In 1997 the members the International Aluminium Institute - representing most of the world's production of primary aluminium excluding Russia and China - concluded that the industry needed to develop as complete an understanding as possible of both the positive contributions that aluminium makes to the environmental and economic well-being of the world's population and the negative economic or environmental impacts that its production might cause. To achieve this understanding, a life cycle assessment process was initiated.

Extensive surveys were carried out in 2000 and 2005 in which the IAI member and correspondent companies collected input and output data of environmental relevance for their respective production facilities. Some of this information - such as energy use, PFC and other emission data - are also updated annually as part of the Aluminium for Future Generations sustainability surveys.

A second report (March 2003), “Life Cycle Assessment of Aluminium: Inventory Data for the Worldwide Aluminium Industry”, summarised the cumulative inputs and outputs of environmental significance (air emissions, waste generation, resource consumption) associated with producing primary aluminium ingot from bauxite ore.

A third report looked at aluminium use in the construction industry – “Paper 2 – Construction”.

Studies for the automotive industry have indicated that every kilogram of aluminium that replaces traditional higher density materials in a vehicle today saves the equivalent of 20 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions over the lifetime of the vehicle:

Energy Savings by Lightweighting 1 (IFEU – 2003)

Energy Savings by Lightweighting 2 (IFEU – 2004)

Further reports are planned for other aluminium applications.

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