FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Alcoa, the world’s leading producer of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina, has become a founding member of the Sustainability Consortium, an independent group of global organizations working to drive sustainability in products through all lifecycle stages. The consortium is co-directed by the University of Arkansas and Arizona State University.
The consortium comprises scientists and engineers from leading universities, governments, non-government organizations and businesses, who are working to develop lifecycle analysis tools and methodologies.
“Alcoa Foundation is supporting the Sustainability Consortium because we believe that society and consumers have much to benefit from lifecycle analysis that measures the full environmental footprint of a product — from the materials used to create it, to the product’s recyclability at the end of its initial life. We are proud to partner with organizations from different sectors and the University of Arkansas and Arizona State University to advance this important work,” said Paula Davis, president of the Alcoa Foundation.
Alcoa will contribute lifecycle analysis data to the work, as well as its expertise and knowledge of aluminum, one of the most recycled materials in the world. Nearly 75 percent of all of the aluminum made since 1888 is still in use today.
“For Alcoa, joining the Sustainability Consortium is a natural fit because of the environmental benefits that aluminum brings to end products, such as light weighting and recyclability,” said Kevin Anton, Alcoa’s chief sustainability officer.
“Alcoa believes that good science requires good metrics. By increasing global transparency across a product’s entire supply chain, we can evaluate the real environmental footprint of a product — an analysis that our customers want to know and incorporate into their own sustainability equations. Beyond corporate responsibility, lifecycle measurement is quickly becoming a business imperative for all industries,” he said.
The Sustainability Consortium is managed by the Global Institute of Sustainability at Arizona State University and the University of Arkansas Applied Sustainability Center.
“It is important that the consortium involve organizations from every arena,” said Jon Johnson, co-director of the consortium and executive director of the University of Arkansas Applied Sustainability Center, “and Alcoa provides a unique perspective that will enhance the work of the team overall. I am pleased to welcome Alcoa and their leading experts to the consortium.”
Sustainability has long been an integral part of Alcoa’s culture, and the company has been recognized for its sustainable practices by a number of independent organizations. Earlier this year, Alcoa was named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the ninth straight year, and Alcoa primary aluminum earned Cradle to Cradle Certification – Silver from MBDC (McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry), a global sustainability consulting and product certification firm that developed the Cradle to Cradle concept in 1995.
About Alcoa
Alcoa is the world’s leading producer of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina. In addition to inventing the modern-day aluminum industry, Alcoa innovation has been behind major milestones in the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial transportation, consumer electronics and industrial markets over the past 120 years. Among the solutions Alcoa markets are flat-rolled products, hard alloy extrusions, and forgings, as well as Alcoa® wheels, fastening systems, precision and investment castings, and building systems in addition to its expertise in other light metals such as titanium and nickel-based super alloys. Sustainability is an integral part of Alcoa’s operating practices and the product design and engineering it provides to customers. Alcoa employs approximately 59,000 people in 31 countries across the world. More information can be found at www.alcoa.com.
About Alcoa Foundation
Alcoa Foundation is a nonprofit U.S. corporate foundation with assets of approximately $420 million. In addition to addressing locally identified needs in communities where Alcoa operates, Alcoa Foundation is focused on unlocking solutions to critical environmental sustainability challenges, including global climate change. Alcoa Foundation has been a long-term partner in Alcoa communities worldwide for more than 50 years, investing over $515 million since 1952. More information can be found at www.alcoa.com/foundation.
About the Sustainability Consortium
The Sustainability Consortium is an independent organization of diverse global participants that work collaboratively to build a scientific foundation that drives innovation to improve consumer product sustainability. It develops transparent methodologies, tools and strategies to drive a new generation of products and supply networks that address environmental, social and economic imperatives. The Sustainability Consortium advocates for a transparent process and system, not individuals or organizations. The University of Arkansas and Arizona State University jointly administer the Sustainability Consortium. Learn more at www.sustainabilityconsortium.org.