“The European aluminium industry wants to drive the deep transformative policies and practices that are needed to realise the carbon-neutral and circular economy in Europe. The industry is already delivering on its aim to realise the industry’s greenhouse gas reduction potential set out in our sustainability roadmap. The carbon intensity of primary aluminium production in Europe decreased by 21% versus 2010 and by 55% versus 1990¹”, said Gerd Götz, Director General of European Aluminium.

 

The Green Deal is a comprehensive policy framework encompassing many different policy proposals across climate, energy, environment, circular economy and industrial policy designed to kickstart a deep decarbonisation of Europe while reshaping the economy.

 

“We expect the Green Deal to be the compass of Europe’s growth strategy but also to deliver the necessary policy foundations for European businesses to invest and ‘strive for more.’ We hope that the Green Deal marks the end of fragmented policymaking and will prompt policy makers to introduce a bold and complementary industrial strategy that looks at free and fair trade, revised competition policy, affordable and secure access to energy, as well as incentives to boost the circular economy,” concluded Götz.

 

Earlier this year, European Aluminium released its Vision 2050 report, which articulates a clear outlook for the development of a carbon-neutral, circular, and energy-efficient aluminium value chain in Europe by 2050 and presents three scenarios for the primary aluminium production to realise its strategic potential fully.

 

Thanks to aluminium’s unique properties and uses in energy-efficient products, the global demand for the metal is expected to grow by 50% by 2050. In Europe, half of the demand will be met by primary aluminium and the other half by recycling. Provided the right policy conditions are in place, the CO2 emissions from primary aluminium production can be reduced by up to 70% compared to the 2014 situation and increased recycling can save an extra 1500 million tonnes of CO2 emissions by 2050.

 

Aluminium already delivers energy and CO2 savings in leading sectors, such as mobility, building and construction, packaging, consumer goods, and renewable energy technologies. The endless recyclability of aluminium further contributes to decarbonisation and the circular economy.

 

 

European Aluminium, founded in 1981, is the association that represents the whole value chain 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 permanent material 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.

 

For further information, please contact: communications@european-aluminium.eu, +32 2 775 63 63