Manufacturing News

Alcoa beats 2020 carbon reduction target

Alcoa yesterday announced it has exceed its 2020 carbon footprint goal, the findings of which were released in its 2010 Sustainability Report.

The report examines the company’s progress on the sustainability of its products, resources and operations.

According to the report, Alcoa was also the first company to receive silver-level Cradle to Cradle Certification for primary aluminum.

The results are part of the company’s long-term approach to sustainability, said Kevin Anton who holds the position of Alcoa chief sustainability officer – a role which was created in 2010 to reinvigorate renewed focus on the development of a comprehensive sustainability strategy.

The report outlines a number of achievements, including:

• Reduced the greenhouse gas footprint in its operations – Alcoa Global Primary Products lowered its CO2 intensity by 7% over 2009 levels and achieved a 22% reduction over 2005 levels. The results exceeding the company’s 2020 goal of a 20% reduction.
• Improvement over 2009 safety performance with 82% of locations reporting zero lost workdays and 48 percent with no recordable injuries in 2010
• Exceeding its seven Cash Sustainability Program targets, ending the year with more than US$1.5 billion in cash on hand.

The company has always had a strong commitment to sustainability, said Anton in a statement.

“In the late 1980s, we publicly declared greenhouse-gas management and safety excellence as our two most important sustainability platforms. We began to set sustainability goals and publicly report progress against them starting in 1993,” the statement reads.

“In 2000, we adopted our first set of longer-term sustainability targets, including a 25% reduction in absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 2010 from a 1990 base year. We exceeded that goal in 2006. At the end of 2010, we had achieved a 37% reduction.”

Alcoa is a leading producer of primary and fabricated aluminum and miner of bauxite and refiner of alumina.

To read the full report, click here.

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