 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sustainability in Europe
Within Europe, we believe that demonstrating our commitment to financial success, environmental excellence, and social responsibility can have a direct impact on our bottom line, as more and more stakeholders, including customers, seek to partner with companies that show such responsibility.
This sustainability vision, consolidated in 2007, was conveyed to more than 100 leaders from all Alcoa European businesses, as well as the top management of the corporation, during a June 2007 European leadership meeting focused on sustainable development.
This message has been taken forward by the Sustainability Network, a group of representatives from all of our European businesses that began working together in 2006. The network has been the key enabler to address the deployment of a common, strategic vision on sustainability. It has focused on educational and informational programs as well as the creation of specific business unit plans to integrate sustainability in the business decision-making process.
Today, many of the major Alcoa business units in Europe have a structured sustainability program that allows them to better understand stakeholders' expectations and define business priorities to ensure responsible, long-term financial, social, and environmental performance.
Sustainability is an ongoing effort, and the European businesses understand the need to continue progressing toward more environmentally friendly operations that respect the present and consider the future of the communities where we operate.
Based on this commitment, priorities for action in 2008 have been set. They include continuing to educate the workforce and the communities, reassessing stakeholders' expectations, tailoring Alcoa corporate targets into indicators that fit the expectations of European society, and following up and reporting on the results achieved.
We trust that 2008 will make a difference in the sustainability journey of Alcoa Europe and will take us closer to having sustainability embedded into our businesses and every member of our organization.
Case Studies
 Alcoa Facilities in France Reduce Emissions, Waste
Leadership Succession in Russia
City-Initiated Sustainability Initiative Reduces Environmental Impact, Costs
Reduced Water Consumption, Discharge Exceed Alcoa Goals
An Evolving World-Class Safety Culture in Iceland
Award-Winning System Helps Monitor Employee Health
Alcoa Growth Process Serves as Primary Growth Generator
Alcoa Volunteers Help Students Create Sustainable Futures
Understanding, Delivering on Customer Needs
Boiler Technology Increases Energy Efficiency
Smelter Effort Reduces Emissions, Costs with No Capital Investment
Project Opponents, Proponents Work Together to Ensure Safe Protesting
Alcoa Helps Deliver EHS Improvement in Romania
Netherlands Training Extends from Least to Most Experienced
Turning Employees into Community Volunteers in Russia
Continuous Safety Improvement Nets Injury Reductions, Recognition
Uncovering Market Growth, Customer Needs
Process Changes Result in 85% Reduction in Water Usage, Discharge
Employees & Sustainability
"Sustainability is having perfect harmony between economic, social, and environmental responsibilities. All three pillars are anchored in the company's value system, with an aim to satisfy the various stakeholders by doing what is right for the investors, the communities, and the environment. If one of the responsibilities gets out of sync for an extended period of time, sustainability is no longer guaranteed."
Rudi Huber, President, Alcoa European Region
"With my financial background, I had always thought that profit was the key and most important element for a company's durable success. But over the years, I have learned that social and environmental aspects are as important, if not more so, than the financial aspects of a company to achieve the goal of assuring the long-term viability of a corporation."
Lluís Fargas
Director of Tax, Alcoa European Region
"To work for sustainability means to commit ourselves, both as individuals and as members of society, to develop our business, environment, and communities in a manner that ensures our children have a good, healthy, and sustainable world to live in. Sustainability is about meeting the needs of the present generation without prejudice to the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
Marina Fedorova, Manager of Community Programs, Alcoa Russia
"Sustainability means to protect the planet, humans, and Earth's biodiversity. To meet this, we need to conserve natural resources and protect the air, water, and soil. Fossil energy usage and waste generation should be minimized. Developed countries and big international companies have the responsibility and the power to develop a strategy and implement it to protect the planet. This strategy needs investment in the short term, but companies can protect their competitiveness through sustainability in the long term."
Zsuzsa Schand
EHS Manager for AFL Europe, Central-Eastern Europe Region
"Personally, I understand the concept of sustainability as the daily practice of a core value—being fair with the world and the society in which we live. It means that every decision we make, in business or at home, will consider the resources involved, with the aim of returning back to society at least the same value that the decision is taking away."
Rosa García Pineiro
EHS and Sustainability Director, Alcoa European Region
"Sustainable development in business means a responsible attitude toward all our stakeholders—our people, our communities, and the environment. The question we need to keep asking ourselves is: Are they going to be better or worse off in the future as a result of our activities?"
Ruslan Ilyasov
HR Director, Alcoa Russia
"The Russian translation of sustainability consists of two words that literally mean 'balanced development.' This definition suggests that something is changing while remaining stable in a stable environment. In relation to a company, sustainability means continued positive changes in the areas that are critical to its success and the use of renewable and nonrenewable resources in a manner that doesn't lead to their depletion and that takes into account the other parties' interests."
Oksana Kritikova
Communications Manager, Alcoa Russia
"Sustainability is achieved when a company uses and creates opportunities for doing business successfully while assisting its employees and communities to fully realize their potential as well."
Galina Grigorieva
Sustainability Manager, Alcoa Russia
"Meeting the needs of current and future generations can only be achieved with a personal commitment to this goal at all levels. Each individual contribution has to be based on profound beliefs and has to be driven from inside at any moment. This attitude and behavior should be maintained in all dimensions of our life, both personal and professional, and guide each one of our decisions and activities at any moment."
José Manuel Alvarado
Location Manager, San Ciprián Smelter and Refinery, Spain
"You can define sustainability in many ways, but to me this is certainly linked to the concept of continuity. For our companies that intend to do lasting business, this must be an integral part of success. This means having the ability to endure beyond life cycles and anticipating market changes while adapting to higher and tougher requirements, so we can create wealth through our innovation and performance to improve our legacy for further generations."
José Ramón Camino
President, Alcoa Spain
"Sustainable business means the capability of the company to keep, in the long term, a profit margin between inputs (costs) and outputs (sales). Companies perform the same core activity without major technological breakthroughs for many years, and the production process cannot change every year. In most cases, the business relies on the capability to supply the resources (people and materials) required by the operations."
Joaquin Gonzalez-Blas
Energy Manager, Alcoa Spain
"Sustainability is the art of operating a business in a reliable, safe, environmentally friendly, profitable, and long-standing manner."
Jesus Marín Sanchez
Legal Counsel, Alcoa Spain
|
|
|
|
|
