Energy and Life-Cycle Assessment Surveys Due Back on November 30

The Aluminum Association has distributed its 2009 Energy and Life-Cycle Assessment Survey to approximately 100 aluminum production and fabrication companies—both members and non-members—representing more than 50% of the total annual production for each of the product categories surveyed.

The survey is fundamental to the larger sustainability effort of the Association, the objective of which is to assess and communicate aluminum’s performance throughout its life-cycle on several key industrial sustainability aspects—including resource use, scarcity, and hazards. The aim is to develop a complete understanding of the positive contributions that aluminum makes to society’s environmental and economic well-being; of any negative economic or environmental impacts that its production and fabrication may cause; and of the balance between these positives and negatives during the life-cycle of the material.

Companies’ punctuality and accuracy in responding to the survey are critical to the Association’s sustainability efforts going forward. The response deadline is November 30, 2009.

Companies’ survey data will be used toward the development of peer-reviewed and verifiable sustainability findings and messages. It will also provide information for use in benchmarking operations and addressing outreach efforts on sustainability—for customers and suppliers.
 
The survey is grouped into five different sets:

Set One: Plant level energy survey (data is expected to be provided by ALL plants)
Set Two: Alumina refining
Set Three: Primary aluminum production
Set Four: Secondary aluminum production
Set Five: Aluminum fabrication

The Association urges that all production facilities and plants of the surveyed companies be accounted for in the returned surveys. Executive officers who received the survey are asked to forward survey forms directly to managers of their sites and plants to provide the relevant data. Corporate environmental and sustainability directors and facility managers of each individual facility are likewise encouraged to ensure that the survey is completed and returned on time.

Companies are legally guaranteed that the information they provide will be used only for aggregating industry average information—and will be stored and managed permanently in a secure and confidential manner.

Specific questions on the survey--or requests to participate in the Assessment by companies not included in the initial distribution list—should be directed to sustainability specialist Marshall Jinlong Wang (jwang@aluminum.org, phone: 703-358-2971).