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Each year that we publish the Alcan
Sustainability Report, I see an even greater demonstration
of our company-wide commitment to maximizing value for
all stakeholders. Our economic success is driven by
our skilled and knowledgeable employees and their dedication
to Alcan's long-term sustainability as an industry leader
and community partner. In turn, this very commitment
allows us to discover new opportunities and develop
innovative product applications that are the essence
of our profitable growth. We are focused on driving
value at all levels by interacting with employees, communities,
customers, suppliers, governments and other interested
parties to ensure that Alcan grows responsibly and for
the long term.
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In last year's report, I spoke of Taking the Next Step,
which was to "operationalize" sustainability at
Alcan. The theme of this year's report is Taking Action,
and I hope that you will see, as I do, that we are doing just
that – sustainability is becoming an integral part of
Alcan's decision-making processes. You will see how we are
translating this sustainability commitment into concrete actions,
whether it is in the company-wide implementation of EHS
FIRST and Continuous Improvement, working with customers
and suppliers to apply life cycle thinking to product design,
or engaging with local partners to ensure mutual benefits
from our presence in their communities.
I think our shareholders now understand that a global industry
leader in the 21st century cannot
be driven by economic success alone. We are proving that sustainability
is essential to Maximizing Value. The world faces enormous
sustainability challenges, among them providing for a growing
population while managing natural resources responsibly, meeting
the needs of burgeoning megacities, addressing climate change,
and protecting water resources so they can be used sustainably
into the future. Our customers and the communities in which
we operate care about these issues and are seeking solutions
and partners that can help provide them.
We are helping to meet these challenges through our unique
products and innovative capacity. Examples in this report
include market opportunities based upon the unique properties
of aluminum, such as lightweight applications in the automotive
and transportation sectors that result in energy savings and
the reduction of related greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore,
you will see how aluminum's recyclability is an important
aspect of product stewardship in that it represents continuous
reuse at a fraction of the energy required for primary metal
production, thereby conserving natural resources and reducing
landfill waste.
Alcan's commitment extends beyond merely complying with regulations,
managing risks and limiting adverse impacts. I believe that
building a successful company is directly tied to contributing
to the economic, social and environmental well-being of the
communities in which it operates. In terms of Alcan's business
approach, this means thinking through the impact of our decisions
to determine not only whether a given action will enhance
our profitability, but also whether it will add value in a
broader sense. Sustainability is an integral part of managing
for value – from our mergers and acquisitions to our
everyday operations and relationships with external stakeholders.
In 2004, we reinforced this approach by integrating our business
management systems into the Alcan Integrated Management System
(AIMS). With AIMS, three key corporate building blocks are
now interconnected: Value-Based Management, EHS FIRST
and Continuous Improvement. The integration of these elements
provides the foundation for our sustainability business model
that, along with our corporate values, will propel this company
forward in pursuit of its governing objective of Maximizing
Value.
Throughout the year, we also continued to engage with a wide
variety of stakeholders at all levels, from local community
"open house" days to international engagements focused
on global issues and challenges. We joined the United Nations
Global Compact, an ongoing commitment that has already helped
us to focus our strategy to "operationalize" sustainability
at Alcan. And I was privileged to co-chair the WBCSD Working
Group on Accountability and Reporting, as well as the World
Economic Forum's Water Initiative. Among the various external
involvements that we had in 2004, I was especially pleased
to represent Alcan in working alongside 23 other international
businesses in the G8 Climate Change Roundtable. Issues like
climate change are global concerns that require global solutions
based on global dialogue.
An exciting step for Alcan in 2004 was the creation of the
$1 million Alcan Prize for Sustainability to recognize outstanding
contributions from non-governmental organizations to the cause
of global sustainability. A flood of nominations was received
from 79 countries and the first annual prize was subsequently
awarded in January 2005 to the Forest Stewardship Council
based in Bonn, Germany. Creating the Alcan Prize for Sustainability
underscores our commitment to sustainability, and it also
highlights the value of encouraging stronger linkages among
the many organizations from business and government to the
not-for-profit sector, that are working on the challenge of
sustainable development around the world.
Sustainability relies on long-term economic, social and environmental
partnerships. Our emerging sustainable business model supports
such partnerships and is fundamental to our profitable growth
and to creating value for Alcan's stakeholders,
hopefully setting an example for others to follow.
Travis Engen
President and CEO
Alcan Inc.
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