) the annual meeting of stockholders in the year immediately following the year of grant, subject to accelerated vesting in full if service as a Director terminates due to death, disability or under a

mandatory retirement policy, and subject to pro rata vesting in the event of termination of service in other circumstances. Each RSU will be settled by issuance of a share of our common stock. Dividend equivalents on the RSUs are not creditedpaid prior to vesting, but are creditedsettled thereafter.

The Deferred Compensation Plan forNon-Employee Directors allows eachnon-employee Director to defer all or a portion of his or her Director compensation, including RSU grant, until some future date selected by the Director. Pursuant to the Director’s election, the accumulated deferred compensation is held in either an interest-bearing account or a Company phantom share account. The interest-bearing deferred account accumulates notional interest on the account balance at a rate equal to the five-year United States Treasury Note yield rate in effect from time to time. Contributions to the phantom share account are recorded as notional shares of the Company’s Common Stock. Deferred amounts are credited to the Director’s account quarterly on the 15th of February, May, August and November. The number of phantom shares recorded is equal to the number of shares of Common Stock that the deferred compensation would have purchased at the market price of the stock on the day the account is credited. Dividend equivalents are earned on the phantom shares and are credited to the account as additional phantom shares. All phantom shares arenon-voting and payments out of the account are made solely in cash, based upon the market price of the Common Stock on the date of payment selected by the Director. Under certain circumstances, the accounts may be paid out early upon termination of directorship following a change in control.

Directors who are actively employed by us receive no additional compensation for serving as Directors, and we do not pay consulting or professional service fees to Directors.

20162018 Director Compensation

The table below details the compensation earned by ournon-employee Directors for 2016:2018:

As of December 31, 2018,non-employee Directors held the following RSUs: Mr. Earl, 22,786; Ms. Eddy, 45,276; Mr. Everitt, 28,450; Ms. Haznedar 2,444; Mr. Longhi, 5,911; Mr. Purvis 7,036; and Mr. Widman, 17,122.

SHARE OWNERSHIP OF DIRECTORS, MANAGEMENT AND CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERSShare Ownership of Directors, Management and Certain Beneficial Owners

The following table sets forth information with respect to the beneficial ownership of our outstanding voting securities, stock options and other stock equivalents by: (1) our Chairman, President & CEO, our CFO, and the other three current executive officers named in the 20162018 Summary Compensation Table, whom we refer to collectively as our NEOs; (2) each Director and Director candidate; (3) all current Directors and executive officers as a group; and (4) certain beneficial owners of more than 5% of our Common Stock. All of our outstanding voting securities are Common Stock.

Beneficial ownership information in the table is as of March 1, 2017,February 26, 2019, except the number of shares beneficially owned by beneficial owners of more than 5% of the Common Stock which is as of the dates stated in footnotes (4)(3) and (5)(4) to the table (percentages are calculated assuming continued beneficial ownership at March 1, 2017)February 26, 2019).

* Less than one percent.

*	Less than one percent.

Except as otherwise stated, each individual or entity has sole voting and investment power over the shares set forth opposite his, her or its name. None of the Directors, Director candidates or executive officers individually beneficially owned 1% or more of our Common Stock, and our current Directors and executive officers as a group beneficially owned less than 1% of our outstanding common stock.

REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEEReport of the Audit Committee

The Audit Committee is currently composed of four Directors, each of whom is considered independent under the rules of the NYSE and the SEC. The Board has determined that each of Ms. La Roche, Ms. Eddy Mr. Growcock and Mr. Widman qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as that term is defined under the rules promulgated by the SEC.

The Audit Committee operates pursuant to a written charter that complies with the guidelines established by the NYSE.

The Audit Committee is responsible for monitoring our financial reporting processes and system of internal controls, supervising our internal auditors and overseeing the independence and performance of the independent auditors. In carrying out these responsibilities, the Audit Committee meets with our internal auditors and our independent auditors to review the overall scope and plans for their respective audits of our financial statements. The Audit Committee also meets privately (and in separate meetings) with members of management,

our independent auditors and our internal auditors following each Audit Committee meeting and as may otherwise be needed. The Audit Committee meets with management and with the independent auditors each quarter to review and discuss our Annual Report on Form10-K and quarterly reports on FormForm 10-Q prior to their being filed with the SEC, and also meets with management and our independent auditors to review and discuss our quarterly earnings prior to their release.

The Audit Committee’s responsibility is to monitor and oversee the audit and financial reporting processes. However, the members of the Audit Committee rely, without independent verification, on the information provided to them and on the representations made by management, and the report issued by the independent registered public accounting firm. While the Audit Committee and the Board monitor our financial record keeping and controls, management is ultimately responsible for our financial reporting process, including our system of internal controls, disclosure control procedures and the preparation of the financial statements. The independent auditors support the financial reporting process by performing an audit of our financial statements and issuing a report thereon.

The Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed with management and the independent auditors the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 20162018 and related periods. These discussions focused on the quality, not just the acceptability, of the accounting principles used by us, key accounting policies followed in the preparation of the financial statements and the reasonableness of significant judgments made by management in the preparation of the financial statements and alternatives that may be available.

In addition, the Audit Committee has discussed with the independent auditors the matters required to be discussed pursuant to Statement on Auditing Standards No. 16,1301, “Communications with Audit Committees,” as adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, including the quality of our accounting principles, the reasonableness of significant judgments and the clarity of disclosures in the financial statements. The Audit Committee has also received the written disclosures and the letter from the independent auditors required by applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding the independent auditors’ communications with the Audit Committee concerning independence and has discussed with the independent auditors the independent auditors’ independence.

Based on the review and discussions referred to above, the Audit Committee’s review of the representations of management and the report of the independent auditors, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board that the audited financial statements be included (and the Board approved such inclusion) in our Annual Report on Form10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 20162018 for filing with the SEC.

SUBMITTED BY THE AUDIT COMMITTEE:

P. C. Widman, Chairman

K. G. Eddy

T. D. GrowcockC. I. Haznedar

E. La RocheM. Longhi

FEES BILLED BY THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORS FOR AUDIT ANDFees Billed By the Independent Auditors for Audit andNON-AUDITNon-Audit SERVICESServices

The following table sets forth the amount of audit fees, audit-related fees, tax fees and all other fees billed or expected to be billed by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, our principal auditor for the fiscal years ended December 31, 20162018 and December 31, 2015.2017.

PROPOSALProposal 2: RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORSRatification of Appointment of Independent Auditors

The Audit Committee has appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as independent auditors to audit our financial statements for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2017.2019. Although not required to do so, the Board has determined to submit the Audit Committee’s appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent auditors to stockholders for ratification as a matter of good corporate governance. In the absence of contrary direction from stockholders, all proxies that are submitted will be voted in favor of the ratification of the Audit Committee’s appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent auditors.

If this proposal is not ratified by at least a majority of the shares of our outstanding common stock present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote on matters at the Annual Meeting, the appointment of the independent auditors will be reevaluated by the Audit Committee. Due to the difficulty and expense of making any substitution of auditors, it is unlikely that their appointment for the audit of the financial statements for the fiscal year ending December 31, 20172019 would be changed. However, the Audit Committee may review whether to seek new independent auditors for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2018.2020.

A representative of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP will attend the Annual Meeting, with the opportunity to make a statement and answer questions of stockholders.

Required Vote: The ratification of the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as independent auditors will be approved if it receives the approval of at least a majority of the shares represented at the Annual Meeting.

The Board recommends that stockholders vote “FOR” the ratification of the Audit Committee’s appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Company’s independent auditors for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2017.2019.

COMPENSATION DISCUSSIONCompensation Discussion & ANALYSISAnalysis

ThisIntroduction

In this Compensation Discussion & Analysis (“CD&A”) provides information regarding our executive compensation guiding principles,, we review the objectives and elements of ourHarsco’s executive compensation program and discuss the factors that2018 compensation earned by our named executive officers (“NEOs”).

Our NEOs for fiscal 2018 were considered in making compensation decisions for our NEOs in 2016. Our MD&C Committee is responsible for establishing our executive compensation program, including components underlying the philosophy and related policies. The MD&C Committee is charged with aligning the Company’s performance – and resulting impact on stockholder interests –  with the compensation actions approved both for our NEOs and for the broader Harsco employee population.as follows:

EXECUTIVE SUMMARYExecutive Summary

Business Highlights and Approach to Executive Compensation: Summary of Achievements

Harsco managementDuring 2018, the Company continued to execute strategiesdeliver on its long-term strategy of generating financial returns in 2016 to transform Harsco into a more balanced portfolio company with a strengthened financial profile that generates capital returns aboveexcess of the cost of capital. Progresscapital and maintaining a strong financial profile. Harsco management successfully executed several initiatives to further strengthen and grow its existing businesses by exceeding its 2018 Annual Operating Plan goals and achieving other key business objectives.

In particular, the Company also accelerated its growth-focused investments in 2018 with Metal & Minerals’ (“M&M”) acquisition of the Altek Group, a high-growth company that provides global innovative environmental solutions to the aluminum industry. This acquisition expands the breadth our service capabilities into aluminum dross and scrap processing as well as providing breakthrough technology solutions aimed at providing value to our customers’ waste streams. Success in delivering against these objectives is illustrated by the increases we madeour strategic initiatives, along with a more favorable economic climate, resulted in the outlook forstrong 2018 financial performance and notable year-over-year improvements of key performance indicators and the year-over-year improvement in certain of these variables during 2016, despite volatile and more challenging market trends within our businesses.

Our Metals & Minerals (“M&M”KPIs”) business unit began reflecting the financial benefits of the transformative actions taken since 2013. M&M’s adjusted operating margin in 2016 stabilized at its highest level in over a decade due to efficiency gains and an improved mix on service contracts. Capital efficiency has also strengthened in M&M driving annual cash flow well above the levels realized in recent years. These gains were made despite weaker market conditions than experienced in 2015. Meanwhile, our Industrial and Rail business units demonstrated resilience at the bottom of their business cycles. Each unit initiated meaningful cost reductions and executed other improvements that enabled these businesses to maintain strong margins and solid free cash flow despite a decline in revenues. During 2016, Rail reported a $45 million forward loss provision on its outstanding contracts with SBB, the federal railway system in Switzerland. We subsequently made a number of functional and process changes within Rail to allow for more effective execution against these contracts and have since made considerable progress in developing highly-advanced equipment for this customer.

Harsco’s stated 2016 objectives included achieving the approved 2016 Annual Operating Plan, strengthening the M&M business unit by completing the final phase of Project Orion, executing cost reductions in Industrial and Rail to manage through unfavorable economic pressures and positioning these business units for longer-term growth, and reducing our financial leverage through a disciplined focus on free cash flow and select asset sales. The Company made significant progress towards these priorities, which are reflected in our 2016 financial results and improved share price. Overall, the Board and Harsco’s executive team were satisfied with the strategic and operational progress within the underlying businesses and remain confident in the key strategic initiatives of the Company..

A more extensive listsummary of ourHarsco’s key 2018 accomplishments are notedis highlighted below:

Harsco Consolidated

Strategic Options Being Explored for Metals & Minerals

In 2015, the Board announced its intent to pursue strategic options for the separation of the Company’s M&M business from the Industrial and Rail businesses. At that time, the Company engaged a financial advisor, Goldman, Sachs & Co., to help evaluate all separation options for M&M, including but not limited to a potential sale ortax-free spinoff. We and the Board continue to evaluate options.

Compensation Highlights

Our executive compensation program’s primary objective is aligning our executive’s pay with the interests of our stockholders. The program is also designed to reward short-and long-term financial, strategic and operational business results, while facilitating the Company’s need to attract, motivate, develop and retain highly-qualified executives who are critical to our long-term success.

Advisory Vote on Named Executive Officer Compensation

StockholdersAt our 2018 Annual Meeting, stockholders voted strongly in support of Harsco’s executiveNEO compensation program in 2016programs with approximately 96%95% of votes cast in support of the Harsco’ssay-on-pay proposal.

We continue to engage our stockholders on various issues through an extensive and thoughtful investor relations program. During this engagement, stockholders have an opportunity to provide feedback on a variety of topics, including executive compensation. The Company’s outreach via investor conferences, roadshows, and other means has increased and we have received strong favorable support from our stockholders the past few years. The MD&C Committee considers stockholders’ viewpoints in the development and approval of all compensation policies and practices at Harsco.

Program Governance Highlights

We strive to maintain a program that is consistent with market best practices, supportive of our business structure, and aligned with our stockholders’ expectations. The table below presents our compensation governance practices and polices: