Nexans joins the new Aluminium Forward 2030 coalition

The International Aluminium Institute (IAI) has today launched Aluminium Forward 2030, a coalition of IAI’s 25 production members and 20 downstream and customer companies who have committed themselves to transforming the aluminium sector. The aim is to accelerate progress toward net zero emissions while working together on a roadmap that is inclusive of all the other UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combatting climate change have become priorities for the aluminium industry. However, the sector needs to move comprehensively toward net zero carbon in a way that addresses all other aspects of sustainability. This is why the IAI has formed the Aluminium Forward 2030 coalition, which Nexans has already endorsed.

Nexans takes steps to use as much low-carbon aluminium as possible in product manufacturing. In addition, through our recycling solutions, the Group recovers all types of end-of-life aluminium and copper cables, thus making a positive contribution to the environment. Our customers and partners can also benefit from this cable waste recovery service.

The coalition aims to protect and enhance the societal value of aluminium in all its applications. It also gives members the opportunity to be part of a learning community that will transform the future of supply chains.

The growing development in electrification, and the strategic role of copper in the energy transition – leading to forecast raw material scarcity, is at the heart of Nexans concerns.

Nexans’ understanding of the electrification ecosystems and their medium- and long-term challenges commands strong strategic choices, such as the decision to guarantee the copper supply chain through vertical integration of the Metallurgy business, associated to long term supply contracts with upstream and downstream partners.

Nexans has signed a large contract with KGHM for the supply of copper cathodes in the years 2023-2027. The contract foresees the annual delivery of nearly 22.8 thousand to over 27.8 thousand tonnes of cathodes.

Nexans and the copper smelters/refineries of KGHM have joined the Copper Mark to promote responsible copper production globally. KGHM’s long term cooperation with Nexans started in the 1970’s and is one of the oldest of the Group.

As a leader in the design and manufacturing of cable systems and services, Nexans is committed to electrifying the future along the entire value chain, from generation and transmission to distribution and usages.

It’s estimated that by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the world’s oceans if proactive steps throughout the plastics supply chain are not taken. Each year, 8 to 12 million tonnes of plastics enter the marine environment. One important way to reduce plastics from littering our planet is by substantially increasing the use of recycled plastics.

With only about 9 percent of today’s plastic waste recycled, transitioning to a circular economy throughout the entire plastics value change is critical. This is the vision of the Circular Plastics Alliance (CPA), founded in 2019 in the Netherlands and supported by the European Commission. The overarching aim of the alliance is to boost the EU market for recycled plastics to 10 million tonnes by 2025.

Nexans Buizingen site moves to 30% recycled plastic for all packaging

One of the key objectives of Nexans’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy is to limit the consumption of resources. As the company transitions to a circular business model, the move to recycled plastics is a major focus. At Nexans’ cable drum and packaging center in Buizingen, Belgium, 30 percent of packaging materials now come from recycled plastics.

Nexans is leveraging its membership to the CPA to source recycled plastic packaging materials and is actively participating in the recycling of plastic materials with its wholesalers by collecting plastic packaging waste. This waste is being recycled via Nexans’ membership to the CPA. Once recycled, it is used in packaging for new products.

Nexans Netherlands to implement a circular plastic project

To further extend the company-wide sustainability initiatives, starting in early 2023, Nexans’ Netherlands will begin a proactive program with its partners to collect Mobiway plastic drums and packing materials. The collected plastic materials will be recycled and used for new uses, creating circular packaging that extends beyond plastics and includes cardboard packaging.

Sourcing recycled materials at Nexans’ sites in France

Beyond the circular plastics initiative in the Netherlands and Belgium, Nexans’ France is actively involved in sourcing recycled materials for its products and packaging at its site in Autun, along with extending the program to other locations in France.

These are just a few of the programs Nexans is putting forward in the following months and years. Through its membership in the CPA, Nexans is implementing best practices in circular plastics, from recycling, sourcing, and manufacturing to distribution, use, and resource efficiency.

Because the metals and mining industry will be at the core of enabling the energy transition, raw material scarcity – in particular that of copper, is at the heart of Nexans concerns: maintaining our metallurgical plants is key to support sustainable growth and circular economy, as well as being committed to responsible copper production.

As an active Copper Mark partner, since 2021, Nexans participates in the Risk Readiness Assessment revision process to implement responsible copper production practices and contribute to:

• Support the move to Circularity
• Respect Human Rights
• Contribute to Social and Economic Development
• Increase Transparency
• Enhance Climate Action
• Support Compliance.

In addition, Nexans is the only rod mill operator in the world to apply for the Copper Mark as part of a pilot project for its two factories in Lens (France) and Montreal (Canada).

Nexans has completed self-assessment Phase 1 of the pilot and has now entered Phase 2: Nexans sites will undergo a third-party assessment of their performance against 32 environmental, social, and governance criteria, conducted by a third party auditor. The assessment results will determine the Copper Mark award.

Through the Copper Mark Letter of Commitment, our two copper rod mills in Lens and Montreal commit to:

• Meet all Copper Mark Criteria within 24 months of signing this Letter of Commitment;
• Demonstrate conformance with the Copper Mark Criteria through participation in the Copper Mark Assurance Process
• Nominate and provide an appropriate level of support and resources to a contact person who will coordinate with the Copper Mark;
• Share information with the Copper Mark and the public as stipulated in the Copper Mark Assurance Process.

Joining the Copper Mark further demonstrates Nexans’ commitment to enabling the provision of sustainable energy throughout the world. In 2008, Nexans signed the Global Compact to respect and implement the ten fundamental principles in human rights, labor standards, environmental protection, and anti-corruption. Nexans is fully aware of its responsibility to electrification and is operationally committed to contribute to carbon neutrality by 2030.

If emissions targets are to be met, nearly everything that currently runs on fossil fuels will have to switch to electricity. As a result, demand for copper will grow at a rate never seen before in history.

That is why Indeco by Nexans, a leading electrical conductor manufacturing company in Peru, held the “Copper for Tomorrow” forum to discuss the role of copper in the new era of sustainable electrification and its importance in building a decarbonized economy.

Moderated by Journalist Jimena de la Quintana, the panel was comprised of industry leaders and experts such as Roque Benavides, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Compañía de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A; Julia Torreblanca, Vice President of Corporate Affairs of Sociedad Minera Cerro Verde; Beatriz de la Vega, Tax Consultancy Partner and Leader of Energy and Natural Resources at KPMG; and Alex García, General Manager of Indeco by Nexans.

Julia Torreblanca commented that companies must prioritize the operational sustainability of their copper extraction if they want to be a responsible player across the entire value chain. Efficiency and commitment will translate from planning all the way to final sale. “While Peru is being asked to play a more active role, there is a need for policies that promote exploration in the country and for companies to focus on the distribution and transparency of timely information through innovative channels. The main objective is sustainability over time,” she said.

Furthermore, Beatriz Vega mentioned that the energy transition requires the automation of key processes, alignment with policies focused on corporate social responsibility, and digitalization of important data. In addition, optimizing human resources and taking advantage of business opportunities, such as entrepreneurship, will also improve efficiency. “There are regulations that must be complied with to continue working with copper. In Peru, businesses must allocate greater importance to climate change and sustainability, both of which will have a large economic impact in the long term.”

Expert Víctor Albuquerque, Director of Sector Analysis of APOYO Consulting, indicated that about 75% of the world’s copper consumption is destined for electric conductors and that the volume of copper used in electric cars will be the main impulse of demand in the long term.

Regarding the energy transition in Peru, he further stressed that the country will also need to adapt to the reduction of carbon emissions through power generation plants, such as the Punta Lomitas wind power plant, where Indeco by Nexans is in charge of the medium voltage network.

Víctor Albuquerque said in closing that currently in Peru, 70% of residential construction is informal, so much of the effort should focus on the customer and keep educating those customers on the importance of climate change and sustainability.