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2020 Framework

Our 2020 Strategic Framework for Sustainability, developed in 2000, has been very successful in raising awareness of environment, health, and safety issues at all levels within the company and driving improvement in these areas.

As part of our systematic approach to integrating economic, social, and environmental aspects throughout our business, we reviewed and updated the existing framework and supporting targets and metrics in 2005 to make them more comprehensive in terms of sustainability principles.

In January 2006, the Alcoa Executive Council approved the interim framework. Throughout the year, we sought input from our external stakeholders regarding the framework and supporting targets and metrics before finalization.

We are continuing to review the metrics both internally and externally. Within our operations, we looked at the capacity of our Primary Products group to deliver on the 2020 goals by evaluating future growth projects and various scenarios to determine if the group could deliver its share of the required reductions. This work is continuing and will be used to finalize the targets and metrics.

Primary Products' environmental lead team and Alcoa's corporate environmental director will review the scenarios to evaluate the attainability of the different environmental goals and prepare recommendations.

For some specific goals, technical groups are also involved in the evaluation. For example, the Alcoa World Alumina (AWA) global technical manager for energy and raw materials has assessed the need for improvement to meet the energy intensity goal. This will be further reviewed by the AWA Manufacturing and Technology Council. Similarly, the Primary Metals technology group has been charged to look at energy intensity targets for smelters for later approval by plants and business unit management.

Framework Components
The framework is built around six focus areas:
  • Economic benefit
  • Respect and protect people: employees
  • Respect and protect people: communities
  • Safe and sustainable products and processes
  • Meet the needs of current and future generations through efficient resource use
  • Accountability and governance

Although the framework is still in draft form, we are reporting on our progress against the metrics. If you would like to provide feedback on the framework, please send an email to sustainability@alcoa.com.

ECONOMIC BENEFIT
 Draft TargetDraft MetricProgress Achieved Through Year-End 2006
1 Maintain a strong balance sheet Debt-to-total capitalization consistently between 30% and 35% 30.6%
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RESPECT & PROTECT PEOPLE: EMPLOYEES
 Draft TargetDraft MetricProgress Achieved Through Year-End 2006
2 Elimination of occupational illnesses and injuries Zero fatalities Six fatalities
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Zero lost workday rate 0.07 lost workday rate
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Zero total recordable injuries 1.13 total recordable rate
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From base year 2006, achieve at least a 20% reduction in the number of employees requiring protective measures against unacceptable noise levels by 2008 4%
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From base year 2006, achieve at least a 20% reduction in the number of employees requiring protective measures against unacceptable workplace exposure to chemicals by 2008 4%
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3 Healthy workforce Number of employees participating in healthy workforce initiatives 96% of established locations had health promotion activities (We currently do not aggregate employee participation data at the corporate level.)
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4 Ensure a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities everywhere we operate Further consultation required for metric to be developed  
5 Increase workforce performance 100% of salaried employees receiving annual performance feedback by 2006 82%
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RESPECT & PROTECT PEOPLE: COMMUNITIES
 Draft TargetDraft MetricProgress Achieved Through Year-End 2006
6 All Alcoa operations understand the communities in which they operate 100% of manufacturing locations will implement the Alcoa Community Framework by 2010 85% of worldwide operating locations had established community programs
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7 Contribute to healthier, safer, and more sustainable communities everywhere we operate 40% of employees within a business unit or region volunteered in the community through ACTION, Bravo!, or Month of Service ACTION: 7.32%
Bravo!: 5.45%
Month of Service: 12.29%
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SAFE & SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS & PROCESSES
 Draft TargetDraft MetricProgress Achieved Through Year-End 2006
8 Increase recycling of aluminum 25% recycled aluminum content in fabricated products by 2010; 50% by 2020 Ratio of purchased scrap to total fabricated product shipments was 28%. However, the total amount of recycled metal in our products is somewhat lower since a portion of the purchased scrap would have been included in primary ingot sold to third parties.
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MEET THE NEEDS OF CURRENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS THROUGH EFFICIENT RESOURCE USE
 Draft TargetDraft MetricProgress Achieved Through Year-End 2006
9 Improve resource use to reduce environmental "footprint" From base year 2005:
10% reduction in selected material use by 2010
 • 2006: Collect data
 • 2007: Com- mence reporting
Businesses have worked to identify major raw materials for which a reduction target could be considered.
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From base year 2000:
50% reduction in landfill waste by 2007; 75% reduction by 2010; 100% reduction by 2015
57%
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Reduce energy intensity by 10% by 2010 We are pursuing several production transformation projects that, if successful, will allow us to achieve this goal.
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60% reduction in process water by 2009; 70% by 2010 24%
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From base year 1990:
25% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2010. Assuming success with the inert anode technology, a 50% reduction by 2010
26%
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10 Practice cleaner production to reduce environmental emissions/impacts From base year 2000:
60% reduction in sulfur dioxide (SO2) by 2010
15%
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50% reduction in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by 2008; 60% reduction by 2010 36%
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30% reduction in nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 2007; 50% reduction by 2010; 85% reduction by 2015 35%
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80% reduction in mercury emissions by 2008; 90% reduction by 2010; 95% reduction by 2015 2%
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Zero process water discharge by 2020 Initial efforts to control process water are being managed through the process water reduction target.
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ACCOUNTABILITY & GOVERNANCE
 Draft TargetDraft MetricProgress Achieved Through Year-End 2006
11 High audit performance No material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting, which are reasonably likely to adversely affect Alcoa's ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial information Alcoa continued to meet the goal of no material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting.
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12 Ethics and compliance Resolution of 90% of cases reported on the Compliance Line within 12 working days by 2009 36% of cases reported in 2006 were resolved within 12 working days
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Providing this clear measurement of our progress both internally and externally will lead to stronger tactical planning for businesses through an integrated approach.
Copyright © 2008 Alcoa Inc.
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