New initiative to transparently track progress in greenhouse gas in aluminium industry

International Aluminium Institute (IAI) note announcing their initiative for the aluminium industry on the new greenhouse gas:

***

The International Aluminium Institute (IAI) has launched a new initiative that commits to transparently and publicly track ambition and progress in greenhouse gas reduction of all its member companies. This initiative, which is being launched at the United Nations’ Climate Change Conference (COP 28) in Dubai, has already been backed by major aluminium producers as the sector continues to act on reducing its greenhouse gas emissions.

Signatories include Aluminerie Alouette, Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), Alcoa Corporation, Alumina Limited, Companhia Brasileira de Alumínio (CBA), Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), Hindalco Industries Limited, Norsk Hydro, Mitsubishi Corporation, Rio Tinto Aluminium, Rusal, Sohar Aluminium and South32.

Under the new initiative, the IAI is committed to the following:

· Track and report on our member company’s ambition and progress in greenhouse gas emission reductions

· Report total global greenhouse gas emissions of the aluminium industry; on a public and annual basis.

Emissions reduction will require investment in new equipment and technology at company and facility level. This initiative facilitates that action through three components:

1. State a long-term greenhouse gas emission reduction target by 31 December 2024 – preferably net-zero and preferably by 2050 - and a plan to achieve the target;

2. Identify an interim greenhouse gas emission reduction milestone – ideally by 2030 - to ensure early progress can be tracked;

3. Disclose progress annually including all facilities utilizing the “IAI Good Practice for Calculation of Primary Aluminium IAI’s Carbon Footprint Methodology” and the “IAI Guidelines on Transparency – Aluminium Scrap” as the calculation references.

This latest initiative aims to foster ambition across the sector and transparently track progress. It complements a range of continual activities and programmes by the IAI to ensure the industry can contribute to achieving global climate targets.

Satish Pai, Managing Director of Hindalco Industries and Chair, International Aluminium Institute said: “We gladly welcome the initiative to be transparent on GHGs. Hindalco has been a leader in sustainable metal manufacturing for years. Because of its infinite recyclability, aluminium is ideal for circularity – the carbon footprint of recycled metal is just 5% of primary smelting. We are among the global leaders in circularity with our subsidiary Novelis using recycled metal for 61% of its total aluminium usage, over 2.3 million tons last fiscal year. To reduce emissions, we are advancing innovative clean energy solutions in primary smelting – such as renewable hybrid power with pumped hydro storage. Among the first in the aluminium sector, this project is on course to deliver round-the-clock carbon-free power to our smelters, starting with 100MW. Our emission initiatives are a key aspect of our broader sustainability vision, which also includes audacious targets on reducing water and waste and protecting communities and biodiversity.”

IAI Secretary General Miles Prosser said “The aluminium industry is committed to rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and acknowledges that investment and action is required to achieve global goals. The IAI has consistently managed programmes to foster collaboration and action on sustainability and this initiative will drive ambition and action to decarbonise aluminium supply chains.”

At COP28, Hindalco won the Energy Transition Change Maker award for their pioneering renewable energy initiative in aluminium decarbonisation. This ground-breaking project marks the world's first renewable hybrid endeavour supported by pumped hydro storage in the aluminium sector.

Earlier this year, it built on that by announcing Aluminium Forward 2030, a coalition of IAI's 25 production members and 20 downstream and customer companies who are joining forces to transform the aluminium sector. The aim is to accelerate progress towards the global net zero target through close collaboration while ensuring that actions also consider all the other UN Sustainable Development Goals.

In March 2021 the IAI published a report, Aluminium Sector Greenhouse Gas Pathways to 2050, which set out three technology pathways to emission reductions, in line with the Paris Agreement goals. At COP26 IAI published an additional decarbonisation scenario for the aluminium sector in line with limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Companies with aluminium investments but who do not have operational control may choose to publicly demonstrate their commitment by following the above actions at a whole-of-business level. IAI member companies who are minority shareholders in aluminium businesses can report progress using other calculation references to allow for consistency in their overall reporting.

Comments

Wave of disappearances sparks human rights fears for activists in Delhi

By Harsh Thakor* A philosophy student from Zakir Hussain College, Delhi University, and an activist associated with Nazariya magazine, Rudra, has been reported missing since the morning of July 19, 2025. This disappearance adds to a growing concern among human rights advocates regarding the escalating number of detentions and disappearances of activists in Delhi.

How community leaders overcome obstacles to protect forests and pastures in remote villages

By Bharat Dogra Dheera Ram Kapaya grew up in such poverty that, unable to attend school himself, he would carry another boy’s heavy school bag for five kilometers just to get a scoop of daliya (porridge). When he was finally able to attend school, he had to leave after class five to join other adolescent workers. However, as soon as opportunities arose, he involved himself in community efforts—promoting forest protection, adult literacy, and other constructive initiatives. His hidden talent for writing emerged during this time, and he became known for the songs and street play scripts he created to promote forest conservation, discourage child marriages, and support other social reforms.

‘Act of war on agriculture’: Aruna Rodrigues slams GM crop expansion and regulatory apathy

By Rosamma Thomas* Expressing appreciation to the Union Agriculture Minister for inviting suggestions from farmers and concerned citizens on the sharp decline in cotton crop productivity, Aruna Rodrigues—lead petitioner in the Supreme Court case ongoing since 2005 that seeks a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops—wrote to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on July 14, 2025, stating that conflicts of interest have infiltrated India’s regulatory system like a spreading cancer, including within the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

The GMO illusion: Three decades of hype, harm, and false hope

By Sridhar Radhakrishnan Three decades of hype, billions of dollars spent, and still no miracle crop. It's time to abandon the GMO biotech fairy tale and return to the soil, the seed, and the farmer. “Trust us,” they said. “GMOs will feed the world.” Picture a world where there is plenty of food, no hunger, fields grow without chemical pesticides, children are saved from malnutrition, and people live healthily.

Sandra Gonzalez Sanabria: An inspiring life from Colombia’s Amazonian valley

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* In the village of Héctor Ramírez, known as Agua Bonita, in La Montañita, Caquetá, Colombia, a vision of peace and renewal is unfolding. In the pre-2016 period, this would have been nearly impossible for outsiders to visit, as it was the epicenter of violent resistance against state oppression. However, after the Peace Accord was signed between the Colombian government and former revolutionaries—marking the end of a 70-year insurgency that claimed over 400,000 lives until 2025, including civilians, rebel fighters, and security personnel—things began to change. Visiting Agua Bonita during the Global Land Forum in Bogotá revealed a village of hope and resilience. Former FARC revolutionaries have settled here and transformed the village into a center of peace and aspiration.

Indigenous Karen activist calls for global solidarity amid continued struggles in Burma

By A Representative At the International Festival for People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRS), Naw Paw Pree, an Indigenous Karen activist from the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), shared her experiences of oppression, resilience, and hope. Organized with the support of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), the event brought together Indigenous and marginalized communities from across the globe, offering a rare safe space for shared learning, solidarity, and expression.

Activists allege abduction and torture by Delhi Police Special Cell in missing person probe

By A Representative A press statement released today by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) alleges that several student and social activists have been abducted, illegally detained, and subjected to torture by the Delhi Police Special Cell. The CASR claims these actions are linked to an investigation into the disappearance of Vallika Varshri, an editorial team member of 'Nazariya' magazine.

India’s zero-emission, eco-friendly energy strategies have a long way to go, despite impressive progress

By N.S. Venkataraman* The recent report released by OPEC’s World Oil Outlook 2025 has predicted that by the year 2050, crude oil would replace coal as India’s key energy source. Clearly, OPEC expects that India’s dependence on fossil fuels for energy will continue to remain high in one form or another.

Gender violence defies stringent laws: The need for robust social capital

By Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra* The tragic death of Miss Soumyashree Bisi, a 20-year-old student from Fakir Mohan College, Balasore, who reportedly self-immolated due to harassment, shocked the conscience of Odisha. Even before the public could process this horrifying event, another harrowing case emerged—a 15-year-old girl from Balanga, Puri, was allegedly set ablaze by miscreants. These incidents are not isolated; they highlight a disturbing pattern of rising gender-based violence across the state and the country.

Search This Blog