Stakeholder Dialogues on Resource Efficiency Resource Efficiency of Aluminum Products The demand for natural resources is on the rise around the world and, in many cases, resource scarcity drives increasing prices. As this is a long-term trend, resource efficiency has become a major long-term issue for industry, consumers and policymakers. In this context, resource efficiency means achieving the same output (a product or a service) with ever smaller inputs (resources). Resource Efficiency in the Aluminium Industry As one of the major industrial sectors, the aluminium industry is making a considerable contribution towards sustainable production through resource efficiency. The success of these efforts has resulted in environmental and climate protection as well as enhanced economic competitiveness, innovation and job protection. For the aluminium industry, resource efficiency means optimising material flows and waste loops and reducing material losses along the value chain and through product life cycles. Assuming social responsibility has also enhanced the ability to compete globally and has supported increased acceptance among purchasers, staff members, and consumers. Stakeholder Dialogues The Stakeholder Dialogues on Resource Efficiency project brought together aluminium industry stakeholders, including workers and the management, to discuss the importance of resource efficiency for both the industry and its workers. A steering committee comprised of members of the German Association of the Aluminium Industry (GDA), the Industrial Union of Metalworkers (IG Metall), and the German Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) held regular meetings throughout the dialogue process. Establishing platforms for successful communication and implementation of resource efficiency measures Two workshops, sixteen interviews and several hundred surveys were held as part of the project. Workers (via their union) and management (via the business association) with support from policymakers, worked collaboratively in developing concrete projects in support of resource efficiency and the communication of its importance. Experiences and concrete results from the stakeholder dialogue were made accessible on an online information platform on resource efficiency, developed by the German Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. The project was financed by the German Association of the Aluminium Industry (GDA), the Industrial Union of Metalworkers (IG Metall) and the German Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU). The CSCP managed the project, the consulting firm Sustain Consult carried out and assessed interviews and surveys, and the Wuppertal Institute cooperated with the network on resource efficiency. The German Federal Environment Agency (UBA) and the Hans-Böckler-Foundation provided additional support.