Rio Tinto and Marubeni Corporation have agreed upon their first sale under a new strategic collaboration agreement aimed at providing a reliable supply of sustainable aluminium products to downstream manufacturers in Japan.
The sale is a batch of Rio Tinto’s RenewAl™ high purity aluminium – from the renewably powered New Zealand Aluminium Smelters (NZAS) – and is going to a major Japanese motorcycle manufacturer committed to reducing carbon emissions throughout its supply chains and manufacturing process.
The agreement is the first of its kind in Japan and is focused on providing downstream industry with a simple, integrated way to achieve ESG-related goals and requirements, such as reducing carbon footprints, disclosing life cycle assessment (LCA), and sourcing responsibly. It will also provide strong long-term security of supply at a time of growing supply-chain risks.
Combining Rio Tinto’s suite of Responsible Aluminium products – which include RenewAlTM, the industry’s first certified low carbon aluminium, Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) certified aluminium, and the digital traceability platform START – with Marubeni’s extensive trading network, commercial capability and carbon credit mechanism, Neutr-AlTM, which will be offered as part of the collaboration.
Rio Tinto Head of Sales and Marketing, Tolga Egrilmezer, said, “We are excited to be a part of the first producer-trading house marketing partnership focused on delivering sustainability throughout the aluminium supply chain.
“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.”
Marubeni Chief Operating Officer, Metals and Mineral Resources Division, Daisuke Tsuchiya, said, “Marubeni’s Mid-Term Management Strategy GC 2024 positions green strategy as a fundamental platform to enhance corporate value.
“Aluminium-related business is an area of focus within this green strategy to enable a transition to a decarbonised society.
“Through this collaboration, Marubeni will contribute to creating a decarbonised society by supplying responsible aluminium, produced by Rio Tinto, to various customers through Marubeni’s interface, which has been built up over through the company’s many years of aluminium trading.”
