GHG emissions reduction and biodiversity impact assessment
- Client Name
- Alvance British Aluminium
- Location
- Fort William, UK
Challenge
Alvance British Aluminium in the Scottish Highlands is one of the world’s greenest metal production plants. We were appointed to support Alvance's compliance with Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) Performance Standard v3 Principle 5 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions and Principle 8 Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.
Solution
- GHG Emissions analysis & quantification
- Carbon reduction pathway
- Baseline biodiversity risk assessment
- Outline of opportunities for biodiversity enhancement
Expert technical advice and support was provided by our Carbon and Ecology teams. The Carbon team worked closely with Alvance to identify relevant data and support the collection thereof in order to enable the calculation of a reliable GHG inventory covering Scopes 1, 2 & 3 for calendar year 2022.
This, in turn, enabled the calculation of a mine-to-metal emissions intensity figure and the production of a GHG Emissions Reduction Plan complete with ‘end-goal’ and 5-year intermediate targets. Finally, a review of Alvance’s existing management systems was undertaken and a series of recommendations made to ensure said systems were fit to implement the GHG Emissions Reduction Plan.
The Ecology team carried out a biodiversity risk assessment to assist Alvance in understanding the potential risks associated with their operations on biodiversity, and how these can be mitigated to help them meet all legal and planning requirements. Recommendations were made for habitat enhancements across the landholding to maximise biodiversity on site.
Impact
The full range of final deliverables has enabled Alvance to take a more strategic view of how it might decarbonise its operations from a lifecycle perspective on the journey to net zero and continue to protect ecosystems, habitats, and species within its area of influence. An external audit in September 2023 assessed these deliverables and recommended Alvance for full accreditation under the ASI Performance Standard v3.
Facing a business-critical audit, we reached out to SLR to navigate through the complex process of determining our GHG emissions intensity and establishing a viable reduction pathway, alongside the development of a baseline biodiversity impact assessment. With very tight timelines, SLR as always, embraced the challenge and demonstrated their commitment to the success of our project. Their expertise and dedication have not only driven our project to successful fruition but have also enabled us to make substantial strides in our journey towards reducing our GHG emissions intensity.”
Morgan McConnell, HSEQ Manager - Alvance