The Russian aluminium giant and one of the world's leading producers of low-carbon aluminium Rusal's Board has approved the 2035 Sustainable Development Strategy.
The strategy states the audacious objective of making sustainability accessible to all stakeholders in the aluminium supply chain. The company wants to develop a new class of non-ferrous metals assets that are future-proof by meeting the demands of the circular economy and the low-carbon transition (ready to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and reasonably well balanced between primary and secondary material resources) based on an adaptive, equitable, secure, and inclusive value chain, and cutting-edge technological solutions.
Evgenii Nikitin, the General Director of RUSAL, outlines the purpose of this long-term strategic plan as follows: "RUSAL will lead by example in proposing such a transformation of the aluminium sector as the backbone of the future economy that will ensure access to our sustainable products for most of today's and tomorrow's consumers".
The goal is to deliver 12 priority ESG transformation initiatives that are well-balanced to ensure a sustainable sourcing base and a long-term competitive advantage:
Six projects in the area of environmental sustainability and transition to greener business and sustainable products (Low Carbon Aluminium, Air Quality Normalcy, Circularity of Post-Production and Post-Consumer Materials, Circular Water in Key Production Processes, Safe Operation of Red Mud Disposal Sites and Other Waste Disposal Sites, and Biodiversity Conservation and Ecosystem Services)
Three projects in the area of social sustainability and bringing up the workplace and living standards in the cities where the company operates (Safe Workplace, Future Workplace, and Sustainable Communities)
Three economic sustainability and corporate governance projects support sustainable sourcing of raw materials, finished goods and services (Data-Driven Decisions behind Sustainability, ESG Maturity Assessment of Suppliers, and Recognition of ESG Leadership in Top Ratings).
The corporate governance system underlying the ESG transformation, the mandate and accountability of the Board and Executive Team, business divisions and departments, and interaction with a special coordination centre - project office established within the Sustainability Directorate all have a special place in the strategy.
All initiatives, draughts of corporate codes and policies, as well as functional strategies being implemented to ensure the delivery of priority projects, are reviewed with the Public Expert Council on Sustainability, which was established at the end of 2022 and is comprised of NGO, academia, and opinion leaders from the national level, as well as the cities and territories where RUSAL operates.
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