GAC certified by Aluminium Stewardship Initiative for sustainability performance, a first for Guinea

Kamsar, Wednesday 15 March 2023 - - -Guinea Alumina Corporation today announced that it has achieved the first certification of any bauxite mining operation in Guinea to the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative’s Performance Standard.

Aluminium Stewardship Initiative certification is the global aluminium industry’s internationally-recognised standard for environmental and social performance and governance.

The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative is a global, non-profit organisation that brings together aluminium producers, end-users such as BMW Group and Nespresso, civil society, and the public through consultation, to determine what constitutes good sustainability performance in the aluminium sector.

Steeve Tremblay, Chief Executive Officer of GAC, said today: “GAC aims to be a sustainability leader in the Guinean mining industry, helping our parent company Emirates Global Aluminium ensure that aluminium reaches its full potential to contribute to human progress. ASI Performance Standard certification provides an independent and public verification of both what we do well and where we can continuously improve, such as in our relationships with local communities. I am proud that GAC has achieved the first Aluminium Stewardship Initiative certification in Guinea, and hope that other bauxite mining companies in the country will follow our lead. Continuously improving our sustainability performance and maintaining this certification is an important responsibility for everyone who works at GAC.”

Fiona Solomon, Chief Executive Officer of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative, said: “The vision of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative is to maximise the contribution of aluminium to a sustainable society, by fostering responsible production, sourcing and stewardship. Guinea plays an important role in the global aluminium value chain, and is a country where the industry’s commitment to sustainability is tested. The GAC audit piloted the involvement of Guinean specialists in the audit team, after being trained in the ASI audit process as part of our Registered Specialists Program. This empowered local expertise as they took the lead on social engagement during the audit process, including a wide range of community, employer and contractor interviews. We congratulate Emirates Global Aluminium  and its subsidiary Guinea Alumina Corporation for achieving this first ASI Performance Standard Certification in Guinea, and for their commitment to pursue responsible bauxite mining practices in this challenging setting.”  

The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative’s Performance Standard has more than 100 environmental, social and governance requirements. Certification to Version 2 (2017) of the standard was granted following a rigorous independent audit of GAC’s policies, practice and performance. The audit considered a broad range of factors both directly and indirectly related to the company’s operations, including their impact on biodiversity, human rights, transparency, community engagement, emissions and waste management.

EGA was the first Middle East-headquartered company to join the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative, back in 2017. EGA’s Al Taweelah site in Abu Dhabi was certified to the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative’s Performance Standard in 2019, with EGA’s site in Jebel Ali in Dubai achieving certification in 2021. EGA’s Al Taweelah site was re-certified in 2022.

GAC began production in 2019, following a $1.4 billion investment by EGA, the largest in a greenfield mining project in Guinea in more than four decades. In 2022, exports of GAC bauxite reached 14 million wet tonnes. Some GAC bauxite is shipped to the UAE for use in EGA’s Al Taweelah alumina refinery.

The ASI’s certification and summary audit report can be downloaded from this link: https://aluminium-stewardship.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/ASI-Summary-Audit-Report-Guinea-Alumina-Corporation-SA-Certificate-262-PS.pdf