Contribution to energy performance

Nowadays, energy efficiency is one of the key indicators used to evaluate the sustainable character of buildings.Certification schemes are being developed in many countries to evaluate and rate such building energy performance.
 

Global improvement

The Aluminium industry has taken a leadership role by establishing a uniform, quantitative, global approach to energy and greenhouse gas emissions reduction. The industry publishes a complete life cycle inventory report every five years and the results of performance against 13 sustainability indicators annually. Three of these are specifically focused on energy and greenhouse gas emissions reduction in the industry’s production processes:

1. Following an 86% reduction in its PFC emissions per tonne of primary Aluminium produced (specific emissions) between 1990 and 2006, the global Aluminium industry will further reduce specific emissions of PFCs by at least 50% by 2020 as compared to 2006, equivalent to a reduction of 93% compared to 1990.
2. A 10% reduction in smelter electrical energy usage by IAI member and reporting companies per tonne of Aluminium produced by 2010 versus 1990.
3. A 10% reduction in refinery energy usage by the industry as a whole by 2020 versus 2006.  

Read more...

95% of Aluminium is recycled

Aluminium can be recycled over and over again without loss of properties. The high value of Aluminium scrap is a key incentive and major economic impetus for recycling.

Aluminium recycling benefits present and future generations by conserving energy and other natural resources. It saves up to 95% of the energy required for primary Aluminium production, thereby avoiding corresponding emissions, including greenhouse gases.

Industry continues to recycle, without subsidy, all the Aluminium it can collect from used products, as well as fabrication and manufacturing processes.

The growing markets for Aluminium are supplied by both primary and recycled metal sources. Increasing demand for Aluminium and the long lifetime of many products mean that, for the foreseeable future, the overall volume of primary metal produced from bauxite will continue to be substantially greater than the volume of available recycled metal.

Between 92% and 98% of building Aluminium were found to be collected and recycling in Europe demonstrating aluminum’s pivotal role in the pursuit of full sustainability.