The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) is a global, multi-stakeholder, non-profit standards setting and certification organisation that aims to recognise and foster the responsible production, sourcing and stewardship of aluminium. ASI is the result of producers, users and stakeholders in the aluminium value chain coming together with a commitment to maximising the contribution of aluminium to a sustainable society. Fiona Solomon, CEO of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) gives an insight into the company's current projects and plans for 2019 in the below interview:  

AlCircle: Congratulations on launching the certification programme for aluminium value chain in 2018! Please brief us on the ASI certification programme. 

Fiona Solomon: Yes it’s an exciting time for ASI!  2018 was our first year of implementation of a global certification program for the aluminium value chain.  ASI’s Performance Standard covers a wide range of sustainability topics for companies involved in bauxite mining, alumina refining, aluminium smelting, re-melting and refining, semi-fabrication, material conversation and other kinds of manufacturing and downstream use sectors.  ASI’s Chain of Custody Standard then creates a way to connect this performance with the flow of metal.  The program involves accredited independent third-party auditors assessing conformance with applicable requirements in ASI’s Standards, and issuing of a public Certificate where successful. 

AlCircle: What led the group to launch the standards for responsible production, sourcing and stewardship of aluminium?

Fiona Solomon: There was a critical mass of interest from a range of upstream, downstream and civil society stakeholders in designing a sustainability initiative tailored for the aluminium industry.  Conversations started in 2009, continued through an initial standards setting phase under IUCN, and then led to incorporation of ASI as an independent entity in 2015.  Nine years from those first conversations, and thanks to the hard work of the many people who contributed along the way, the aluminium industry can be proud to now have a vibrant shared program for sustainability in place.

AlCircle: ASI has certified aluminium majors like Rio Tinto, AMAG Austria Metall AG and Hydro Extruded Solutions. How is it going to influence the entire supply chain? 

Fiona Solomon: The first ASI Certified companies are those that have demonstrated leadership for their peers.  We know that many more are working on their certifications and we are seeing strongly growing interest in ASI’s activities.  We anticipate that continued leadership from a range of companies throughout the world will help spread ASI’s uptake and create valuable outcomes and impacts for sustainability and aluminium.

AlCircle: What are the advances that have been made in 2018? Has ASI identified any challenge?

Fiona Solomon: In 2018 we had our first certifications come through for both ASI Standards, from both upstream and downstream/end user companies.  This is showing that there is both market push and pull for a comprehensive independent certification program like ASI.  The challenges lie in the ongoing practicalities of continuing to scale these efforts and how ASI, the industry and its stakeholders can best work together to build momentum.

AlCircle: What kind of benefits can the member companies avail in ASI?

Fiona Solomon: The benefits of ASI increase with the effort and engagement that companies put in!  ASI is a forum that brings together a wide range of supply chain and topic knowledge on sustainability issues, and helps to build capacity for those implementing ASI’s Standards in their own companies.  Joining ASI also sends a strong signal about your company’s commitment to sustainability and CSR issues.  We warmly welcome new members to join us as part of a sustainability journey.

AlCircle: Can your brief us on the programmes that ASI offers to companies implementing the standards?

Fiona Solomon: We have developed an online platform, elementAl, to guide members through the certification process.  This aims to streamline the workflows and provide a central point for co-ordination and support.  We also have invested in online training through our educationAl platform which will become even bigger and better in 2019.  Members have given us positive feedback on these programs and we continue to improve them month by month.

AlCircle: How important is it for the downstream and end-users of aluminium to implement the ASI standards?

Fiona Solomon: Value chain initiatives rely on both ‘push’ and ‘pull’ to be successful.  Downstream and end-users of aluminium are vital parts of the chain in creating a ‘pull’ for standards programs.  Aluminium is used in a wide variety of sectors including transport, infrastructure, packaging, and various industrial and consumer applications.  While the individual drivers and focus areas for sustainability may differ across these sectors, there is a shared desire from leading companies to enhance their approaches to responsible sourcing for a wide range of raw materials.

AlCircle: ASI has recently released ASI Standards and Guidance documents in Chinese. What are your other plans in 2019 since China is the largest producer of aluminium?

Fiona Solomon: China is a very important global producer and consumer of aluminium, and sustainability issues are also very important to Chinese companies.  ASI has translated all its standards documentation, and in 2018 established a China Contact in Beijing to enhance access to its program.  In 2019, we will continue our outreach and engagement in China and will be holding various workshops and meetings.  In 2020, the ASI AGM will be held in Yantai, Shandong province and we are very much looking forward to this milestone event.

AlCircle: What other initiatives your company is planning in 2019 in the global aluminium value chain?

Fiona Solomon: Our 2019 plan has highlighted our ongoing work in China, a review of ASI’s governance, continued work on standards streams, and a strong focus on development and improvement of ASI’s own internal management systems for consistency and scalability, as our key priorities this year.  ASI’s 2019 AGM will be held in Molde Norway in June and will be a fantastic opportunity for the ASI community and interested stakeholders to come together and share experiences and opportunities.  We certainly have a busy agenda for 2019 and will be sharing regular updates through our website and monthly newsletters!

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