Aluminium Stewardship Initiative certifies Vedanta Aluminium for responsible sourcing of raw materials
14th May 2024
- Vedanta Aluminium operates the first smelter in India to attain Certification against the ASI Chain of Custody standard
New Delhi; 14 May 2024: Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, today announced that it has been successfully certified against the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative’s Chain of Custody Standard V2 (2022). The company has achieved this certification for its smelter in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at its plant in Jharsuguda, Odisha. The company’s operations in Jharsuguda, comprising of an annual smelting capacity of 1.8 million tonnes, make it the world’s largest aluminium plant.
Vedanta Aluminium has also previously achieved the ASI Performance Standard Certification for the manufacture and supply of primary aluminium products at its SEZ-based plant at Jharsuguda, and also at BALCO, a unit of Vedanta Aluminium based in Korba, Chhattisgarh.
The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) is a global non-profit standards setting and certification organisation that seeks to drive a sector-wide transformation within the aluminium industry. ASI’s Standards apply throughout the supply chain, from bauxite mining to downstream sectors that use aluminium in their products, and are a highly-regarded indicator of sustainable operations worldwide.
A Chain of Custody (CoC) is a system that can be used to support the traceability of materials and associated claims through a supply chain. The ASI CoC Standard V2 sets out requirements for the creation of a Chain of Custody for material that is produced and processed through the value chain into diverse downstream sectors. The implementation of ASI’s CoC Standard links verified practices at successive steps of the supply chain – certified under the ASI Performance Standard – to the materials produced by ASI Certified Entities. The independent, third-party audit ahead of the certification of Vedanta Aluminium’s smelter was carried out by CETIZION Verifica.
Sharing the significance of the certification, Mr. John Slaven, CEO, Vedanta Aluminium, said, “We welcome the Chain of Custody Certification for our SEZ-based operations in Jharsuguda, the first in India to achieve this mark of operational excellence. Following on the ASI Performance Standard Certifications for our plants in Jharsuguda and BALCO, it comes as a significant reiteration of our commitment to undertaking responsible operations. At Vedanta Aluminium, we are focused on integrating and encouraging sustainable practices within every stage of the aluminium value chain, and through this effort, fully explore the limitless potential of the ‘Metal of the Future’ in building a greener tomorrow.”
Dr. Fiona Solomon, CEO, Aluminium Stewardship Initiative, said, “We congratulate Vedanta Limited (Aluminium Business) on achieving Certification against ASI CoC Standard V2 at their Jharsuguda Smelter. The certification demonstrates Vedanta’s efforts towards implementing responsible sourcing practices and is complementary to their Performance Standard (V2) Certification, which provides a pathway for continuous improvement of their sustainability performance.”
Leading the transformation of the global aluminium industry, Vedanta Aluminium has committed to achieving Net Zero by 2050. It has rolled out a two-fold strategy towards this goal, reducing its carbon footprint by increasing operational excellence and increasing the quantum of renewables in its energy mix, while also offsetting its carbon footprint through extensive afforestation efforts. Its products have also been verified as sustainably produced by Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) International.
Vedanta Aluminium, a business of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of aluminium, manufacturing more than half of India’s aluminium i.e., 2.37 million tonnes in FY24. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in key industries. Vedanta Aluminium ranks 1st in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2023 world rankings for the aluminium industry, a reflection of its leading sustainable development practices. With its world-class aluminium smelters, alumina refinery and power plants in India, the company fulfils its mission of spurring emerging applications of aluminium as the ‘Metal of the Future’ for a greener tomorrow.
About Vedanta Limited:
Vedanta Limited, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Limited, is one of the world’s leading Oil & Gas and Metals company with significant operations in Oil & Gas, Zinc, Lead, Silver, Copper, Iron Ore, Steel, and Aluminium & Power across India, South Africa and Namibia. For two decades, Vedanta has been contributing significantly to nation building. Governance and sustainable development are at the core of Vedanta's strategy, with a strong focus on health, safety, and environment. Vedanta has put in place a comprehensive framework to be the ESG leader in the natural resources sector. Vedanta is committed to reducing carbon emissions to zero by 2050 or sooner and has pledged $5 billion over the next 10 years to accelerate the transition to net zero operations. Giving back is in the DNA of Vedanta, which is focused on enhancing the lives of local communities. The company’s flagship social impact program, Nand Ghars, have been set up as model anganwadis focused on eradicating child malnutrition, providing education, healthcare, and empowering women with skill development. Under the aegis of the Anil Agarwal Foundation, the umbrella entity for Vedanta’s social initiatives, the Vedanta group has pledged Rs 5000 crore over the next five years on social impact programmes with a thrust on nutrition, women & child development, healthcare, animal welfare, and grass-root level sports. Vedanta and the group companies have been featured in Dow Jones Sustainability Index, and was conferred Frost & Sullivan Sustainability Awards 2020, Golden Peacock Award for excellence in Corporate Governance 2022 and certified as a Great Place to Work 2022. Vedanta Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange.
For more information, please visit www.vedantalimited.com
About Vedanta Aluminium Business:
Vedanta Aluminium, a business of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of aluminium, manufacturing more than half of India’s aluminium i.e., 2.37 million tonnes in FY24. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. Vedanta Aluminium ranks 1st in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2023 world rankings for the aluminium industry, a reflection of its leading sustainable development practices. With its world-class aluminium smelters, alumina refinery and power plants in India, the company fulfils its mission of spurring emerging applications of aluminium as the ‘Metal of the Future’ for a greener tomorrow.
For more information, please log on to www.vedantaaluminium.com
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