Aluminium

The industry must prioritize low-carbon electricity, recycling and efficiency now, while advancing electrification, fuel switching, inert anodes and CCUS for aluminium emissions cuts.

Performance summary

– The industry has reduced emission intensity by 13.6% from 2019 to 2023.⁴¹¹ This is mainly driven by improvements in reduced reliance on coal, increased secondary production and energy efficiencies.

– The absolute emission for aluminium (primary and secondary combined) was 1.13 Gt of CO2e in 2019, decreasing to 1.12 Gt of CO2e in 2023.⁴¹²

– Hydropower and renewable energy contribute to 39% of the electricity used in smelting.⁴¹³

– Secondary aluminium, which requires significantly less energy, contributes to 36% of total production.

Future emissions trajectory

– The industry will need to reduce emissions intensity by 30% by 2030 and 97% by 2050, compared to 2022 levels, to be compatible with the IAI’s 1.5 degrees scenario. The absolute CO2 emissions for aluminium (primary and secondary combined) will need to be 810 Mt in 2030 and 53 Mt in 2050.⁴¹⁴

Readiness key takeaways

Sector priorities

Note: This page presents a condensed summary of the sector’s performance, for a complete view, including on the sector’s readiness for the energy transition, please view the sector PDF here.