Jelena Aleksić, Metals Lead for Aluminium and Steel at the First Movers Coalition under the World Economic Forum, shares critical insights on accelerating sustainable aluminium adoption in our latest issue of LeadSpeak 2025 e-magazine. She highlights how corporate purchasing commitments create powerful demand signals that drive decarbonisation technologies. Jelena emphasises the coalition’s focus on breakthrough innovations like inert anodes and carbon capture, essential for achieving net-zero aluminium by 2050 despite supply and cost challenges.

AL Circle: One of the core strategies of First Movers Coalition is leveraging corporate purchasing commitments to accelerate demand for low-carbon materials. Can you share insights into how committed buyers influence aluminium suppliers and what challenges remain in securing large-scale adoption of sustainable aluminium across industries?

Jelena Aleksić: By 2050, as much as 50 per cent of the reduction in emissions needed to achieve net zero is expected to come from technologies not yet available at scale. Building early market demand for such technologies by 2030 will be critical to catalysing their commercial adoption. 

By translating member procurement commitments into the world’s largest credible demand signal, the First Movers Coalition (FMC) accelerates the adoption of emerging climate technologies to decarbonise the world’s heavy-emitting sectors. Soon, we will be able to share the quantified FMC demand for primary aluminium, which is conducted in line with the competition law. 

It is important to say, though, that commitments made by FMC members are subject to the availability of material supply. Members acknowledge that procuring the materials needed to meet these commitments may come at a premium cost. 

AL Circle: The aluminium sector is one of the key high-emitting industries that are the focus of the FMC, yet the sector faces significant challenges in adopting breakthrough decarbonisation technologies at scale. What are the most promising innovations in aluminium decarbonisation the FMC prioritises, and how does the World Economic Forum ensure these technologies achieve commercial viability?

Jelena Aleksić: The aluminium sector decarbonisation transition strategy has been defined collectively by the industry stakeholders in the early 2020s. The strategy acknowledges three decarbonisation pathways: electrification, direct emissions cuts, and increased recycling and efficiencies. 

The FMC acknowledges the need for electrification and a switch to clean, renewable electricity sources, which alone can help decarbonise about 60% of the industry across the board. However, the FMC focus is on surfacing the supply of clean breakthrough technologies needed for direct emissions cuts. 

Leading analyses indicate that the FMC aluminium commitment is most likely to be achieved with clean technologies for direct emissions reductions (such as inert anodes, carbon capture, and carbo-chlorination, among other technologies) paired with low-carbon power for electrified or hydrogen-ready processes.

To explore the full interview and gain deeper insights on the global aluminium market and how FMC is contributing to its growth, click here.