PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Diversified major Rio Tinto has partnered with Japanese major Marubeni Corporation, agreeing to a first sale under a strategic collaboration agreement to secure a sustainable and reliable supply of Rio’s Responsible Aluminium products to Japanese downstream manufacturers.

Rio in 2016 launched the world’s first certified low carbon primary aluminium brand known as RenewAl, helping to pioneer production standards for the global industry as a founding member of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI), and becoming the first producer to offer ASI Aluminium in 2018. 

The company on Thursday said that the first sale under its collaboration with Marubeni is a batch of Rio’s RenewAl high-purity aluminium, from the renewably powered New Zealand Aluminium Smelters, to a major Japanese motorcycle manufacturer committed to reducing carbon emissions throughout its supply chains and manufacturing process.

The agreement, the first of its kind in Japan and the Asia-Pacific region, is focused on providing downstream industry with a simple, integrated way to achieve environment, social and governance-related goals and requirements, such as reducing carbon footprints, disclosing lifecycle assessment, and sourcing responsibly. It will also provide strong long-term security of supply at a time of growing supply-chain risks.

It combines Rio’s suite of Responsible Aluminium products with Marubeni’s extensive trading network, commercial capability and carbon credit mechanism, Neutr-AlTM, which will be offered as part of the collaboration.

“We are excited to be a part of the first producer-trading house marketing partnership focused on delivering sustainability throughout the aluminium supply chain,” Rio head of sales and marketing Tolga Egrilmezer said.

“Consumers want to know more about the products they buy and be assured that they have been produced responsibly and sustainably. By working with partners like Marubeni, we can help our downstream customers in the aluminium value chain meet this growing consumer demand, while at the same time advancing our commitment to decarbonise our product value chains.”