Bringing community voices into the ASI Performance Standard V4 consultation

28 May 2026

Tailored engagement approaches for Indigenous Peoples and affected communities in regions impacted by bauxite mining and associated aluminium value chain activities were developed for the recent public consultation process for the draft ASI Performance Standard V4.  This resulted in several hundred completed community questionnaires being collected, providing grassroots feedback for the ASI Standards Revision. The messages and themes revealed from the analysis of this feedback are now being considered alongside substantial input from industry and other stakeholders as the Standards Revision process continues.

 

IPAF participation in ASI governance: A foundation for community outreach

Over the last decade, ASI has worked to support meaningful participation of Indigenous Peoples Advisory Forum (IPAF) representatives within ASI governance.  In 2024, 7 IPAF members were elected to the current 24-person Standards Committee, bringing community perspectives from bauxite regions in Australia, Ghana, Guinea, India and Suriname, plus an additional IPAF observer as a learning pipeline.  Another IPAF member began serving on the Board’s Governance and People Committee in 2025 and was elected as Board Director in 2026.

Recognising that internet access and written literacy can be limited in some remote and regional locations, IPAF Standards Committee members worked with the ASI Secretariat to identify practical approaches for gathering feedback from affected communities. Discussions held over time through IPAF meetings helped identify priority topics for consultation, which were then incorporated into a questionnaire designed to support community-level input into the Standards Revision process.

 

Community outreach during the first public consultation

The questionnaire process was implemented in five countries where active IPAF members and established community engagement networks were present: Guinea, Ghana, Suriname, India and Australia. While each country adapted the process to local circumstances, the overall approach involved IPAF members travelling directly to communities affected by aluminium value chain activities to explain the ASI Standards Review process and support completion of the questionnaire.

• In India, IPAF members travelled across the states of Odisha, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh to engage with communities affected by bauxite mining, alumina refining, smelting and associated infrastructure including road, rail and energy facilities.
• In Guinea, outreach activities focused on the Boké and Kindia mining regions and included communities affected by rail and port infrastructure.
• In Ghana, IPAF members engaged with Indigenous villages in three bauxite mining regions.
• In Suriname, representatives from eight villages affected by bauxite mining participated in the process.
• In Australia, engagement focused primarily on northern Indigenous communities that have experienced impacts from bauxite mining developments over several decades.

 

Critical input to develop the next generation of ASI Standards

The consultation process resulted in several hundred completed questionnaires from affected communities across the five participating countries, providing direct grassroots input from Indigenous Peoples and affected communities into development of the next generation of ASI Standards.

Initial analysis of the community survey responses received through the consultation process indicates strong overall support for many of the proposed community-related requirements in the draft Standards, particularly regarding participatory monitoring, inclusion of vulnerable or marginalised groups in decision-making, clear and understandable information sharing, addressing historical impacts, and the continued role of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC). Many respondents also highlighted the importance of communities being directly involved in identifying and monitoring impacts affecting their environments, livelihoods and wellbeing.

The responses also suggest that while communities place high importance on grievance mechanisms and engagement, experiences and levels of confidence in using these mechanisms vary considerably across different contexts. A recurring theme across many submissions was the desire for more meaningful participation, stronger transparency around company impacts, and greater assurance that community voices can be raised safely and taken seriously in decision-making. There was also strong support for ASI encouraging companies to go beyond minimum requirements through voluntary or leading practices where appropriate.

These perspectives are helping to inform how the revised Performance Standard can strengthen expectations around community engagement, accessibility of information, participatory approaches and accountability mechanisms, while also recognising the different realities and operating contexts faced across the aluminium value chain.

Analysis of the consultation inputs remains ongoing, including further review of regional trends, qualitative feedback and additional submissions received through the broader consultation process, including from industry, civil society, industry associations, auditors and other stakeholders.

You can follow the process on the Standards Revision hub on our website.

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