Rio Tinto and Marubeni partner to create stronger, more responsible aluminum supply chains
Global miner Rio Tinto and Japanese business conglomerate Marubeni Corporation ratified a new strategic collaboration agreement to ensure a sustainable and reliable supply of Rio Tinto’s responsible aluminum products to Japanese downstream manufacturers.
Specifically, the first sale is a batch of Rio Tinto’s RenewAlTM high purity aluminum from renewable power New Zealand Aluminum Smelters (NZAS) to a major Japanese motorcycle manufacturer committed to reducing carbon emissions throughout its supply chains and manufacturing process.
The agreement, the first of its kind in Japan and the Asia-Pacific region, focuses on providing the downstream industry with a simple and integrated way to achieve ESG-related objectives and requirements, such as carbon footprint reduction, life cycle assessment (LCA) disclosure and responsible sourcing. It will also provide strong long-term supply security at a time of increasing supply chain risks.
It also combines Rio Tinto’s suite of Responsible Aluminium products, including RenewAl TM, the industry’s first certified low-carbon aluminum, Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) certified aluminum and the START digital traceability platform, with Marubeni’s extensive commercial network, trading capabilities and carbon credit mechanism, Neutr-AlTM, which will be offered as part of the collaboration.
Tolga Egrilmezer, Rio Tinto’s Sales and Marketing Director, said, “We are excited to be part of the first producer-trader marketing partnership focused on delivering sustainability throughout the aluminum supply chain.
“Consumers want to know more about the products they buy and to be assured that they have been produced responsibly and sustainably. By working with partners like Marubeni, we can help our downstream customers in the aluminum value chain meet this growing consumer demand, while advancing our commitment to decarbonize our product value chains,” he added.
Likewise, Marubeni’s Chief Operating Officer, Metals & Mineral Resources Division, Daisuke Tsuchiya, emphasized, “Marubeni GC 2024’s Medium-Term Management Strategy positions the green strategy as a fundamental platform for enhancing corporate value. The aluminum-related business is a focus area within this green strategy to enable a transition to a decarbonized society. Through this collaboration, Marubeni will contribute to creating a decarbonized society by supplying responsible aluminum, produced by Rio Tinto, to various customers through the Marubeni interface, which has been built over the company’s many years of aluminum trading.”
