Climate Change
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The Kitimat smelter. |
Overview
Climate change is firmly entrenched as the highest profile of environmental issues, and efforts accelerated during 2007 to translate public concern into regulatory responses.
Of particular note are: commitments by the provincial and federal governments to overall and sector-specific greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets; a provincial decision to implement a carbon tax; and multi-jurisdictional efforts (in which British Columbia is participating) to develop a cap-and-trade system.
Rio Tinto Alcan has long recognized the significant climate change-related implications of its operations, and has worked to align initiatives and performance with emerging best practices and regulation.
A corporate-wide Alcan GHG reduction goal for 2001-2005 was exceeded by a significant margin, and a further 10 per cent reduction goal for 2006-2010 (on an intensity basis) is being pursued.
Strategies and Initiatives
Rio Tinto Alcan Primary Metal BC recorded slightly lower GHG emissions in 2007 than in 2006 on both an absolute and on an intensity basis. This reflects the introduction of a more accurate calculation method which better aligns with federal regulatory requirements.
GHG emissions from operations have declined significantly on both an absolute and intensity basis over the past decade. While improved energy-use efficiency has contributed (see "Energy"), reductions are largely a result of long-standing efforts to control anode effects.
Anode effects are a chemical reaction that occurs when there is instability in a pot during the reduction process. They produce a very concentrated form of GHG known as perfluorocarbons (PFCs).
During 2007, anode effects accounted for about 45 per cent of all GHG emissions. Anode effect minutes (average duration multiplied by frequency) were higher in 2007 than in 2006, but performance remained better than during any of the preceding years within the past decade.
Improvement is due to a broad-ranging anode effects reduction program which was initiated in 2004 and continued in 2007. It involves more precise monitoring and control of the rate at which alumina is fed into pots, and more effective responses when effects occur. As in 2006, however, some of the improvement achieved in 2007 was offset by the impact of raw-material issues. (See “Environmental Releases”.)
See also “Early Action and New Regulation”.
