Energy and climate

Aurubis uses energy as efficiently as possible and takes responsibility for climate protection.

The products we manufacture contribute to reducing CO2 emissions in the economy and society, as they play a central role in the transmission of renewable energies, in energy efficiency applications and in electromobility, among other things.

Energy and Climate Affairs

As an energy-intensive company, we bear responsibility for climate protection. The individual production steps in our value chain require a great deal of energy, which is the main source of direct and indirect CO2 emissions (Scope 1 and 2) in the Group. However, when considering the entire value chain, the majority of CO2 emissions arise in the upstream and downstream parts of our value chain (Scope 3), i.e. at our suppliers, customers and service providers.

Energy management systems (EMS) help to efficiently control energy consumption and identify energy-saving potential. The fact that our energy management and energy monitoring systems meet high standards is demonstrated by their ISO 50001 certification, which all of our sites have received.

In addition, we make our energy procurement as environmentally and climate-friendly as possible, as far as this is feasible, and take responsibility for the integration of renewable energies. This also includes our own generation, e.g. wind turbines and photovoltaic systems, at our sites.

We are continuously working on the further development of our energy and climate strategy and promoting the networking of our sites in order to share best practice examples and implement innovative solutions quickly and effectively. In view of the energy costs in Germany and Europe, which are far too high by international standards, it is also our task to maintain the competitiveness of the company. Two important levers in this regard are an increasingly diversified procurement and supply portfolio and the utilisation of our extremely limited technical flexibility potential.

Decarbonisation

Aurubis joined the UN Global Compact's ‘Business Ambition for 1.5 °C’ initiative in 2019. Our CO2 reduction targets were validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) in June 2021. The SBTi thus confirms that our targets for 2030 meet scientific standards and contribute to limiting global warming to 1.5 °C in accordance with the Paris Climate Agreement. In line with this SBTi target, we have set ourselves the goal of reducing absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions – i.e. CO2 emissions from combustion in our own facilities and from purchased energy – by 50% by 2030 compared to the representative base year 2018.

Our SBTi target also includes Scope 3 emissions generated in upstream and downstream stages of the value chain. To this end, we have set an intensity target to reduce Scope 3 emissions by 24% per tonne of copper cathodes by 2030.

In addition to the SBTi, we are currently examining other methods for determining science-based CO2 reduction targets which, unlike the SBTi, take into account a sector-specific decarbonisation pathway suitable for our industry. One possibility would be the Sector Decarbonisation Approach (SDA) currently being developed by Copper Mark. It is intended to provide copper-producing companies with a clear methodology for setting emission reduction targets that are compatible with the 1.5-degree target and take into account both the necessary growth in copper production and the sector-specific challenges of decarbonisation.

Changing market dynamics, regulatory frameworks, technological availability or competitive pressure in the international environment, as well as investment decisions in further growth projects, may affect the feasibility of our targets. These external and internal conditions will be taken into account when reviewing our targets.

To achieve our CO2 targets, we are focusing on various decarbonisation levers and corresponding measures. These levers mainly include the generation of green electricity (Scope 2), the procurement of green electricity (Scope 2), the use of alternative energy sources (Scope 1), increasing energy efficiency and electrification. Hydrogen is not yet available to our industry in sufficient quantities and at internationally competitive prices. It will therefore only become relevant for the Aurubis Group after 2030

Since the majority of our Scope 3 emissions are generated by the activities of the mining companies from which we source copper concentrates, approaches to reducing these emissions primarily involve increased recycling activities and cooperation with stakeholders in our supply chains.

The decarbonisation strategy, targets and measures – as integral components of the comprehensive climate transition plan – are coordinated, implemented and further developed across the Group. To ensure a consistent approach, create synergies and identify best practice measures, formats such as a Group Decarbonisation Workshop and several cross-site working groups have been established. Group-wide and site-specific progress is managed in regular strategic committees or meetings.

Our Group-wide Climate Transition Plan is described in more detail in the Annual Report.