THE APPLICATION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AT THE ALUMINUM INDUSTRY IN UAE

Abstract

Aluminum is the third most abundant element, after oxygen and silicon, and the most abundant metal in
Earth’s crust. It is widely used in buildings, construction, transport, packaging and general engineering due to its corrosion
resistance, durability, insulation capability, structural strength and low-weight, making it the metal of the future. Aluminum
is widely used in all UAE construction related projects; however, the sustainability and environmental performance of the
aluminum production process is questionable. The production of this metal is associated with many environmental impacts
which compromise the sustainable production of aluminum. Aluminum manufacturing is an energy intensive industry and a
major contributor to Greenhouse Gases such as CO2, CFC, and PFC. This industry generates huge amounts of waste such as
the Bauxite Residue from the Alumina Refinery process and the Spent Pot-Lining (SPL) from the Smelting process. One of
the sustainable solutions is to create a sustainable metal whilst also making a positive net impact on the environment over
the life cycle of aluminum products. This solution suits UAE because the aluminum industry is on upstream production, with
less emphasis on the use of recycling and secondary aluminum production. As an effective tool to control environmental
impacts and improve the environmental performance of any production industry, Environment Management System (EMS)
is further studied with regards to the aluminum production process. This research investigates the efficiency of the EMS at
UAE aluminum production industry to determine its ability to control the industry’s impact, and to attain sustainability
standards. The aim of this research is to evaluate the efficiency of the existing EMS and to identify the factors affecting
implementation of EMS in the UAE aluminum production. The implementation of EMS in the UAE aluminium industry is
heavily affected by regulatory compliance and enforcement gap, transparent leadership, accountability, and human factors.