Association Says Greenhouse Gas Voluntary Reduction Program Has Merit and Is a Worthy Goal
WASHINGTON D.C., February 12, 2003 — The Aluminum Association has joined 16 other industry groups in support of a Bush administration voluntary program to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases from industrial facilities in the United States.
The association last week opened discussions with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials on how to further cut aluminum industry perfluorocarbon (PFC) emissions, the intention being to conclude this important dialogue by August 1, 2003. The aluminum industry's voluntary partnership with EPA has been renewed through 2005.
The new program focuses on sector-wide reductions in emissions of multiple greenhouse gases, including PFC emissions that scientists believe are a major contributor to global climate change.
The industry's Voluntary Aluminum Industrial Partnership (VAIP) achieved its 2000 goal in reducing PFC emissions from U.S. primary aluminum smelting by 45 percent – equivalent to 2.2 million metric tons of carbon annually – using cost-effective approaches that make economic and environmental sense for those companies. Last year the VAIP members received the Climate Change Protection Award from EPA for achieving their 2000 goal and were recognized in the 2002 White House Climate Change Report.
"The aluminum industry aggressively reduced PFC emissions between 1990 and 2000 and is exploring additional PFC reduction commitments going forward," said Brian Sturgell, executive vice president of Alcan, Inc., and chairman of The Aluminum Association.
Furthermore, the U.S. aluminum industry is working to address emissions of greenhouse gas compounds beyond PFCs, through the auspices of the London-based International Aluminium Institute (IAI). The Aluminum Association is helping develop an aluminum industry greenhouse gas inventory reporting protocol, a final draft of which is under review and is scheduled for final approval this spring.
Through the protocol, the aluminum industry will compile regional and global data on emissions of multiple greenhouse gases and use that information to build a strategy to reduce those emissions cost-effectively and efficiently.
The industry also is committed to raising the recycled content of aluminum products and materials. The recycling of aluminum requires 95 percent less energy and produces 95 percent lower greenhouse gas emissions than the production of primary aluminum.
Currently, one-third of supply comes from recycled aluminum. Further, one of the association's members has a goal to manufacture 50% of its sheet and foil from recycled aluminum.
Life-cycle studies of aluminum's use in North American automotive applications show that replacing two pounds of steel with one pound of aluminum to reduce vehicle weight can save 20 pounds of CO2 emissions over the average lifetime of a typical mid-size sedan. The use of automotive aluminum has doubled since 1991. The ability for aluminum to impact transportation related greenhouse gas emissions has tremendous potential.
Since the industry has taken the initiative to voluntarily reduce its process greenhouse gas emissions, it strongly supports policies and programs that credit early action taken in reducing greenhouse gases since 1990. The industry also supports efficient and economically sound emissions trading programs and registries that recognize early emissions reductions. The industry supports and participates in public/private partnerships to spur pre-competitive research to reduce greenhouse gas process emissions and to promote energy saving aluminum product applications.
The industry supports a responsible approach to growth in demand for its products and the consequent growth in activity and related emissions, noting that solutions to the climate change issue involve both reducing emissions at source and also over the full lifecycle of the material or products.
The aluminum industry operates about 470 plants in 40 U.S. states, employs more than 100,000 people with approximately $3.5 billion in total payroll. While Association member companies conduct business worldwide, the U.S. aluminum industry produces about 11 percent of world primary aluminum supply, or about 6 billion pounds of metal. The Association represents U.S. primary producers of aluminum, recyclers, and producers of semi-fabricated products and, since early 2002, also represents suppliers of goods and services to the aluminum industry.
Americans consume aluminum primarily in transportation (31 percent), containers and packaging (23 percent), and building and construction (14 percent). Advances in the automotive aluminum market are helping Americans drive better-performing cars that reduce fuel consumption and in turn reduce CO2 emissions. Recycled aluminum—from beverage cans to all other uses—requires only about 5 percent of the energy required to produce primary aluminum.
Page Last Modified: August 7, 2008
