European Aluminium published a new report, Connecting the Sustainability Roadmap 2025 and the SDGs.
The European aluminum industry together with key stakeholders presented its Sustainability Roadmap Towards 2025 in 2015. The scope of the roadmap is broad, encompassing alumina and primary production through to semi-fabrication, end-use products, and recycling. It’s an ambitious program with (both concrete and voluntary) targets and commitments for the aluminum industry that extend beyond legislative obligations.
Shortly thereafter, the United Nations (UN) launched their Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDGs) in January 2016, with 17 goals incorporating 169 associated target. These goals were designed to provide a universal framework for businesses to demonstrate and enhance their positive contribution to society. They address a number of interconnecting global challenges, including those related to environmental degradation, climate, poverty, inequality, prosperity, and peace and justice. The European Commission recently released their reflection paper, which outlines a comprehensive SDG implementation strategy with terms, objectives, and concrete measures to implement the Goals 2030 in EU policies.
With the support of CSR Europe, European Aluminium assessed the ambitions of the Sustainability Roadmap in the light of these SDGs, aiming to bring the aluminum sector’s strategic targets closer to the UN goals. They looked at common goals, shared actions, and mapped out trends as well as risks and opportunities for the sector.
The new report presents the results of this analysis —outlining key SDGs for the aluminum industry and listing priority areas for the aluminum industry to work towards for 2030 (decarbonization through energy efficiency and clean energy, future of skills and education, circularity and new business models, and collaboration for innovation). Although the Roadmap already takes account of most of the priority SDGs, the report outlines how the industry can further address several of the SDGs to fully achieve its sustainability ambitions.
A Vision for 2050
European Aluminium is currently developing a new report called, “Vision 2050,” which will confirm the strong growing European and worldwide demand of aluminum in key markets such as automotive, packaging and building. The document will outline the substantial reduction of direct and indirect CO2 emissions through innovation, regulatory predictability, and increasing recycling rates.
“There is no industrial sector that can deny the need to engage with sustainability and climate matters,” said Gerd Götz, director general of European Aluminium. “Vision 2050 is another building block of our entire commitment to sustainable business. We have a clear opportunity to meet the growing demand for aluminum in sectors that need to be further decarbonized: mobility, building, and packaging. Meeting demand with low carbon solutions will require to keep the value chain operating and integrated and ensure that the regulatory framework for primary production, semi-fabricators and recyclers is improved. A potential 70% CO2 reduction by 2050 is at stake.”