World Environment Day -Greenhouse Gas Emissions Decline in Aluminium Industry

As we celebrate #WorldEnvironmentDay, we are proud to share our latest factsheet on the decline in #ghg emissions in the aluminium sector.

For the first time, total greenhouse gas emissions from the global aluminium sector did not grow, even though aluminium production grew.

The 2022 data, the latest available, shows that aluminium production grew by 3.9% from 104.1 million tonnes to 108.2 million tonnes. However, greenhouse gas emissions from the industry showed a slight decline from 1.13 giga-tonnes CO2e to 1.11 giga-tonnes CO2e, and the GHG emissions intensity of primary aluminium production (the average quantity of emissions from the production of a tonne of primary aluminium) has been declining since 2019. In 2022, intensity declined by 4.4% from 15.8 tonnes CO2e per tonne to 15.1 tonnes CO2e per tonne.

Aluminium is a key enabler of reducing emissions in other sectors—automotive, transport, building and construction, and food and drink packaging. Both primary and recycled aluminium meet this opportunity, with primary aluminium production growing from 67.1 million tonnes in 2021 to 69.0 million tonnes in 2022.

The above chart shows the relationship between aluminium production (primary and recycled aluminium) and GHG emissions (including full value chain primary aluminium, recycled aluminium and semis production) between 2015 and 2022. Aluminium production grew steadily in that period, from 86.2 million tonnes to 108.2 million tonnes. GHG emissions rose materially in the first half of the period, from 983 million tonnes in 2015 to 1,131 million tonnes in 2019, but, after peaking in 2020 (1,133 million tonnes), have declined to 1,112 million tonnes.

IAI Secretary General Miles Prosser said: “Our challenge is to reduce emissions while growing production.? Aluminium demand is expected to grow significantly over the decades ahead, because of its role in decarbonisation economy-wide. This will tend to drive increased emissions. But at the same time, the industry is reducing the average emissions intensity of each tonne of production.

“The 2022 data shows the effectiveness of work by the aluminium industry to reduce the emissions intensity of production. While much remains to be done, 2022 was the first year that these intensity reductions offset production growth.

“The transformation needed in the industry to meet global climate targets is much bigger than the early changes we are witnessing. Emissions reductions must be deeper, faster and more widespread, but for the first time, we can talk about heading in the right direction.

“If we continue to see investment and implementation of low-carbon energy sources and GHG reduction technologies, 2021 could be the year that GHG emissions from the aluminium industry peaked.”

The recent trend is a result of significant investment by the industry in research, development and implementation of new technologies, innovative techniques, and changes in energy supply. The IAI has tracked more than 50 projects across the global industry that are contributing to this trend – in all the major production regions and addressing all the required technology pathways.

The last time the aluminium industry’s GHG emissions did not grow was in 2009, resulting from the global financial crisis. However, that coincided with a decline in production.

Download the factsheet below ??

Greenhouse gas emissions decline in aluminium industry