Global manufacturing giants “BMW Group, Tetra Pak, Schuco” join the movement against bauxite mining in Atewa forest

BMW Group, Tetra Pak and Schuco International KG, the three global manufacturing companies have countered to agitate over the usage of aluminium produced from bauxite mined at the Atewa Forest in Ghana.

The global manufacturers have communicated in letters their stand to the Concerned Citizens of Atewa Landscape (CCAL), the grassroots movement advocating against bauxite mining in Atewa Forest.

As all the three companies are members of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) established to certify members and their products in the bauxite-aluminium supply chain that meet its sustainability standards.

Although the companies appreciate the Ghana government’s desire to develop the aluminium sector for economic development and poverty reduction, they have strongly stated that their commitments to sustainability will not be compromised. The three companies pointed to their endorsement of the ASI’s social and environmental standards and said they also want their suppliers to oblige these same standards.

The BMW Group, a founding member of the ASI, said: “Bauxite from the region of the Atewa Forest needs to be in line with the Convention on Biological Diversity, the UNFCCC Paris Agreement on Climate Change and Ghana’s voluntary national contributions towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals. If this is not the case the BMW Group will not accept aluminium in its supply chains that originate bauxite from the Atewa Forest.”

Tetra Pak said: “Sourcing aluminium produced with bauxite mined in the Atewa Range Forest Reserve at Kyebi in Eastern Ghana presents a level of risk that is completely unacceptable to Tetra Pak… No matter how high the environmental standards that are applied, any form of mining at this site will have an unavoidable destructive impact on the values inherent in such a natural habitat.”

Schuco said: “We would oblige our aluminium suppliers not to supply aluminium derived from bauxite mined in the Atewa Range Forest Reserve, and we intend to encourage other aluminium users to join us in this commitment.”

The advocated campaigners for Atewa Forest protection have continually stated that mining bauxite in the Atewa Forest would not meet ASI’s requirements. Bauxite mining in Atewa would threaten species with global extinction, undermining the Convention on Biodiversity and the Sustainable Development Goals that both set clear targets to stop extinctions.

Even if the Atewa forest bauxite supply forms part of Ghana aluminium supply, the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) will be at risk for outright rejection by responsible aluminium users.

Oteng Adjei, President of CCAL, said: “Saving Atewa Forest from mining should be an intergenerational priority, and we are happy and grateful that big businesses in the aluminium value chain understand the importance of a healthy forest and the environmental services it provides. We appreciate their commitment to supporting local and international efforts to secure Atewa Forest against bauxite mining that is certain to destroy the forest, its water services and biodiversity.”