Environment Overview
Operating in a manner that protects and promotes the health and well-being of the environment is a core value to Alcoa.
We have been widely recognized by government and non-government agencies around the world for our environmental stewardship, and this success is driven by our people.
Our business leaders understand the critical importance of minimizing impacts and maximizing opportunities related to the environment in the products we offer and the processes and operations required to manufacture them. Our strategic direction and execution on environmental objectives are supported by more than 500 environmental professionals worldwide, backed by numerous relationships with external experts in areas key to our operations.
In 2001, we developed an initial set of long-range goals to be achieved by 2020, with routine measurement to track our progress. We updated these goals in early 2006 as part of a larger initiative to enhance Alcoa's sustainability framework. The goals are intended to be aggressive, requiring innovation and collaboration. Based on progress and the ever-changing needs of global communities in which we operate, these goals will be adjusted as required to continue to drive us in the right direction and show Alcoa's willingness to lead in environmental stewardship.
We have made significant progress against many of our goals from the 1990 or 2000 baseline, such as meeting the 25% reduction in greenhouse gases seven years before the 2010 deadline and achieving a 50% reduction in landfilled waste before the 2007 goal.
In other areas, our progress has been more challenging. In these cases, we will be open about our progress and state specific measures aimed at bringing focus to these areas. In 2006, for example, we focused on the use of fresh water for production and have developed a plan for prioritizing actions that will make meaningful progress. Additional details can be found in the Water section.
Our progress toward reducing mercury emissions continues to prove challenging. We have done extensive work to better understand the complexities of monitoring the environmental fate of mercury, which is naturally occurring in the bauxite we process, and we continue to look for opportunities to reduce emissions to the atmosphere. See the Emissions, Effluents, & Waste section for additional information.
The foundation of our performance continues to be our corporate-level environment, health, and safety (EHS) management system, which was certified to the ISO 14001 standard for the third year in a row in 2006. We were one of the first corporations to obtain this certification.
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Global Environmental Goals
View Alcoa's global environmental goals.
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Climate Change
Read about Alcoa's commitment and actions regarding global climate change.
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Earthwatch Diaries
Read the diaries of Alcoa employees participating in Earthwatch research projects throughout the world.
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Feedback
Provide your thoughts on Alcoa's sustainability reporting.
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