The Aluminium Association took part in the First French-Russian Forum on Low-Carbon Industrial Development. This online conference focused on promoting a bilateral dialogue for the implementation of the low-carbon economic model. The event was attended by leading Russian and French industrial companies with a strong environmental agenda, as well as representatives of government and financial organizations. Particular attention was paid to low carbon energy sources and the creation of an efficient energy system.
The world is already rapidly evolving towards carbon-free production processes. As the Ambassador of France to Russia Pierre Levy noted during the forum: “The world economies are aimed at achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Businesses need this gradual but profound ecological transition. And such transition requires developing innovations and building the world of tomorrow where France and Russia together can lead and inspire others to follow.
In turn, Dmitry Kurochkin, Vice President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, emphasized the importance of compliance with the Paris Agreement aimed on emission reduction. “It is important to develop joint actions aimed at reducing industrial emissions. Russia and the European Union are moving in the same direction. I can add that our goal is to reduce emissions by 48% by 2050,” said the Vice President of the CCI.
Russian aluminium enterprises are actively reducing industrial emissions. “RUSAL has become one of the first companies in Russia and in the world to start implementing a climate strategy aimed at reducing its carbon footprint. Thus, we developed a unique technology for producing ALLOW aluminium with a low-carbon footprint: the average footprint level is 2.4, which is 4 times less than the industry average. With various environmental measures (planting more than a million trees on an area of 500 hectares, aerial forest fire control patrolling) Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk Regions were able to compensate for more than 440 thousand tons of carbon,” said Evgeny Klimov, Head of the GGE Regulation Department.
Artem Asatur, Co-chairman of the Aluminium Association, spoke at the forum about the need to exchange practical experience in solving environmental problems within the world community. “Russia is one of the world leaders in the aluminium industry in terms of sustainable development. Its environmental strategy is facilitated by the modernization of production facilities and replacement of obsolete equipment, the development of products with a low-carbon footprint, as well as cooperation with international organizations,” he stated in his presentation.
The meeting participants noted the importance of joint efforts aimed at reducing carbon emissions, as well as the need for public discussions on compliance the Paris Climate Agreement, the strategic goal of which is to limit global temperature increase till the end of the XXI century.