Aurubis publishes Sustainability Report 2015

Aurubis AG has published its fifth Sustainability Report during the year of its 150th anniversary. The report is oriented to the internationally recognized guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G4 as well as the Mining and Metals Sector Disclosures. The Aurubis Sustainability Report 2015 simultaneously serves as the Communication on Progress for the UN Global Compact (UNGC). Aurubis has taken part in the Global Compact since late 2014 and supports its principles.

Sustainability is an issue that we take seriously at Aurubis. The focus is on aligning the issues of the environment, people and the economy. This is not only important for us and our customers; companies’ social and ecological criteria are becoming increasingly relevant for investors as well.

With the current Sustainability Report, we document our measures and activities that fulfill the requirements of responsible business operations,” explained Aurubis Executive Board Spokesman Erwin Faust regarding the published report.

Producing and utilizing non-ferrous metals is a basic condition around the world for technical progress and thus for a higher standard of living. State-of-the-art technologies are the foundation for effective and sustainable environmental protection. Due to continuous investments in the company’s facilities – about € 530 million has been invested in environmental protection measures in copper production since 2000 – Aurubis has achieved a leading position in environmental protection when compared globally.

As a component of innovative technological developments, copper from Aurubis makes a notable contribution to the transition to renewable energies and to improving the CO2 balance in modern life. The energy transition wouldn’t be possible without copper. Furthermore, Aurubis is an international leader when it comes to energy efficiency. In the future, however, regulatory conditions are required that enable long-term planning and investment security for companies that compete internationally.

Resource efficiency is a priority at Aurubis. This means drawing even more from increasingly complex raw materials, for example. The new Supply Chain Management (SCM) division, which was created in 2015 from the merging of primary raw material purchasing, recycling material purchasing and production planning, contributes to the improved management of supply chain issues. Business Partner Screening is a fundamental testing instrument for sustainable standards in Aurubis’ supply chain.

With multi-metal recycling, Aurubis ensures that the material cycle for copper and other metals is closed. It is becoming more and more important to recycle products after their lifecycle is complete in order to conserve resources and avoid environmental pollution. Aurubis created a new department for this as well. Customer Recycling Solutions unites copper product sales with the sourcing of recycling raw materials. Customers thus simultaneously become suppliers in a circular system.