Alcoa Provides Expertise and Funding to Develop the GRI Reporting Guidelines Alcoa is partnering with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) to develop the G4 Guidelines that will continue to shape the way corporations around the world define, deliver and measure their sustainability performance. Alcoa and Alcoa Foundation are contributing more than $350,000 over the next two years to support this important work. Alcoa has been using the GRI Framework to report on its sustainability performance since 2002. In addition, Alcoa will also be a member of the Consortium of companies that will provide guidance to GRI to enhance the G4 Guidelines being developed. Kevin McKnight, Alcoa’s Director of Environment Health and Safety and Sustainability will participate on the G4 Consortium. The new Guidelines are due to be published May 2013.

Progress:

Alcoa provided extensive input during the first public comment period and also encouraged peers to get engaged in the process and provide feedback.  The company has actively participated in all GRI Consortium meetings and has provided strong guidance regarding how to expand the use of the GRI guidelines and how to drive engagement among the tens of thousands smaller global companies that do not use the GRI guidelines or report sustainability progress.  Alcoa also delivered strong guidance regarding the risks of continuing to expand the GRI requirements and the need to focus on what is truly material to companies from a sustainability perspective. (Note: Being a member of the G4 Consortium does not confer any special status with respect to the due process for the development of G4.  In fact, GRI is extremely careful to emphasize this point during all of our consortium meetings as well as on its website.) Alcoa will provide comments during the second comment period and will again encourage peers to get involved.

Commitment:

In celebration of the Girl Scouts 100th anniversary, Girl Scouts USA (GSUSA) and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) in partnership with Alcoa Foundation launched Together Greening. This program “twins” 20 Girl Scouts councils in the U.S. and 20 Girl Guide or Girl Scout groups in 11 countries around the world to work together on projects focused on making a significant impact on the environment. Over the course of two years, the Girl Guides and Girl Scouts will identify, lead and take action on environmental projects including reducing waste, creating rain gardens, reducing CO2 emissions, combating climate change and countering the loss of biodiversity. The first step: all councils and groups will organize an environmental event in 2012. Alcoa volunteers will be part of these events.