Alcoa, together with the Alcoa Foundation, announced today that Alcoa has become a founding member of the Duke Center for Sustainability & Commerce, an organization dedicated to collaborating with industry and government to turn the vision of sustainability into products and solutions serving society.
The center is part of Duke’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, a non-partisan institute focused on finding solutions to the nation’s most pressing environmental challenges. It was established at Duke University in 2010.
“The Duke Center’s focus on collaboration and innovation fits well with Alcoa’s approach to developing products and solutions that contribute to a sustainable world,” said Kevin Anton, Alcoa’s Chief Sustainability Officer. “Working together, we can help communities and companies develop sustainable strategies to meet rapidly growing demand for infrastructure and transportation created by increasing population and urbanization.”
Anton will join the center’s Industry Council, an advisory panel for research and outreach.
Alcoa Foundation President Paula Davis said the Center’s research plays an important role in turning concepts into reality.
“The research depth of Duke University along with the expertise of the Center’s business partners creates a powerful combination,” Ms. Davis said. “We are pleased to be part of this effort and look forward to the advancements in sustainable communities that will result.”
Through its research, the Center is leading efforts to create a new generation of technological and organizational innovations to meet global sustainability challenges. It is led by Dr. Jay S. Golden who founded and co-directed the Sustainability Consortium prior to joining Duke.
“Alcoa has a long history of innovation that has led to great successes in their operations and product designs,” said Golden. “Our partnership with Alcoa will provide us a key manufacturing perspective from an organization whose products are critical to global commerce.”