Alcoa’s 2050 net zero ambition

The science is clear that global warming due to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is a real issue, and solving this challenge requires action by governments, businesses, and society at-large.

As a company with a 135-year legacy of strong environmental, social, and governance practices and a new Vision to reinvent the aluminum industry for a sustainable future, Alcoa is already focused on a decarbonization path. Our smelting portfolio is powered over 75 percent by renewable energy. We have pursued sustainability-related innovations in bauxite, alumina, and aluminum and are developing game-changing technology innovation that has the potential to fundamentally transform aluminum production.

But the climate challenge requires substantial action, and that includes continuing to decarbonize materials such as aluminum that will be critical in realizing the sustainable future society needs.

Alcoa has set an ambition to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across all our global operations by 2050.

This ambition includes direct (scope 1) and indirect (scope 2) emissions and complements our existing GHG targets, which include reducing direct and indirect GHG emissions from aluminum smelting and alumina refining operations from 2015 baselines by 30% by 2025 and 50% by 2030.

This is a challenging ambition. Alcoa’s new Purpose: Turn Raw Potential into Real Progress, will help us get there. Our Purpose unlocks the value in our people and processes to change the industry and shape the world we live in. To make progress toward our 2050 ambition, we are focused on further increasing the share of our operations powered by renewable energy and commercializing breakthrough innovation.

We’re currently piloting mechanical vapor recompression, a renewable energy-powered process that has the potential to significantly reduce alumina refining emissions. And, with our partners, we continue to work toward commercialization of the ELYSIS zero-carbon smelting technology invented by Alcoa, which can eliminate all direct emissions from the aluminum smelting process, producing oxygen instead.

Looking ahead, our focus will be on continuing to develop these technologies and bringing them to market for the benefit of our company and the industry as a whole, ultimately realizing our vision of reinventing the aluminum industry for a sustainable future.