Audi becomes first car maker to achieve ASI sustainability certification

Audi has become the first car manufacturer worldwide to receive certification from the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI). The certificate has been awarded for the sustainable battery housing of the Audi e-tron.

The ASI Performance Standard certification confirms that Audi meets the ASI requirements for industrial users of aluminium, and that the aluminium components of the battery housing of the Audi e-tron are designed and manufactured sustainably.

Independent third-party auditors carried out audits at the Audi plants in Győr (Hungary), Neckarsulm (Germany) and Brussels (Belgium) for the assessment. As the next step, the company intends to ensure the sustainability of these components in its wider supply chain by working specifically with partners that are also ASI-certified.

Aluminium very energy intensive

Aluminium is an important material in car manufacturing, but is very energy intensive in production. As a company that puts a high value on sustainability along the entire supply chain and stewardship of the materials it uses, Audi has welcomed the transparency offered by the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative’s new certification programme. According to Bernd Martens, Member of the Board of Management for Procurement and IT at Audi, ASI certification of the battery – which is a major component of the new, all-electric Audi e-tron – is just the beginning.

In the longer term, Audi plans to gradually have its own development, procurement and production processes audited for as many aluminium components as possible at the company’s plants worldwide. In addition, Audi intends to ensure long-term sustainability by working with ASI-certified partners and their suppliers along their respective upstream supply chains.

Audi has been involved in the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative since early 2013. In recent years, the initiative has developed and launched global sustainability standards including environmental, social and governance criteria which apply to all stages of the process chain – from the extraction of the raw material (bauxite) through processing and production to recycling.

For more information, go to aluminium-stewardship.org.