ASI certifies Kobe Steel, Ltd. against Performance Standard V3 and Chain of Custody V2
The facility manufactures aluminium sheeting used in airplanes, Shinkansen trains, beverage cans, hard disk drives and automobiles among other applications.
31 July 2024
Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) today announced that Kobe Steel, Ltd. has been certified against the ASI Performance Standard V3 and Chain of Custody V2. The facility manufactures aluminium sheeting used in airplanes, Shinkansen trains, beverage cans, hard disk drives and automobiles among other applications.
The ASI Certification program was developed through an extensive multi-stakeholder consultation process and is the only comprehensive voluntary sustainability standard initiative for the aluminium value chain. The ASI Performance Standard V3 and ASI CoC Standard V2 were launched in May 2022 following a multi-year revision process.
The ASI Performance Standard defines 11 principles and 62 criteria under three sustainability pillars – Environment, Social, and Governance – with the aim to address pressing sustainability issues in the aluminium value chain, such as biodiversity, Indigenous Peoples rights, circularity, and greenhouse gas emissions. The ASI CoC Standard sets out requirements for the creation of a Chain of Custody for material that is produced and processed through the value chain into diverse downstream sectors. The implementation of ASI’s CoC Standard links verified practices at successive steps of the supply chain – certified under the ASI Performance Standard – to the products produced by ASI Certified Entities. The CoC Standard also confirms that appropriate policies and due diligence process are in place to identify and address critical issues, such as corruption, human rights abuses, materials originating from conflict-affected and high-risk areas in the supply chain and support responsible sourcing.
The independent, third-party audits of the Kobe Steel, Ltd facility were carried out by ERM Certification and Verification Services. A full listing of audit findings outlining evidence of conformances and minor non-conformances is available from page 5 in each of the summary audit reports, linked below. Ten minor non-conformances were noted during the Performance Standard Certification audit, under Criteria 2.1a-f Environmental, Social, and Governance Policy, 2.6a-h Human Rights Impact Assessment, 2.7a-f Emergency Response Plan, 5.3a-e GHG Emissions Reduction Plans , 6.3a-g Assessment and Management of Spills and Leakages, 8.4 Alien Species, 9.6a-i Displacement, 10.3a-c Forced Labour, 11.1a Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) Management System, and 11.1b-e Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) Management System – Reviews and disclosure. One minor non-conformance was identified during the Chain of Custody Certification audit under Criterion 9.5 Verification of Information. During the Certification periods, Kobe Steel, Ltd will be implementing a corrective action plan, which will be verified in follow-up audits.
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