Highlights from the in-person ASI Standards Committee Meeting
The ASI Standards Committee recently held an in-person meeting to discuss learnings from the current ASI Standards and lay the foundation for the next standard revision, which is expected to launch in Q1 2025.
26 September 2024
The ASI Standards Committee recently held an in-person meeting to discuss learnings from the current ASI Standards and lay the foundation for the next Standard Revision, which is expected to launch in Q1 2025. This Committee embodies ASI’s commitment to multi-stakeholder governance, with 24 members representing views from across the full value chain, as well as civil society and Indigenous communities.
The Committee discussed how ASI’s focus on driving sector-wide improvement will be shaped by key trends, including increasing demand for low-carbon aluminium, continued challenges in meeting a 1.5 degree-aligned sectoral pathway for decarbonisation, and the increasing role of regulation, especially around due diligence, sustainability reporting, and green claims. The Committee explored how future ASI Standards might look and feel quite different, for example focusing more on material issues and impacts, starting to incorporate outcome-based criteria, and recognising different levels of performance. Various chain of custody models were also discussed, along with the role they play in supporting credible ‘claims’ about certified aluminium. All these themes will be further discussed over the next couple of years, together with input from ASI’s broad membership base.
With strong representation on the Standards Committee from the Indigenous People’s Advisory Forum (IPAF), there was also significant discussion about how ASI standards can continue to support the needs and protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples. A new set of comprehensive guidance around Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) was formally approved by the Committee and will be shared publicly to help entities implement this critical concept. The Secretariat agreed on timelines for the upcoming Standard revision, which is expected to launch in early 2025 and conclude in 2027.
The session concluded with the election of Steven Bater (EGA) and Piet Wit (Chimbo Foundation) as co-chairs, reinforcing ASI’s commitment to adaptive and inclusive leadership in guiding the Standards forward.
We’ve put together a video with some impressions of the participants to offer some insights into the meeting’s discussions. Click the thumbnail below to watch!
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