Alcoa announced that it achieved a 36% reduction in total direct greenhouse gas emissions in 2008 from its worldwide primary aluminum production process, a 3% reduction over 2007 levels.
The company has already achieved some objectives from its 2020 Strategic Framework for Sustainability. For instance, the companys initial goal was to achieve a 25% reduction in worldwide direct greenhouse gases by 2010 from a base year of 1990. Alcoa reached that goal seven years ahead of the timeframe.
"This is operational excellence at its best," said Alcoa Chairman Alain Belda. "It is the result of commitment to process improvement, to waste elimination, to use of best technology and tools available, and commitment to the environment. And, above all, it shows what a team of employees can achieve who are committed and capable of deploying plans and executing the required actions day after day."
"Reducing emissions while improving production practices with little capital investment is an indication of the great things a team can achieve when pointed at a task," said Alcoa President and CEO Klaus Kleinfeld.
The Company has been named one of the top most sustainable corporations in the world at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and has been a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for seven consecutive years.
