Industry, social partners and five federal states founded the German Aluminum Alliance. In a joint declaration, the partners reaffirm their shared commitment to a competitive and climate-neutral aluminum industry. The alliance includes the ministries of economics of the states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saxony-Anhalt and Saarland, the economic authority of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, IG Metall and IG BCE and the German Aluminum Association. "This is primarily about affordable electricity prices, a secure and renewable energy supply and a strong circular economy," said Mona Neubaur, Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Protection for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Common goals for a sustainable future
The signatories have set themselves the goal of achieving climate-neutral production. The industry should actively work on the development of suitable technologies to achieve this. The signatories also call for competitiveness to be safeguarded by advocating fair competitive conditions at national and international level. The focus is also on promoting the circular economy and the use of secondary raw materials in order to conserve resources and reduce environmental pollution. Other goals of the alliance are social responsibility, stable energy supply, research funding and fair competitive conditions to prevent carbon leakage.
Role of the aluminum industry
With over 62,000 employees and a turnover of over 24 billion euros in 2023, the aluminum industry is an important employer. Aluminum is an indispensable material for numerous sectors, including transport, construction, packaging and electrical engineering. The German aluminium industry, with its employees and expertise, also plays an important role in decarbonization. Jürgen Kerner, the second chairman of IG Metall: "We are delighted that the signatories have agreed on common goals for aluminum." According to IGBCE board member Francesco Grioli, the focus on the circular economy is extremely important for achieving the climate targets.