*[Enwl-eng] One Big Thing: Will Aluminum Producers Heed the Call to Respect Human Rights?

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One Big Thing: Will Aluminum Producers Heed the Call to Respect Human 
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                              One Big Thing:
                              Will aluminum producers heed the call to 
respect human rights?

                              Take the Poll


                              Automobile manufacturers have heralded 
electric cars as a greener alternative to traditional gasoline cars which 
emit 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide every year on average. However, a new 
report from Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Inclusive Development International 
(IDI) found that the picture is not so rosy. According to the report, 
transitioning to electric cars would require manufacturers to “double their 
aluminum consumption by 2050.”

                              This could have devastating effects: “The 
impacts of mining and refining the raw materials needed for aluminum include 
large-scale destruction of communities’ lands and damage to their water 
sources. The aluminum industry’s reliance on coal also means it is 
responsible for 2 percent of global annual greenhouse gas emissions.”

                              The West African country of Guinea has the 
world’s largest bauxite deposits, the ore from which aluminum is produced. 
In 2019, the government conducted a study which forecasted that bauxite 
mining over the next 20 years would “remove 858 square kilometers of 
agricultural land and destroy more than 4,700 square kilometers of natural 
habitat, an area six times bigger than New York City.” In a primarily 
agricultural region, this would be disastrous for residents’ livelihoods.

                              Elsewhere in Brazil’s Pará State, a group 
representing around 11,000 families sued Norsk Hydro, a Norwegian aluminum 
producer, for improper disposal of toxic waste which has contaminated 
waterways.

                              There have been some positive developments in 
the automobile manufacturing industry, such as the Aluminum Stewardship 
Initiative (ASI), which tries to ensure responsible sourcing of aluminum and 
keep aluminum producers in line with human rights and environmental 
standards through third-party audits.

                              Additionally, Drive Sustainability, which 
brings together 11 different car companies, launched a project in May to 
gauge the human rights risks in producing aluminum and nine other raw 
materials.

                              Jim Wormington, senior HRW Africa researcher, 
noted the importance of car companies leading the charge for change. 
“Pressure from car manufacturers that purchase aluminum can play a key role 
in pushing mining companies to constructively resolve communities’ 
complaints,” he said.

                              “Once car companies and other industries 
communicate clearly to aluminum producers that they will only buy aluminum 
that is free of human rights abuses, we think mining companies and the 
aluminum sector more broadly will quickly up their game.”

                              Read HRW and IDI’s full report HERE

                              Watch a 2 minute video from HRW about the 
impact of aluminum production on human rights HERE


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                              Authored by Paulina Song


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                              From: Paul Fagan
                              Sent: Monday, July 26, 2021 11:23 PM
                              Subject: One Big Thing: Will Aluminum 
Producers Heed the Call to Respect Human Rights?







 
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