EcoVadis ranks Aurubis among the top one percent in its sector again

Aurubis AG, a leading global supplier of non-ferrous metals, further improved its EcoVadis CSR (corporate social responsibility) ranking: With 78 out of a possible 100 points from the assessment questionnaire concerning responsible corporate governance, Aurubis numbers among the best one percent of companies in the non-ferrous metals industry worldwide. The company improved its score in the ranking by five points, or about seven percent, compared to the previous year. Aurubis’ score increased in the Sustainable Procurement assessment category in particular. Aurubis sites’ comprehensive Copper Mark certifications also contributed to the higher ranking: Following Pirdop (2021) as well as Hamburg and Lünen (2022), the Belgian plant in Olen was the fourth site in the Aurubis smelter network to receive the internationally recognized quality seal for responsible copper production in September 2023. Aurubis improved in the Ethics category as well.

“The outstanding EcoVadis rating is evidence of our continuous efforts to improve in all aspects of sustainability. Additionally, the rating agency classified Aurubis’ carbon management at the ‘leader’ level for the first time. This shows that our Sustainability Strategy is bearing fruit: We are firmly on the path to carbon-neutral production well before 2050. It’s our intention to continue this excellent performance,” Aurubis AG CEO Roland Harings asserted. He emphasized, “External ratings such as the one from EcoVadis make our sustainability performance transparent and measurable. We have linked a portion of our financing instruments to the development of the EcoVadis rating to indicate just how seriously we take this.”

This very good result underscores Aurubis’ sustainability approach, which is reflected in a variety of measures and projects. The company is committed to the Science Based Targets initiative and has set ambitious science-based targets to reduce CO2 emissions. Various projects to reduce CO2 have already been initiated, such as testing the use of hydrogen in copper production and the related investment in new, H2-ready anode furnaces at the Hamburg site, which will be installed in spring 2024. Furthermore, Aurubis operates the largest solar plant for internal use in Southeast Europe at the site in Pirdop (Bulgaria) and sources over 90 percent of the externally generated electricity for the site in Olen (Belgium) from renewable energies. As a result of all of these measures, the carbon footprint of Aurubis cathodes is more than 60 percent lower than the global industry average of all copper smelters.

Ecological, social and ethical performance – sustainability – is a key factor for forward-looking companies today. EcoVadis assesses companies in accordance with environmental, labor and human rights criteria, as well as ethics and sustainable procurement. The internationally recognized standards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) serve as the foundation.

Since 2020, Aurubis has successfully placed both a Schuldschein loan and a syndicated loan with a sustainability component with a total volume of about € 670 million. Their conditions are tied to the EcoVadis rating, and large parts of Aurubis’ factoring are linked to ESG as well. Today, a majority of the Aurubis Group’s financing is connected to its sustainability performance.

EcoVadis has assessed more than 100,000 companies since its founding in 2007 and, by its own account, is the largest and most trusted provider of sustainability ratings. The ratings concentrate on 21 criteria based on international CSR standards such as the Global Compact principles, the conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards, the ISO 26000 standard, and the CERES principles. Visit www.ecovadis.com for more information.

The full Aurubis Sustainability Report 2023 provides additional information at www.aurubis.com/sustainabilityreport.