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Aluminium Stewardship Initiative Standards

Aluminium Stewardship Initiative Standards: Establish responsible production and sourcing requirements for the global aluminium industry

Maílis Carrilho
Written by Maílis Carrilho
Published Mar 16, 2026

Summary

The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative standards provide a certification framework for responsible aluminium production and supply chain traceability. Companies must comply with environmental management, human rights, and governance requirements verified through independent audits. Although voluntary, the certification is widely used in global supply chains.

Details

Jurisdictions
  • Global
Voluntary for

The ASI framework is voluntary.

However, many large buyers increasingly require ASI certification from aluminium suppliers to meet supply chain sustainability policies.

Companies may choose either performance certification, chain of custody certification, or both, depending on their role in the value chain.

Deep dive

2 min read
Published Mar 16, 2026

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What’s Required

The ASI framework includes two core standards.

The ASI Performance Standard defines environmental and social performance requirements for aluminium production facilities and value chain actors.

The ASI Chain of Custody Standard provides traceability rules for responsibly produced aluminium through supply chains.

Companies seeking certification must comply with environmental management requirements covering greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity protection, water management and waste reduction.

Human rights protections must also be implemented, including labour rights, community consultation and grievance mechanisms.

Supply chain due diligence is required to ensure raw material sourcing does not contribute to environmental degradation or human rights violations.

Chain of custody certification requires companies to track aluminium flows and ensure traceability from certified sources through processing and manufacturing stages.

Independent third-party audits are required for certification and ongoing compliance monitoring.

Important Deadlines

  • ASI Performance Standard launch: 2017

Updated standards released periodically through multi-stakeholder revision processes.

Certification validity typically lasts three years with annual monitoring.

Current Status

ASI certification is widely adopted across the global aluminium sector and supported by major industrial companies.

Many manufacturers in the automotive, packaging and electronics sectors require ASI-certified aluminium to support sustainability commitments.

Penalties for Non-Compliance

Non-compliance can lead to suspension or revocation of certification.

Companies failing to maintain certification may lose preferred supplier status with companies that require certified aluminium inputs.

Audit findings may require corrective action plans to address identified deficiencies.

Examples of Known Violations

Typical compliance failures include:

  • weak traceability systems for aluminium sourcing.

  • insufficient environmental monitoring.

  • failure to demonstrate effective stakeholder engagement.

  • incomplete documentation of supply chain due diligence.

These deficiencies must be corrected to maintain certification.

Resources


Maílis Carrilho
Added by:
Maílis Carrilho
Sustainability Research Analyst
Maílis Carrilho is a Sustainability Research Analyst (Intern) at Net Zero Compare, contributing research and analysis on climate tech, carbon policies, and sustainable solutions. She supports the team in developing fact-based content and insights to help companies and readers navigate the evolving sustainability landscape.
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Added on Mar 16, 2026 by Maílis Carrilho ·