Umicore is a publicly listed company. As such, we interact with many parties who have an interest in the way we conduct business. The relationship that we foster with these parties or stakeholders has a direct impact on our success. Stakeholder engagement at Umicore is based on a localised approach whereby all sites are required to identify their respective stakeholders and establish suitable ways of engaging with them. In many cases, such as the dialogue with customers and suppliers, the stakeholder relationships are primarily managed by the business units themselves, in line with our decentralised approach to unit management.
Affiliations
When specific issues of interest arise, we communicate our position through the industry groups to which we are affiliated. Umicore is mindful of the sensitivity of taking positions on issues of public interest and has developed guidelines for doing so responsibly. Umicore is currently a member (both at corporate and business unit level) of the organisations listed below. This year, we have included detail on the nature of some of our work with some of these organizations.
Corporate
The World Economic Forum’s Global Battery Alliance was launched in September 2017. This global public-private partnership comprises over 40 international organizations to establish a sustainable battery value chain to power the decarbonization of the world’s energy and transport systems. Umicore chairs the Executive Board. In collaboration with our partners in 2018, we worked toward ensuring that the cobalt extraction industry is free of child labor and that alternative livelihoods for cobalt-dependent households are made available, and on assessing the viability of a circular economy for batteries. This work explored a second life battery market, material passports to enable battery recycling thanks to regulations that facilitate cross-border transport of spent batteries, the collection of endof-life portable electronics to increase battery recycling and the creation of economic value for innovative projects supporting mining communities.
Other memberships and activities at Group-level include: A3M (L’Alliance des Minerais, Minéraux et Métaux); Agoria (Belgian multi-sector federation for the technology industry); American European Community Association (AECA); Bebat; Belgian Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BICC&I); Belgian industrial Research and Development (BiR&D); Belgium-Japan Association & Chamber of Commerce (BJA); Eurometaux (European Non-Ferrous Metals Association); European Industrial Research Management Association (EIRMA); European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT); ETION; Federation of Belgian Industrial Energy Consumers (FEBELIEC); Flemish Aerospace Group (FLAG); Flemish Network of Enterprises (Voka); FlandersChina Chamber of Commerce; Metalle pro Klima (a WirtschaftsVereinigung Metalle initiative); TransAtlantic Business Council; Vlamnse Technische Kring (VTK); World Economic Forum.
Catalysis
As air quality concerns, especially in cities, continue to increase, legislation aiming to minimize the impact on air quality of transportation using internal combustion engines is becoming increasingly stringent. As a producer of key components of catalytic emission control systems, Umicore is a member of various industry associations worldwide through which, in close collaboration with automotive engineering companies, we aim to provide an option in the portfolio of ultra-clean transportation of the future using the most advanced emission control technologies
Other memberships and activities on the topic of catalysis include: Associacao dos Fabricantes de Equipamentos para Controle de Emissoes Veiculares da América do Sul (AFEEVAS); Association for Emissions Control by Catalyst (AECC); Catalyst Manufacturers Association, Japan (CMAJ); Committee of Vehicle Emission Control in China (CVEC); Emission Controls Manufacturers Association, India (ECMA); European Precious Metals Association (EPMF); German Automotive Industry Association (VDA); German Chemical Federation (VCI); International Platinum GroupMetals Association (IPA); Manufacturers of Emission Controls Association (MECA); Verband der Automobilindustrie (VDA); Verband der Chemischen Industrie e.V. (VCI).
Energy & Surface Technologies
Accelerating the transition to a low-carbon society requires driving down the cost of clean energy and clean mobility technologies. Advanced materials represent a sizeable part of the cost of these clean technologies and are key enablers of the low-carbon society. The advanced materials path from lab to market is long, risky and capital-intensive, so industry welcomes risk-sharing initiatives supporting European industrial leadership. Founded in 2012 by Umicore and other industrial and research organizations, EMIRI (the Energy Materials Industrial Research Initiative) works to increase awareness about the role of advanced materials in everyday life and in the European economy, and advocates for stronger EU-level innovation support.
Other memberships and activities on the topics of energy and surface technologies include: Cobalt Development Institute; Cobalt REACH consortium; Deutsche Gesellschaft für Galvano- und Oberflaechentechnik (DGO); Energy Materials Industrial Research Initiative (EMIRI); European Association for Battery, Hybrid and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (AVERE); Nickel Institute; Nickel REACH consortium.
Recycling
The European Union is striving to establish a Circular Economy. Umicore, a frontrunner with our “closed loop” business model, contributes to numerous conferences and expert working groups. Specifically, we emphasize the links between a Circular Economy and responsible sourcing, resource efficiency, waste management and high-quality recycling. We use our experience to promote electromobility as a gateway to Circular Economy in Europe.
Other memberships and activities on the topic of recycling include: European Battery Recycling Association (EBRA); European Electronics Recyclers Association (EERA); European Precious Metals Federation; Fachvereinigung Edelmetalle (German Precious Metals Association); International Platinum Group Metals Association; International Precious Metals Institute; Minor Metals Trade Association; Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC); The European Association of Advanced Rechargeable Batteries (RECHARGE); The International Platinum Group Metals Association (IPA); The London Bullion Market Association (LBMA); The London Platinum and Palladium Market (LPPM); Vereniging Nederlandse Metallurgische Industrie (VNMI).
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