10 Years of Impact: What ASI’s Audit Non-Conformance Data Reveals About Sustainability Progress

27 May 2025

This is further seen in the breakdown of NCs by ESG issue as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. They show a shift in the distribution of NCs, now with a larger share related to social issues under PS V3 (both First PS V3 Certification and Re-Certification from V2). Additionally, within each ESG issue, the most frequently recorded NCs also changed. For example, under Environment most common Principle under V2 was Principle 6 (Emissions, Effluents and Waste), while under V3 it is Principle 5 (Greenhouse Gas Emissions). For Social issues, most NCs shifted from Principle 11 (Occupational Health & Safety) (V2) to Principle 9 (Human Rights) (V3). Under Governance, Principle 2 on Policy Management receives the most NCs under both versions.

To further understand where implementation challenges are concentrated, Figures 5 and 6 present both major and minor NCs across all 11 Principles of the ASI Performance Standard, enabling insights into the differences between First and Re-certification audit performance (PS V2 & V3 combined).

For First Certifications, the highest number of NCs was recorded under Principle 2 Policy and Management, followed by Principle 9 Human Rights and Principle 6 Effluents and Waste. While for Re-Certifications, it shifted towards Principle 9, followed by Principle 10 Labour Rights and Principle 2.

Additionally, Figure 6 shows normalised NCs per Certificate with lower numbers at Re-Certification for almost all Principles.  In most cases, Re-Certification shows NCs reducing.  However for Principle 10 Labour Rights, NCs are higher for Re-Certifications, with Principle 3 Transparency and 9 Human Rights showing only slight reductions. This suggests that during Re-Certification, this Principle is encountering increased challenges in meeting the requirements, probably attributable to the increased requirements from V2 to V3 in these sections, for example in criteria 9.8 and 10.3 as noted in Figure 8 below.

To break it down by version and understand the key areas where companies most often fall short, we highlight the top criteria with the highest number of NCs for each version (Figure 7 and 8). These represent common implementation challenges—and crucial opportunities for improvement and impact.

Summary and What’s Next?

Over the past decade, ASI drove a steady evolution in sustainability performance among its certified Members. The transition to more rigorous V3 of the ASI Performance Standard gradually replaced V2, raising higher expectations and fostering deeper improvements.

The data suggest that even when not always directly measurable, ASI certification plays a key role in driving change. Each Non-Conformance highlights gaps in practice, and addressing these gaps strengthens the foundation for sustainability across the aluminium value chain.

With every version of the Performance Standard, ASI continues to raise the bar. As we move into the next decade, transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement will remain central to how we drive sustainability action.

 

Previous analyses of Non-Conformances

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