Aurubis Wins German Sustainability Award for Pioneering Carbon-Neutral Production and Circular Metal Recycling

Aurubis Wins German Sustainability Award for Pioneering Carbon-Neutral Production and Circular Metal Recycling

(IN BRIEF) Aurubis, a global leader in non-ferrous metals and copper recycling, has won the 17th German Sustainability Award in the Metal Sector for its commitment to carbon-neutral and circular metal production. This prestigious European award honors Aurubis’ extensive efforts to reduce its environmental impact through innovative practices, including investing in renewable energy, recycling metals, and reducing emissions. CEO Dr. Toralf Haag expressed pride in the achievement, viewing it as validation of the company’s commitment to sustainability. With initiatives across Germany, Belgium, and Bulgaria, Aurubis has achieved a significant reduction in the carbon footprint of its copper products, reinforcing its role as an industry leader in sustainable metal production.

(PRESS RELEASE) HAMBURG, 5-Nov-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — Aurubis has earned the distinguished German Sustainability Award in the Metal Sector category, a testament to its forward-thinking efforts in carbon-neutral and circular metal production. As one of the world’s top recyclers and producers of non-ferrous metals, the company continues to push boundaries in sustainable practices. This prestigious award, Europe’s most comprehensive in sustainability, reflects Aurubis’ longstanding dedication to environmental responsibility and efficient resource management. The accolade arrives after years of intense focus, culminating in the company being recognized not just as a metal producer but as a sustainability leader.

CEO Dr. Toralf Haag expressed pride in the recognition, stating, “This award reaffirms our commitment to sustainability and responsible resource use, positioning our industry as part of the solution. Our drive to establish the world’s most sustainable smelter network has been propelled by years of dedicated work from the Aurubis team.” This year’s award ceremony will be held in Düsseldorf on November 28, 2024.

Aurubis’ Head of Corporate Sustainability & External Affairs, Vedrana Lemor, shared that the company’s holistic approach to sustainability has become central to its operations. “Sustainability is embedded in Aurubis’ DNA,” she said, emphasizing their initiatives to reduce environmental impacts across the entire supply and value chain. Aurubis sees its metals as essential to technological advancements, which in turn support the global energy and mobility transition.

The company has invested significantly in sustainable practices through its Tomorrow Metals initiative, a customer commitment to environmentally conscious production. Since 2000, Aurubis has allocated over €830 million toward environmental protection measures. Their recent projects include a €740 million investment in the new Richmond production site in the United States, where Aurubis will recycle complex metal-bearing materials, bolstering resource conservation and aiming for a 50% recycled content in copper cathodes by 2030.

Other notable initiatives highlight Aurubis’ impact across various locations. In Hamburg, the company extracts CO2-free industrial heat from copper production processes, heating up to 28,000 households and saving approximately 120,000 tons of CO2 annually. In Belgium, Aurubis has enhanced its capacity for recovering metals such as nickel, tin, and precious metals through the BOB and ASPA projects. Additionally, Aurubis’ Bulgarian site utilizes photovoltaic power, aiming to meet 10% of its electricity needs through solar energy, potentially reducing emissions by 28,000 tons per year.

Aurubis is also advancing renewable energy efforts, with its Olen, Belgium, facility covering 90% of its electricity consumption via offshore wind energy. Over a decade, this commitment is projected to reduce the company’s carbon footprint by 420,000 tons.

These efforts have collectively lowered the carbon footprint of Aurubis’ copper cathodes by over 40% in the past 11 years, achieving less than 60% of the global average CO2 emissions for this industry-standard product.

The German Sustainability Award, now in its 17th year, is Europe’s largest award recognizing leadership in environmental and social responsibility. Guided by the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda, the award supports innovative approaches to climate, biodiversity, and resource sustainability across over 3,000 applicants.

About the German Sustainability Award (GSA)

In 2024, the 17th installment of the GSA will be awarded to pioneering contributions to the transformation towards a sustainable future. It highlights the best examples demonstrating how to accelerate ecological and social progress. The purpose of the award is to motivate all of the key players to make the shift, help them form networks across borders, and promote partnerships. It is the most comprehensive award of its kind in Europe with six competitions and more than 3,000 national and international applicants. The distinction is guided by the targets of the United Nations 2030 Agenda and thus the key transformation areas such as climate, biodiversity, resources, supply chain, and society. The GSA is awarded as part of German Sustainability Day, which has developed into the leading conference on the topic of sustainability since 2008. More information at www.nachhaltigkeitspreis.de/en/

Media Contacts:

Angela Seidler
Vice President
Investor Relations &
Corporate Communications
Phone +49 40 7883-3178
a.seidler@aurubis.com

Christoph Tesch
Head of Corporate
Communications
Phone +49 40 7883-3053
c.tesch@aurubis.com

Meino Hauschildt
Communications Manager
Phone + 49 40 7883-3037
me.hauschildt@aurubis.com

SOURCE: Aurubis AG