ALUMINIUM FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

By Miles Prosser, Secretary General, International Aluminium Institute

Aluminium use has always been driven by the metal’s superior qualities.  In the 136 years since the Washington Monument was capped with aluminium in 1884 for its conductivity, colour and non-staining qualities, aluminium has become an integral part of our lives.

Seventy-five per cent of all the aluminium ever produced is still in use today, a function of the long lifetimes of many aluminium products, accelerated demand for the metal (particularly post 2000) and high recycling rates.

As economies and societies enter a new phase post the Covid pandemic, the expectations on aluminium and our industry are changing, but we are well placed to meet and exceed them.  Products will not only have to be fit for purpose, but they must be manufactured sustainably; they must be efficient in use; and they must have clear processes for the recovery of value and material at the end of initial use.

Aluminium’s lightness, strength, durability, electrical and thermal conductivity, formability and recyclability will continue to position it as a material of choice for a society looking to find efficient, low-impact and sustainable solutions.

In a recent report commissioned for the International Aluminium Institute (IAI), CM Group identified the potential for consistent future growth in global demand for aluminium of around 4% per annum if the industry "successfully addresses key sustainability expectations including carbon emissions and raw materials sourcing”.

In 2019, global demand for aluminium was 95.4 million tonnes; two thirds (63.7 million tonnes) of which was met by primary aluminium (produced from ore) and one third (31.7 million tonnes) from recycled aluminium.

Our own demand scenario - based on dynamic Material Flow Modelling, aluminium stock in use, and Gross Domestic Product and population forecasts - has a more conservative growth rate of 2% per annum. Despite increased projected recycled metal supply, the IAI estimates that close to 90 million tonnes per annum of primary aluminium will be required in 2050. 

The IAI's member companies are those operators in the industry who are committed to not only ensuring that their operations and products meet customer expectations, but that the aluminium industry as a whole can demonstrate that our material has superior sustainability credentials than competing materials.

The IAI, in conjunction with members, recently developed our greenhouse gas pathways – realistic and credible technological pathways for 2050 sector-wide greenhouse gas emissions reduction, in line with limiting global warming to less than 2 degrees.  This is a key expectation from the public, and our industry can show that we have robust data and clear plans that reflect differing regional circumstances.

However, a sustainable future will require more than just addressing greenhouse gas emissions.  We must also manage and improve performance on various issues, including waste streams, biodiversity, and community expectations.

Members of the IAI have made significant progress, including the release of useful practice guidelines to address critical issues such as bauxite residue management, spent pot lining (SPL) management, and sustainable bauxite mining.

Central to all these initiatives is transparent reporting of data and performance.  Our industry's Alucycle tool, available at the IAI website, exemplifies this approach – providing comprehensive aluminium data on production, trade, end-use, scrap availability and quality and recycling at a regional and product level; and enabling the development of future scenarios.

Through the IAI, the aluminium industry has the most comprehensive global data on aluminium with more than 40 years of data on production, consumption, energy use and environmental impact, and the most advanced emissions modelling of any commodity group.

Consumer expectations will evolve, and we must keep pace to ensure our products remain relevant, and we maintain community support for our operations.  The International Aluminium Institute is the primary forum for aluminium producers to collaborate on promoting aluminium's superiority and demonstrating our industry's commitment to sustainability.

Society’s increasing emphasis on sustainability, efficiency and circular economies suggest that aluminium has an ever-increasing role to play for the next 100 years and the industry has the tools and technologies to meet these expectations.