The Aluminium Federation (ALFED) launched two new member initiatives aimed at aiding the aluminium sector in its transition to Net Zero during the first-ever EnvironmentAl Strategy Day last week.
ALFED said the initiatives will improve knowledge of the environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations surrounding the move to zero carbon. The initiatives are also meant to increase public awareness of aluminium in the wider world.
One of the programs will be an ALFED-accredited ESG officer training course. The course will provide attendees with the knowledge to help their respective firms with sustainability transition. The other program will involve “Aluminium Ambassadors” who will train and equip professionals to deliver informative talks and conduct EnvironmentAI workshops, both of which are meant to generate interest in aluminium as a career path.
Lord Rupert Redesdale, keynote speaker at the event, said that it contained great value for those in attendance.
“ALFED’s sustainability strategy day was packed full of insights from Government and the industry on the policies needed to deal with the opportunities and threats that carbon and the wider environmental agenda will place on the aluminium sector. It was a well-attended day that was really valuable to those there.”
Charles Keen, board member at ALFED, commented on the importance of public engagement in achieving net-zero aluminium production.
“My plea to UK government is to engage substantially with industry on Net Zero, not via a public consultation, but directly with the strategically important industrially sectors.”
“The government needs to have an industrial strategy that enables Net Zero,” he continued. “It’s not about subsidies, it’s about government engagement and action, facilitating and enabling – making it easy, cutting through the complexity.”
The event was attended by around 120 members, guests, government representatives, industry experts, and sustainable solutions suppliers. In addition to speeches, ALFED conducted several panel discussions on a wide range of topics, including greenshoring, carbon leakage, and eliminating and sorting waste.
