New 2050 climate strategy can have aluminium value chains as a role model to achieve targets
Date
29 Nov 2018
Sections
Climate & Environment
Brussels, 28 November 2018 – European Aluminium welcomes the European Commission’s new plans to secure a long-term decarbonised economy by 2050.
“Irrespective of the scenarios you can choose, there will be the need to embrace strong sustainability programmes and redefine business models. Our industry is working for many years to put efficiencies, incremental and breakthrough innovation in action. There is no choice but to enhance the potential of our strategic material and its unique low carbon applications by decarbonising all our processes from primary production to recycling,” said Gerd Götz, European Aluminium’s Director General.
European Aluminium is working intensively on a new Vision 2050 to be unveiled before the end of the year. This document will contain fundamental data points to understand the contribution of the entire industry in the ongoing decarbonisation process.
“Thanks to aluminium’s inherent properties such as its light weight and endless recyclability, many end-use sectors are already using our metal to achieve carbon reduction and enhance circular economy models. Our preliminary data shows that aluminium demand will continue to grow in Europe and worldwide and that our direct and indirect CO2 emissions will be reduced steadily overtime. The European aluminium industry will decarbonise as the power production decarbonises but this is not sufficient to achieve the 2050 ambitions. There is a clear need to combine the right regulatory framework for industry, technology innovations, and market drivers to reach our full potential,” concluded Götz.
About European Aluminium:
European Aluminium, founded in 1981 and based in Brussels, is the voice of the aluminium industry in Europe. We actively engage with decision makers and the
wider stakeholder community to promote the outstanding properties of aluminium, secure growth and optimise the contribution our metal can make to meeting
Europe’s sustainability challenges. Through environmental and technical expertise, economic and statistical analysis, scientific research, education and sharing of
best practices, public affairs and communication activities, European Aluminium promotes the use of aluminium as a material with permanent properties that is
part of the solution to achieving sustainable goals, while maintaining and improving the image of the industry, of the material and of its applications among their
stakeholders. Our 80+ members include primary aluminium producers; downstream manufacturers of extruded, rolled and cast aluminium; producers of recycled
aluminium and national aluminium associations are representing more than 600 plants in 30 European countries. Aluminium products are used in a wide range of
markets, including automotive, transport, high-tech engineering, building, construction and packaging.
For further information, please contact: communications@european-aluminium.eu, +32 2 775 63 63