The Company awarded a commendation in Strong Contractor Management

Qatalum’s 2013 Sustainability Report highlights social and environmental strategic innovations

​Qatalum's third annual Sustainability Report focuses on the way forward for sustainability, strategic plans, CSR initiatives and environmental protection practices.

Qatalum has released its annual 2013 Sustainability Report, providing insight, analysis and strategic planning with respect to the company's economic, social and environmental performance – and the ways Qatalum is taking action to integrate sustainability within its operations. Priding itself as Qatar's first and only producer of Aluminium, and one of the region's leading and fastest-growing smelters, Qatalum recognises the importance of leadership on sustainability for the success of its operations, and contributing to the sustainable development ambitions of the State of Qatar – particularly in line with the government's National Vision 2030 strategic pillars.

The report was released as Qatalum was awarded a commendation in Strong Contractor Management at the 4th Annual Qatar Energy & Industry Sustainability Development Report, for its performance throughout 2013. Received by Mr. Khalid Mohamed Sultan Laram, Qatalum's Deputy Chief Executive Officer, the award commended the company's contractor management process and information, as well as the availability of a good range of data, giving a picture of real world activity and performance. It was also commended for providing a module for other operators.
As the annual report, the third so far, makes clear, consumption of aluminium is the fastest growing among all base metals, with its unique material properties making aluminium the material of choice for a variety of applications in our daily life – most visibly from the consumer's perspective in the growing use in automobile construction. The advantages of aluminium are evident: formability, weight, corrosion resistance, electrical conductivity, mechanical and surface properties and infinite recyclability.

Aluminium is constantly being introduced and taking over from other materials in new sustainable and energy efficient applications. These include, for instance, transportation, packaging, buildings, electrical conductors, and in construction applications in general. Qatalum is state of the art in operation, efficiency, and meeting environmental standards within the primary aluminium production world. Qatalum puts sustainability at the core of its overall corporate strategy, both from a CSR and a bottom line perspective. To this end, Qatalum secures cost-efficient and sustainable production, with a minimum environmental impact, through design and operational practice. As one example, Qatalum's Zero Energy and Emissions Building lab was launched in 2013 to support research into insulation and energy efficiency gains through the use of aluminium. 

The specifics of this production and integrated international best practice are detailed extensively in the 2013 Sustainability Report.

According to the report, in addition to its focus on leveraging the sustainability potential of aluminium, Qatalum also recognizes the importance of its social and economic impacts as a producer and consumer within the Qatar, and in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030, seeks to align its strategy with a long term sustainability focus, economic diversification, support for downstream industries and Qatari youth. Qatalum's support for the development of the downstream aluminium industries within Qatar yielded local sales surpassing US$13.7m in 2013. As an employer of more than 1,200 individuals, Qatalum is also a supporter of community educational initiatives: in 2013 alone, Qatalum's community investments totaled more than $1 million including numerous sporting and cultural events open to families and children. 

According to Qatalum CEO Tom Petter Johansen, "2013 was a landmark year for Qatalum, with record setting aluminium production, strong safety performance, international recognition for innovation, CSR initiatives and the launch of the Qatalum Improvement Plan", he says.

"The report is presented as a consolidated source of information about our company's actions and impacts with a focus on our newly developed five-year sustainability strategy. We are proud to present this report and use it as a stepping stone to further growth, development and good social and environmental corporate citizenship". 

Other highlights highlights discussed within the report include details of the five-year Sustainability Plan; details of growth of local downstream aluminiummarkets through contracts with two Qatari customers and $13.7 million in Qatari aluminium sales; the development and implementation of the Qatalum Improvement Plan; increase in overall annual aluminium production by 6,000 tonnes; and a reduction in annual greenhouse gas emissions volume by 1.1 million tonnes.

The Sustainability Report is part of Qatalum's participation in the Qatar Energy and Industry Sector Sustainable Development Industry Reporting (SDIR) Programme, which promotes the adoption of sustainability management and consolidates sustainability performance across the 36 companies in Qatar's Energy and Industry Sector. The report is also prepared in alignment with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G4 guidelines to be "in accordance with core."