Plans for a London Metal Exchange spot trading platform have sparked intense debate within the aluminium industry.
But opponents and supporters don't necessarily fall into
the camps that one might expect.
For starters, a decision by the LME not to change its futures contract, establish a new green aluminium contract
or set thresholds to define what constitutes low-carbon metal is proving key in starting to turn around negative sentiment among high-carbon producers that rely on fossil fuels.
It's been a relief to these producers, who had been so concerned that they risked being left with assets that will not be viable to mine, process or refine while sustainability issues gather momentum. Their new approach is not to argue against the platform, but instead to embrace its transparency and push for other metrics of sustainability to be included.
These factors would span the supply chain and would, for example, consider the use of water, tailings management schemes or the use of carbon offsets - in other words,...