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This paper provides a detailed summary of the aluminum industry's recent efforts to gather, check, and accurately model environmental emissions and resource consumption inventory data from industrial processes producing automotive aluminum components. Current as well as historical inventory data on critical variables related to the life cycle of automotive aluminum components are also presented. In particular, accurate and reliable data related to metal flows from both primary aluminum and recycling operations to the automotive industry, together with data regarding electricity supply for aluminum smelting operations are highlighted. On-going industry efforts and partnerships are described “to help automakers provide consumers with safe, affordable, and environmentally enhanced cars and light trucks.”

Important opportunities exist to improve the resource and environmental impacts of the automobile over its product life cycle. The use of aluminum in automobile designs is increasing, which offers ways to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions during vehicle use via light weighting. However, to fully capture lifecycle reductions in environmental loadings and impacts, material suppliers, parts manufacturers and automakers must also understand which of their own operations and facilities offer opportunities for environmental improvements through investments in process or technology advances. Quantifying these opportunities across the comprehensive life cycle of vehicle systems and components can be a challenging task because of the complexity of today's extended supply chain. For instance, even quantifying opportunities from the front end-aluminum material supply-requires gathering, verifying and acting upon information from facilities throughout the world.

As the use of aluminum in automobiles increases, opportunities exist to improve the resource and environmental impacts of the automobile over its life cycle. This paper documents initial life cycle assessment results and actual improvements which have been made over the past several years to reduce life cycle energy and environmental impacts of automobiles and automotive aluminum. The use of a time-based, strategic analysis process to supplement life cycle inventory data and drive improvements at the process level is highlighted. New tools, based on emerging geographic information technology, are introduced to help overcome current life cycle limitations related to local impacts, global perspectives, and stakeholder communications.