ASI certifies TALUM d.d. Kidričevo against Performance Standard V3 (Provisional)

TALUM d.d. Kidričevo (Talum) has achieved ASI Performance Standard V3 (2022) with Provisional status at its Kidričevo, Slovenia plant. The Provisional Certification is valid for a period of one year, during which the company can address the non-conformances assessed and subsequently seek full certification.

Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) today announced that TALUM had been certified against the ASI Performance Standard V3 with Provisional status for the design and production of extrusion billets, slugs and discs, die cast, tilt cast, machined and assembled parts and heat transfer plates of aluminium and aluminium alloys at its Kidričevo, Slovenia operation. The plant's annual production capacity is 100,000 tonnes of diverse aluminium products. 

The ASI Certification program was developed through an extensive multi-stakeholder consultation process and is the only comprehensive voluntary sustainability standard initiative for the aluminium value chain. The ASI Performance Standard V3 and ASI CoC Standard V2 were launched in May 2022 following a multi-year revision process. The ASI Performance Standard V3 defines 11 principles and 62 criteria under three sustainability pillars – Environment, Social, and Governance – with the aim to address pressing sustainability issues in the aluminium value chain, such as biodiversity, Indigenous Peoples rights, circularity, and greenhouse gas emissions. 

The independent, third-party audit was carried out by Bureau Veritas Certification. A full listing of audit findings is available in the summary audit reports, linked below. Twenty-two minor non-conformances were noted under 2.5a-g Environmental and Social Impact Assessments, 2.6a-h Human Rights Impact Assessment, 2.8a-d Suspended Operations, 2.9a-b Mergers and Acquisitions, 2.10a-b Closure, Decommissioning and Divestment, 3.1a-b Sustainability Reporting, 3.2 Non-compliance and Liabilities, 3.4a-f Stakeholder Complaints, Grievances and Requests for Information, 4.1b-c Environmental Life Cycle Assessment – Disclosure, 4.4a-c Collection and Recycling of Products at End of Life – Material Conversion and other Manufacturing, 6.4a-b Public Disclosure of Spills and Leakages, 7.2a-e Water Management, 8.1a Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Risk and Impact Assessment, 8.1b Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Risk and Impact Assessment – Priority, 8.3a-c Management of Priority Ecosystem Services, 8.5a-b commitment to "No Go" in World Heritage Properties, 9.1a-d Human Rights Due Diligence, 9.8a Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas – Strong management systems, 9.8c Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas – Strategy to respond to risks, 9.8d Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas – Audit of due diligence, 9.8e Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas – Report annually, and 10.3a-c Forced Labour. Three major non-conformances were identified under Criteria 8.2a-g Biodiversity Management, 8.4 Alien Species, and 9.8b Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas - Identify and assess risks, resulting in a Certification with Provisional status of one year. Talum will be implementing corrective actions, to be verified in a follow-up audit. Bureau Veritas Certification approved the corrective action plans for the Major non-conformances prior to submission of the audit report to ASI. 

Fiona Solomon, Chief Executive Officer of ASI, said: "We commend Talum on achieving ASI Performance Standard V3 (2022) with Provisional Status and look forward to seeing the company transition to a full certification in due course. ASI's sustainability standards program is a platform built on the broad, international, multi-stakeholder consensus that companies can use as a basis for their pursuit of responsible production practices that go beyond regulations. We applaud the efforts of all our members, who are invariably at different stages of their sustainability journey, to evaluate their policies and practices and implement plans for continuous improvement. This commitment forms the basis for transitioning the global aluminium supply chain toward sustainability."

Marko Drobnič, President of the Management Board, said, "It is a great honour for Talum to be able to announce receipt of the ASI Provisional Certification. This achievement underscores our commitment to sustainable practices in the aluminium industry. We are dedicated to respecting the highest environmental, social and governance standards. This Provisional Certification not only marks a significant milestone in our journey towards sustainability but also strengthens the trust our customers place in us. We are committed to ongoing efforts to minimise environmental impacts and promote quality and sustainability in all our operations that fully align with ASI's values and criteria. This is not just a recognition but a testament to our continuous pursuit of excellence and responsibility towards the environment, employees and society."