International Aluminium Institute

Sector-level double materiality assessment focused on social issues, for a membership body 

Challenge

The IAI (International Aluminium Institute) is a global association that represents the need of the primary aluminium industry. Set up in 1971, the IAI currently represents over 20 large aluminium company, including Rio Tinto, Chinalco and Alba. 

In recent years, the IAI has focused heavily on analysing and addressing the environmental impacts of aluminium, aiming to improve sustainability and raise awareness of the industry's progress. Having made significant strides in this area, the organisation was keen to explore the social side of the of the aluminium value chain in more detail. 

They wanted to kick this off by identifying the most pressing social issues across different parts of the value chain and to foster collaboration with its member companies. This approach intended to facilitate mutual learning, increase visibility over social impact, and promote industry-wide improvement. 

 

Project 

Ever designed a project organised around the methodology of materiality assessment, a well-regarded concept which would support comparison with other sustainability material issues. We undertook a sector-level approach to materiality which required careful considerations of the application of materiality at non-entity level. Each topic we addressed was looked at from both a risk and an opportunity perspective, considering both inward (impact on the company) and outward (impact on people and society) dimensions. 

The sectoral social materiality assessment was structured in two clear and complementary phases; research and engagement. At the heart of the methodology lay the assessment elements recommended by the CSRD, namely: financial; direct/indirect; actual/potential; scale; scope; likelihood; and irreversibility. 

With further stakeholder engagement, research, and validation, we were able to develop detailed topic cards per topic and a materiality matrix, as well as a deconstructed modular approach to data. This allowed member companies to ‘slice and dice’ the data to reflect their own context, while also maintaining a broader, sector-wide perspective. 

The IAI and Ever were keen to ensure ongoing engagement with the stakeholders that had been part of the process, and so brought Ever into the organisational social working group, which was made up of nominated representatives of the different member companies. Ever’s role was to facilitate the group, planning content for the sessions to help upskill members across various social topics, as well as engaging with specific members to share their own stories, strategies and social wins, both big and small. The social materiality assessment ran in parallel with the working group, ensuring members were kept informed, could contribute insights, test and change the process, and could align their work with the evolving outputs of the assessment. 

 

Outcome 

The sectoral social materiality assessment helped to establish the IAI’s work in progressing key social issues within the aluminium industry. Many IAI members have since reported that they’ve incorporated the materiality findings, along with insights gained from the social working group, into the development of their own social strategies. Several members have also integrated this work into their CSRD-aligned double materiality assessments. 

At the same time, the social working group played a key role in fostering collaboration across the industry, setting the groundwork for collective action to enhance the sector’s overall social impact. Given that many IAI members operate at different points along one another’s value chains—both upstream and downstream—this kind of collaboration and open dialogue is essential. It enables companies to challenge and support each other as they work toward shared goals. 

 

Why we loved this project 

To our knowledge, this also marked the first time an industry-wide double materiality assessment with a dedicated focus on social issues had been undertaken. In undertaking this project and creating this bespoke resource for the aluminium sector, we were challenged to strike a balance between addressing the specific needs and priorities of the broader market, while also ensuring the content remained relevant and adaptable to the unique contexts of individual member companies. 

It was both insightful and rewarding to engage deeply with such a globally significant, and fascinating, industry.  

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