Vedanta Aluminium has achieved ASI Performance Standard V2 (2017) Certification at its SEZ Smelter, Jharsuguda

2024-04-19 07:58:45 Industry

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Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) today announced that Vedanta Aluminium has been certified against the ASI Performance Standard at its smelter and its captive power plant located within the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Jharsuguda, Odisha, India. The company is the largest producer of primary aluminium in India.

The ASI Certification program was developed through an extensive multi-stakeholder consultation process and is the only comprehensive voluntary sustainability standard initiative for the aluminium value chain. The ASI Performance Standard V2 (2017) defines environmental, social and governance principles and criteria, with the aim to address sustainability issues in the aluminium value chain. It sets out 59 criteria under the three sustainability pillars of Environment, Social, and Governance, which address key issues such as biodiversity, labour rights, Indigenous Peoples rights, and greenhouse gas emissions.

The independent, third-party audits of Vedanta Aluminium's SEZ Smelting facility was carried out by CETIZION Verifica.

Fiona Solomon, Chief Executive Officer at ASI said, "We congratulate Vedanta Aluminium for achieving ASI Performance Standard (V2) Certification at its smelting facility in Jharsuguda, Odisha, India. The company is taking steps to decarbonise, including through increased renewable energy consumption, reclaiming aluminium from dross, and other plant-level initiatives. Its Performance Standard certification shows that Vedanta Aluminium is also addressing broader ESG topics."

Speaking about Vedanta Aluminium's Jharsuguda smelter being ASI certified, Mr Rahul Sharma, CEO, Vedanta Limited ? Aluminium Business said, "Aluminium is a dynamic and rapidly evolving industry with potential for greater applications in a sustainability-conscious world. Aluminium's unique properties make it a crucial metal in the world's energy transition as the backbone of a low-carbon future. Vedanta Aluminium is pleased to join the ASI members list and be certified against the ASI Performance Standard. This stands testimony to our unwavering commitment to cater to our customers' needs through sustainable and responsible production practices. Being one of the world's leading aluminium producers, this bolsters our conviction for exploring the limitless potential of aluminium as the 'Metal of the Future' for a greener tomorrow."

ASI Certification process

ASI was formed as a multi-stakeholder initiative to drive a global, sector-wide transformation for aluminium. We work on building capacity to understand, agree and deliver measurable and continual improvements in the global aluminium chain.

ASI's Standards apply throughout the supply chain, from bauxite mining through to downstream sectors that use aluminium in their products. All current ASI members in the 'Production and Transformation' and 'Industrial Users' classes work towards their ASI certifications within two years of joining ASI. For more information, consult the full list of ASI Members as well as the list of certified ASI Members.

ASI's custom-built online assurance platform, elementAL, underpins the entire certification workflow for both the ASI Performance Standard and Chain of Custody Standard. ASI members seeking Certification and ASI Accredited Auditors use elementAL to manage self-assessments, audit planning, documentation of evidence and findings from site audits, and reporting. The ASI Secretariat also carry out oversight of submitted audit reports through elementAL, to ensure conformity with ASI's assurance procedures, before Certifications are issued.

Full ASI certification is valid for three years, usually with a surveillance audit at approximately 18 months. Provisional Certification is valid for 1 year, with a surveillance audit at approximately 6 months. More information is available in the ASI Assurance Manual.

About ASI

The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) is a global, multi-stakeholder, non-profit standards setting and certification organisation. It works towards responsible production, sourcing and stewardship of aluminium following an entire value chain approach. To this end, ASI launched its Certification program for the Performance Standard and Chain of Custody Standard in December 2017, and after a three-year revision process, published new versions of the Standards in May 2022.

ASI has identified four priority sustainability issues where we believe we can most contribute to driving change in the aluminium value chain to 2030: climate change, circularity, nature positive and human rights. These are high-level priority challenges for our global future, and it is essential to recognise the inter-connections between each. Ultimately, they must be tackled together to support effective and just transitions that minimise unintended consequences and maximise positive impact. Beyond the ASI standards, we engage directly with affected communities and collaborate on data, research and other activities.

ASI's 290+ members include leading civil society organisations; companies with activities in bauxite mining, alumina refining, aluminium smelting, semi-fabrication, product and component manufacturing, as well as consumer and commercial goods, including the automotive, construction and packaging industries; industry associations and other supporters.