Work

The dynamic global aluminium use across production systems to consumption systems

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The global aluminium (Al) industry is traditionally known for high energy consumption and intensive emissions. Achieving circularity and dematerialisation in this industry requires joint efforts from both, the production and consumption sides. This study combines dynamic material flow analysis and an environmentally-extended multi-regional input-output analysis to track global Al use across nine regions from 2007 to 2017. Results show that China became the largest Al consumer in 2001, using ∼460 Mt. over 50 years (26 % of global use) and exporting mainly to North America and Europe. Transportation and Building & Construction dominate Al end-use (∼50 %), while the service industry's share rose to 17 % in 2017. While current policies on Al decarbonisation primarily focus on controlling the global Al production, future policies should aim the dematerialisation of the service industry to reduce indirect Al use. Our results highlight important regional and sectoral differences, which must be consider when formulating future decarbonisation strategies. • This study traces global aluminium use across nine regions, highlighting China's dominance and the need for policy shifts towards dematerialisation and global cooperation for decarbonisation.

Source: Ecological Economics

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2025.108770

Authors: Zijie Ma, Qiumeng Zhong, Alvaro Calzadilla, Matthew Winning

Institutions: University College London, Guangdong University of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Environmental Impact and Sustainability

Subfield: Environmental Engineering

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Responsible consumption and production, Climate action, Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,730