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The AFFG 2009 programme

It essentially involved the following types of activities: PA coupled with PR activities supported by new communication tools, as well as the continuation of projects launched in 2008.

The Museum Night
EAA greeted EU Institutions at social event in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts.As the 7th legislative term of the European Parliament got off to a start, the European Aluminium Association seized the opportunity of its annual general assembly in Brussels to invite representatives of the Commission, Council and Parliament to a visit of the recently opened Europalia China exhibition in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts on 14 October. Around 200 guests attended, making this event an unmitigated success.In his keynote address, EAA chairman Rudi Huber emphasised the value of aluminium for current and future generations and welcomed the increasingly constructive dialogue between the institutions and industry. EAA Secretary General Patrick de Schrynmakers pushed the point home: “Representing an industry that has been a pioneer in the pursuit of sustainability, our association has consistently been a committed partner of the European institutions.
We will endeavour to pursue that track over the coming years, as topics of mutual interest, such as recovery from the crisis, the climate challenge and Europe’s sustainability efforts, will be high on both our agendas.”The EAA’s willingness to cooperate closely and transparently with all three major institutions involved in European decision making processes was also highlighted. We regularly participate in public hearings and consultations, we are members of several stakeholder working groups, and we routinely update the institutions on the situation of our industry. Sometimes gathering more informally is a good opportunity to get to know the people behind the business contacts, and in this respect the Museum Night was a definite success.

Second European Aluminium in Renovation Award

On 18 November, 2009, Isabelle Durant, vice-president of the European Parliament and co-president of Belgium’s green party Ecolo, presented the prizes of the 2nd European Aluminium in Renovation Award (2009) at the European Parliament’s Brussels headquarters. It was highly symbolic that such an event was being held on the very day and in the very place where, a few hours earlier, the European Parliament, Council and Commission had announced their agreement on Europe’s next directive on the energy performance of buildings.

This legislation is hailed as the most ambitious effort to date aimed at reducing Europe’s energy consumption and cutting its CO2 emissions. The European Aluminium Association was proud to contribute to the success of the day, showcasing no less than 8 award- and prize-winning renovation projects selected from among 130 candidates from 15 EU countries. All illustrated how well aluminium meets the needs of state-of-the-art, energy-efficient and sustainable renovation demands and plays a crucial role in preserving and improving Europe’s building stock.
Revealing the names of the winning projects, award jury chairman Prof. Jan Bouwer explained: “Of the 130 entries received at regional level, 31 were nominated for the European final: 9 in the residential category, and 22 in the non-residential. A European aluminium award was accorded in each of these categories, along with 4 special prizes and an ex aequo jury prize for energy efficiency.” The jury chairman expressed his delight at the increasingly high standard of nominated projects. The jury was equally impressed with the well-considered design and careful use of aluminium, matching the architectural quality of buildings under renovation. Winners of the jury prize for energy efficiency were Frowijn de Roos, an architect from the Netherlands, and Architecte DTAAC from France.

Click here for more information about the Aluminium Award

Re-edition of the booklet “Aluminium light at heart”:
The Aluminium Heritage Institute (IHA Paris) updated the 2003 edition of its booklet dedicated to the heritage of aluminium, with the support of the Alcoa Foundation and the Aluminium For Future Generations programme. The new version was enriched by a contribution from Paris-Dauphine University’s sustainability expert, Professor Anne Pezet. This cooperation aims to help our industry enhance the legitimacy of its sustainability oriented communications.National associations have been offered the booklet for use as support and promotional material in the context of PR and PA activities. Since its publication in October 2009, the EAA has already distributed the booklet at major PA/PR events, like the high profile museum visit and the Aluminium in Renovation Award ceremony.

Sustainability development indicators (SDI’s)

The EAA has so far published two sustainability reports on the European aluminium industry, based on a number of environmental, economic and social indicators selected with the help of leading European institutions with a focus on sustainability. The reports were deservedly praised by stakeholders as an important initiative in sustainability discussions and showed the aluminium industry to be at the forefront of this issue. At the same time, they made us realise we need to take this one step further, extending the indicators and report to include more on the use of aluminium and its potential impacts and benefits during this phase of the aluminium life cycle.

In 2008 the EAA has worked with consultants in the field to develop further indicators to characterise aluminium performance in the use phase, focusing on its key use sectors. We conducted a workshop with various experts for a first review of the selected indicators and are planning a further presentation to a broader group of stakeholders in early 2010, before including them in the next sustainability report to be issued end of 2010 (see also AFFG 2010 Projects).

Click here to read more about SDI’s