STAKEHOLDER DIALOGUES ON RESOURCE EFFICIENCY

The demand for natural resources is increasing across the world and in several cases resource scarcity is a major factor behind increasing resource prices. Many experts predict that this will be a long term trend. As answer to resource scarcity and a vital element of sustainable consumption and production (SCP) resource efficiency is a major long term issue for industry, consumers and policymakers. In this context resource efficiency means to optimise the use of resources to achieve the same output (a product or a service) with ever smaller inputs (resources).

 

Resource Efficiency in the Aluminium Industry

As one of the major industrial sectors the aluminium industry is making a considerable contribution towards sustainable production through resource efficiency. The success of these efforts has resulted in environmental and climate protection as well as enhanced economic competitiveness, innovation and job protection. For the aluminium industry resource efficiency means to optimise material flows and waste loops, and to reduce material losses along the value chain and through product life cycles. Assuming social responsibility has also enhanced the ability to compete globally and has supported increased acceptance among purchasers, staff and consumers.

 

Stakeholder Dialogues

The Stakeholder Dialogues on Resource Efficiency project brings together aluminium industry stakeholders, including workers and/or management, to discuss the importance of resource efficiency for both the industry and its workers.  A steering committee comprising members of the German Association of the Aluminium Industry (GDA), the Industrial Union of Metalworkers (IG Metall), and the German Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) holds regular meetings throughout the dialogue process.

 

Establishing platforms for successful communication and implementation of resource efficiency measures

Two workshops, sixteen interviews and several hundred surveys were held as part of the project. Workers (via their union) and management (via the business association) with support from policymakers, worked collaboratively to develop concrete projects that support resource efficiency and communication about its importance. Experiences and concrete results from the stakeholder dialogue will be made accessible for the specialised public within an online information platform on resource efficiency that was developed by the German Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.

 

Background

The project was made possible by the participation and financial contributions from the German Association of the Aluminium Industry (GDA), the Industrial Union of Metalworkers (IG Metall) and the German Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU). The CSCP managed the project, the consulting firm Sustain Consult carried out and assessed interviews and surveys, and the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy cooperated with the network on resource efficiency. The project was provided with additional support from the German Federal Environment Agency (UBA) and the Hans-Böckler-Foundation.