ii
Table of Contents
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………………..1
Chapter 1: Organizational Profile…………………………………………………………………………2
1.1 Alcan’s business structure…………………………………………………………………………..2
1.2 Executives…………………………………………………………………………………………………..7
1.3 Board of Directors……………………………………………………………………………………….7
1.4 University Links…………………………………………………………………………………………..9
1.5 Lawsuits………………………………………………………………………………………………………9
Chapter 2: Economic Profile………………………………………………………………………………11
2.1 Financial data…………………………………………………………………………………………….11
2.2 Main customers………………………………………………………………………………………….12
2.3 Alcan and taxes………………………………………………………………………………………….13
2.4 Corporate welfare………………………………………………………………………………………14
2.5 Restructuring…………………………………………………………………………………………….14
2.6 Spin-off of Novelis……………………………………………………………………………………..14
2.7 Pechiney hostile take-over…………………………………………………………………………15
2.8 New or planned investments………………………………………………………………………15
2.9 Recent acquisitions……………………………………………………………………………………16
2.10 Joint ventures……………………………………………………………………………………………17
2.11 Main advertising firms………………………………………………………………………………..17
2.12 Marketing strategies…………………………………………………………………………………..18
2.13 Alcan’s main competitors…………………………………………………………………………..19
Chapter 3: Political Profile…………………………………………………………………………………20
3.1 Political connections…………………………………………………………………………………..20
3.2 Business associations………………………………………………………………………………..20
Chapter 4: Social Profile……………………………………………………………………………………23
4.1 Social track record………………………………………………………………………………………23
4.1.1 India……………………………………………………………………………………………………23
4.1.2 Brazil………………………………………………………………………………………………….28
4.1.3 Cameroon…………………………………………………………………………………………..32
4.1.4 South Africa………………………………………………………………………………………..33
4.1.5 British Columbia, Canada……………………………………………………………………34
4.2 Environmental track record…………………………………………………………………………35
4.3 Labour track record…………………………………………………………………………………….36
Chapter 5: Shareholder Profile…………………………………………………………………………..38
5.1 Alcan’s main institutional investors…………………………………………………………….38
5.1 Other investors…………………………………………………………………………………………..38
Appendix 1: Relevant quotes……………………………………………………………………………..40
Appendix 2: Alcan’s subsidiaries………………………………………………………………………42
– 1 –
Introduction
Alcan is a very successful corporation. Since it broke away from U.S. competitor Alcoa in
1928, Alcan has become a billion dollar corporation with a position on the Fortune 500. It
has operations in dozens of countries and employs thousands of people worldwide in a
diverse range of operations. In 2005 it ranks as one of the top aluminum producers in
the world in terms of volume and annual revenue. Alcan has also been successful at
constructing an image of itself as a socially and environmentally concerned company. It
has undertaken a major overhaul of its public image by committing to lowering its
emissions beyond Kyoto levels, donating large sums of money to environmental
organizations, lobbying the United States Government for more recycling programs,
publishing sustainability reports, joining the United Nations Global Compact, and by
taking every opportunity possible to speak about how sustainable and environmentally
and socially conscious they are. Alcan’s public relations program has been very
successful. Despite the company’s reality as a leader in a dirty industry (strip mining,
smelting, hydro electric dam), well spent money on image provides the veneer of a clean
and conscious corporation with impeccably clean hands. In practice, however, Alcan is
much less successful at following its own rhetoric.
This profile uncovers Alcan’s powerful public relations machine by exposing how,
despite all of its talk of sustainability what it is most concerned with is sustaining profit
growth and cleaning its image as a destructive corporation. The profile looks at five
different aspects of the corporation: how it is organized; its economic situation; how it is
connected politically; its social, environmental, and labour track record; and its major
shareholders. The Organizational Profile looks at what Alcan actually produces and how
the company is structured and organized. This section also profiles Alcan’s executive
committee and its board of directors. The Economic Profile highlights Alcan’s present
financial situation, who their main customers are, along with their recent business
transactions and future plans. The Political Profile examines Alcan’s past and present
connections to powerful politicians and international institutions. Alcan’s affiliations with
renowned greenwashing institutions, such as the United Nations’ Global Compact, are
discussed in this section. The next section looks at Alcan’s social, environmental and
labour track record. This section uncovers Alcan’s numerous misdeeds in places like
Brazil, Cameroon, Canada and India all in the name of higher profits. The company’s
self-image as a socially and environmentally responsible corporation is also challenged
in this section. The profile ends with a fifth section listing Alcan’s main institutional
investors.
The profile exposes Alcan’s dirty side and contradicts the popular and dominant view of
the company as socially and environmentally responsible. The five sections of the profile
are designed to expose parts of the corporation that are vulnerable to specific corporate
campaign strategies. Hopefully this document will be successful in informing the public
that Alcan’s aim to be the most sustainable and environmentally conscious company will
be impossible until it halts its destructive operations in places like India.
2
1. Organizational Profile
Alcan employs 73,000 employees in 56 countries
Alcan was ranked number 404 on Fortune magazine’s 2003 list of the world’s largest corporations
Alcan trades on the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange under the
symbol AL
Track Alcan’s stock price at http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=AL&d=t
Head Office
1188 Sherbrooke Street West,
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 3G2
Tel. (514) 848-8000
Fax. (514) 848-8115
Mailing address
Alcan Inc.
P.O. Box 6090
Montreal, Quebec
H3C 3A7
Alcan Business Group addresses:
Primary Metal and Bauxite and Alumina
Address same as head office
Engineered Products
7 Place du Chancelier Adenauer
75218 Paris Codex 16
France
Tel. +33 1 56 28 20 00
Fax. +33 1 56 28 33 92
Packaging
Address same as Engineered Products
Fax. +33 1 56 28 33 21
Email contacts
General inquiries: info@alcan.com
Media Relations: media.relations@alcan.com
1.1 Alcan’s business structure
Alcan is made up of 4 main business groups responsible for the management of different
business units within each group. This section will show how Alcan is an extremely diverse
corporation involved in the production and sale of dozens of different products.
3
Bauxite and Alumina: $1.5 billion1 in operating revenues or 6% of total 2004 annual
revenue – Bauxite and alumina are the raw materials that go into the production of aluminum.
Aluminum can not be found in its pure form and therefore must be produced with bauxite and
alumina using a chemical process. The Bauxite and Alumina business group is responsible for
obtaining bauxite, either through extraction or purchasing, and then refining it into smelter-grade
and specialty aluminas. Smelter-grade alumina is then used in the production of primary
aluminum. Alcan’s Bauxite and Alumina group is made up of a global network of bauxite mines
and refineries which supply the company’s Primary Metal group and other customers with
smelter-grade alumina. Alcan owns and/or operates eight bauxite mines and deposits along with
seven smelter-grade alumina refineries as well as seven specialty alumina plants around the
world.
Bauxite mines2
• Australia, Northern Territory: Gove bauxite refinery and mine. In 2004 5.8 million tonnes
of bauxite were mined at the Gove mine.
• Brazil, Amazon: Porto Trombetas mine. The Porto Trombetas mine is owned by the
Brazilian company Mineracao Rio do Norte (MNR), which is 13% owned by Alcan. In
2004 Alcan acquired approximately 2.1 million tonnes of bauxite from the mine. Bauxite
from the mine is processed at Alcan’s Vaudreuil plant in Jonquière (Quebec, Canada).
• France, Montroc/Paulinet fluorspar mine, annual operating capacity is 70,000 tonnes.
• Ghana, Awaso mine. The Awaso mine is owned by Ghana Bauxite Co. Ltd., which is
80% owned by Alcan. In 2004, Alcan purchased approximately 0.5 million tonnes of
bauxite from the company.
• Guinea, Boké region. Alcan and Alcoa each own 45% of Halco (Mining) Inc., which in
turn is a 51% owner of Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée S.A. (CBG). The Guinea
government owns the remaining 49% of the company. In 2004 Alcan purchased
approximately 5.7 million tonnes of bauxite from CBG. Bauxite purchased by Alcan from
CBG is refined at the Vaudreuil refinery. CBG has an annual operating capacity of 13.5
million tonnes, of which 6.2 million tonnes are reserved for Alcan.
Alumina refineries
• Australia, Northern Territory: Gove bauxite refinery and mine and QAL, Gladstone
(Alcan holds a 41.4% interest in the Gladstone refinery). In 2004 the refinery produced
2.0 million tonnes of smelter-grade alumina which was used at Alcan smelters in Kitimat
(British Columbia, Canada), Iceland, Quebec, Sebree (Kentucky, United States). Alcan is
currently planning a $1.3 billion expansion on its Gove Refinery that would increase its
overall bauxite production by 30%.3
• Canada, Quebec, Vaudreuil alumina facility at Jonquiére. The Vaudreuil plant obtains
bauxite from Brazil, Guinea and Australia.
• France – Alcan owns a 100% interest in three plants: Gardanne, Beyrede and La Bathie.
In 2004 the total production for the three plants was 6 million tonnes, one third of which
was used for smelter grade alumina with the remainder for specialty aluminas.
Primary Metals: $4.3 in operating revenues or 17% of 2004 annual revenue – This business
group encompasses all of Alcan’s aluminum and smelting facilities as well as the company’s
power generation installations. The unit employs 20,000 people worldwide. The Primary Metal
1
Throughout the profile all dollar figures are in US unless otherwise noted
2
All information and data taken from Alcan’s 2004 annual report
3
Alcan Investor Report: Bauxite and Alumina, Micheal Hanley, December 7th, 2005.
4
group produces aluminum in various forms for use in a number of markets including: automotive;
beverage; foil; transportation; building; construction; consumer goods; and machinery sectors.
Alcan’s aluminum is processed at 24 primary aluminum smelters operated or partially owned by
the company. The list below shows the location, percentage of ownership and annual capacity of
Alcan’s smelters.
Country Location % of Ownership by
Alcan Annual Capacity
(thousands of
tonnes)
Australia Tomago, New South
Wales 51.5 263 (Alcan’s share)
Cameroon Edea (Compagnie
Camerounaise de
l’Aluminum, Alucam)
47 45 (Alcan’s share)
Canada Alma, Quebec 100 402
Sept-Iles (Alouette),
Quebec 40 98 (Alcan’s share)
Beauharnois, Quebec 100 51
Bécancour, Quebec 25 102 (Alcan’s share)
Kitimat, British
Columbia 100 277
Grande-Baie, Quebec 100 196
Latherier, Quebec 100 219
Shawinigan, Quebec 100 93
Arvida, Quebec 100 163
China Qingtonxia 50 75 (Alcan’s share)
France Dunkerque 100 256
Lannemezan 100 50
Saint-Jean-de-
Maurienne 100 135
Iceland Reykjavik (ISAL) 100 176
The Netherlands Vlissingen 85 190 (Alcan’s share)
Norway Husnes (SORAL) 50 82 (Alcan’s share)
Switzerland Steg 100 44
United Kingdom Lynemouth 100 169
Lochaber 100 41
United States Sebree, Kentucky 100 196
Electricity
“The company believes that its competitive standing in aluminum production is enhanced by its ability to supply its own
power to many smelters at low cost”4
The smelting of aluminum requires an enormous amount of electricity and represents 30-35% of the production costs of
primary aluminum.5 In order to smelt one tonne of aluminum, between 13.5 and 18.5 megawatt hours of electricity are
required to separate the aluminum from the oxygen in alumina. To put this into perspective, in 2004 Alcan smelted
3,435,000 tonnes of aluminum. When multiplied by 16 megawatt hours, this means that Alcan consumed 54,960,000
megawatt hours (or 54,960 gigawatt hours) of electricity in 2004 for the production of aluminum. That is equivalent to the
amount of power annually used by 129,014,084 modern energy efficient refrigerators.6
4
Alcan 2004 Annual Report, p. 44
5
Speech by CEO Travis Engen at the 71st Aluminum Association Annual Meeting, October 18, 2004,
http://www.alcan.com/web/publishing.nsf/Content/71st+Aluminum+Association+Annual+Meeting
6
Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Fact Sheet, http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/envision/news/2004/071901fs1.htm
5
Alcan meets its electricity needs through contracts at highly subsidized prices from local utilities or from the generation of
power from its own hydroelectric and coal-fired plants. Alcan also sells electricity generated at its Canadian Hydroelectric
facilities to various utilities for a large profit. Electricity sales are taking place while production at Alcan smelters in British
Columbia and Quebec is being cut back. When the smelters and hydroelectric dams were constructed, Alcan was
committed to using the electricity to ensure production would run at full capacity. In the case of Quebec Alcan even
managed to gain an exemption for its hydroelectric dams from nationalization in the early 1960s. Workers at Alcan’s
smelter in Kitimat and representatives from the local community are involved in an ongoing struggle with the corporation
to ensure that electricity generated at Alcan’s hydroelectric dams is being used to ensure full production capacity at the
smelter.
In England and Scotland Alcan operates its own coal-fired and hydroelectric generating plants. In Norway, the Vigelands
Metal Refinery (50% owned by Alcan) obtains its power from the Vigelands power stations. Alcan’s smelter in the United
States purchases power under long-term and short-term contracts. In Iceland Alcan’s smelter is supplied power from the
national power company, while its Swiss smelter is supplied power under a short-term contract. In France, Alcan’s two
large smelters are supplied power under long-term contracts, while the smaller smelter is entering the final year of a long-
term contract. Alcan’s smelter in the Netherlands (85% owned by the company) has a number of short-term contracts. In
Australia and Cameroon, Alcan purchases power under long-term contracts.
Please see the Environmental track record section below (see p.35) for a more detailed look at how Alcan’s involvement
in an energy intensive industry has had a devastating effects on socioeconomic situations in different countries.
Alcan owns and operates the following power generation facilities:
Canada
• British Columbia – Kemano
• Quebec – Chute-des-Passes, Chute-du-Diable, Chute à la Savanne, Isle-Maligne, Chute-à-Caron, and Shipshaw
China – Alcan has a 21.8% interest in the Daba power plant in Ningxia Province.
Norway – Vigelands
United Kingdom
• Lynemouth (coal-fired)
• Highlands Power Stations
Engineered products: $5.2 billion in operating revenues, or 21% of Alcan’s 2004 annual
revenue – Alcan’s Engineered Products Group, whose headquarters are in Paris, produces
composites and manufactures engineered or fabricated aluminum products for a number of
different uses. Alcan’s Engineered Products Group employs approximately 12,000 employees at
48 production facilities, 50 Service Centre facilities and 37 Alcan International Network
commercial offices around the world. The aluminum used to produce engineered products is
purchased from Alcan’s Primary Metal business group and third party suppliers. The group’s
product range is divided into the following business units:
• Aerospace, Transport & Industry (ATI) – serves customers in aerospace, marine, road
and rail transportation and other engineered industries with plate, sheet, hard extrusions
and castings. ATI’s production facilities are located in France, Switzerland, United
Kingdom and the United States.
• Composites – manufactures multi-material composites for applications including building
facades, display and transportation. This unit includes Alcan’s subsidiary Alcan-Baltek,
which supplies a number of arm manufacturers with materials (see Economic profile
below for more details). Composites main plants are located in China, Brazil, Ecuador,
Germany, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States.
• Cable – This unit produces cable for the transmission of electricity. Alcan Cable is one of
the largest cable manufacturers in North America and supplies many sectors of the
electrical industry and utilities, electrical distributors and original equipment
manufacturers. Main locations are in Canada and the United States.
• Extruded products – This unit produces parts for rail cars, buses, the automotive
industry as well as industrial components by forcing hot metal through a die to create
6
profiled shapes. Plants are located in the Czech Republic, France, Germany and
Switzerland.
• Automotive structures – This unit serves the automotive industry. Main production
facilities are located in Canada, Germany, Slovenia and the United States.
• Service Centres – The Service Centres offer various forms of services for local
customers including cutting, shaping, machining, and assembling. Alcan’s Service
Centre’s are located in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the
Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland and the United
Kingdom.
• Alcan International Network – This sales organization is made up of 37 offices in 36
countries that sell and source products in 60 countries. It provides marketing and
sourcing services for Alcan Business Groups and third party customers. Alcan
Engineered Products has offices in the following countries: Algeria, Australia, Austria,
Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, The Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Portugal,
Romania, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates,
the United Kingdom and the United States.
• Ventures – This unit comprises of different smaller operations offering products such as
capacitor foil, refrigeration panels and composite structures for transportation.
• Specialty Sheet – This unit serves customers in the can stock, bright sheet, closures,
automotive, building, foil stock and standard rolled products sectors with coils and sheet.
Packaging: $6.1 billion in operating revenues or 25% of Alcan’s 2004 annual revenue – This
Group, whose headquarters are in Paris, manufactures packages for the food, pharmaceutical &
medical, beauty & personal care and tobacco industries. Alcan’s Packaging Group offers
products using plastics, engineered films, aluminum, paper, paperboard and other materials. This
group generated more revenue than any other for the company in 2004. The Packaging Group is
divided into six sectors and employed 34,000 people:
• Food Packaging Europe; Food Packaging Americas; Food Packaging Asia – These
three sectors manufacture a number of packaging products for the food, meat, dairy and
beverage industries. The sectors provide supply packaging around the world for the
following markets: beverages, biscuits/cookies/cereals, confectionery, dairy, fresh and
frozen food, instant products, pet food, retorded foods and snacks.
• Global Pharmaceutical Packaging – Alcan is one of the world’s largest suppliers of
packaging to the pharmaceutical industry. Products include flexible packaging, caps and
closures, contract packaging, folding cartons, glass vials, ampoules and tubing products,
aluminum cans and bottles.
• Global Beauty Packaging – Alcan is also one of the world’s largest suppliers of beauty
packaging products for make-up, fragrance and personal care markets.
• Global Tobacco Packaging – The company is a large and important supplier of
packaging products, including folding cartons, flexible packaging, inner bundling and
decorated tinplate containers, to the global tobacco industry. On its website, Alcan calls
itself the second largest producer in Tobacco packaging, although other sources cite that
Alcan is ranked No. 1 in tobacco packaging7.
Alcan’s Packaging Group has 179 plants located in 27 countries:
• Food Packaging Europe has plants in the following countries: Czech Republic (1),
France (11), Germany (5), Ireland (1), Italy (4), Morocco (1), the Netherlands (1),
Portugal (1), Spain (4), Switzerland (2), Turkey (1), the U.K. (2), Chile (1) Canada (1) and
the United States (1)
7
“CB Richard Ellis Awarded Global Transaction Management Assignment for Alcan, Inc.” Business Wire, Feb. 9, 2005.
7
• Food Packaging Americas has plants in the following countries: Argentina (2), Brazil
(1), Canada (2), Mexico (2), France (1), the U.K. (1) and the United States (19)
• Food Packaging Asia has plants in the following countries: China (4), Indonesia (1),
New Zealand (1), Philippines (1) and Thailand (2)
• Global Pharmaceutical Packaging has plants in the following countries: Belgium (1),
Brazil (1), Canada (1), China (1), France (7 plants), Germany (1), Italy (1), Puerto Rico
(2), Switzerland (1), the U.K. (1), the U.S. (20)
• Global Beauty Packaging has plants in the following countries: Brazil (2), Canada (1),
Czech Republic (2), France (15), Germany (1), Indonesia (1), Italy (5), Mexico (3), Poland
(1), Spain (2), the U.K. (1) and the U.S. (5)
• Global Tobacco Packaging has plants in the following countries: Canada (1), Germany
(1), Kazakhstan (1), the Netherlands (2), Turkey (1), the U.K. (20), the U.S. (2)
1.2 Executives and their salaries
Executive 2004 Salary (including bonus and
other annual compensation)
Travis Engen, President and Chief Executive Officer $3,879,854
Michael Hanley, Executive Vice President and (interim)
Chief Financial Officer n.a.
David McAusland, Executive Vice President, Corporate
Development and Chief Legal Officer n.a.
Daniel Gagnier, Senior Vice President Corporate and
External Affairs n.a.
Gaston Ouellet, Senior Vice President, Human
Resources n.a.
Richard Evans, Executive Vice President $2,403,021
Jacynthe Côté, Executive Vice President, President and
Chief Executive Officer of Bauxite & Alumina n.a.
Cynthia Carroll, Senior Vice President and President and
Chief Executive Officer of Primary Metal $1,481,942
Michel Jacques, Senior Vice President and President
and CEO of Engineered Products n.a.
Christel Bories, Senior Vice President and President and
CEO of Packaging n.a.
[Source: Alcan Inc. Proxy Circular 2005]
1.3 Board of Directors
Roland Berger – Director since 2002
Berger is the non-executive Chairman of Munich-based Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, a
leading global strategy consultant.
L. Denis Desautels – Director since 2003 – Contact information at the University of Ottawa:
Tel: (613) 562-5800, ext. 1653, email: cldenis@uOttawa.ca
Desautels is Executive-in-residence at the School of Management of the University of Ottawa.
He was Auditor General of Canada from 1991 to 2001, prior to which he had been a senior
partner of the accounting firm of Ernst & Young LLP. Desautels is Chairman of the Laurentian
Bank of Canada, a Director of The Jean Coutu Group (PJC) Inc. and of Bombardier Inc. He is
also a member of the Accounting Standards Oversight Council of the Canadian Institute of
Chartered Accountants.
Travis Engen – Director since 1996
8
Engen has been President and CEO of Alcan since March 2001. Prior to joining Alcan on 12
March 2001, Engen was Chairman and Chief Executive of ITT Industries, Inc. since 1995. He is a
former member of the U.S. Government’s Defense Business Board. He is
also a Director of
Lyondell Chemical Company and the Canadian Council of Chief Executives and is Chairman of
the International Aluminium Institute.
L. Yves Fortier – Director since 2002
Fortier is Chairman of the Board of Alcan and is the Chair and senior partner of the law firm
Ogilvy Renault in Montreal. From 1988 to 1992, he was Ambassador and Permanent
Representative of Canada to the United Nations. Fortier is also a Governor of the Hudson’s Bay
Company and a Director of Nortel Networks Corporation, NOVA Chemicals Corporation and the
Royal Bank of Canada.
Jean-Paul Jacamon – Director since 2004
Jacamon is non-executive Chairman of Bonna Sabla and of Gardiner Group. He was previously
Chief Operating Officer and Director of Schneider Electric from 1996 to 2002. He is also a
Director of Le Carbone Lorraine, STACI and AMEC plc.
William R. Loomis – Director since 2002
Loomis is Limited Managing Director of Lazard LLC, where he was formerly Chief Executive
Officer from November 2000 to December 2001. He was previously Managing Director of Lazard
LLC from June 1995 to November 2000. He is a Director of Ripplewood Holdings LLC.
Yves Mansion – Director since 2004
Mansion is Chief Executive Officer of Société Foncière Lyonnaise and a member of the French
Collège de l’Autorité des Marchés Financiers. He was Group Managing Director of Assurances
Générales de France from 1990 to 2001. Mansion is a member of the supervisory board of Euler
Hermes and Deputy Director of l’Entreprise de Recherche et d’
Activités Pétrolifères.
Christine Morinpostel – Director since 2003
Morin-Postel was, until 2003, Executive Vice-President in charge of human resources at Suez
Group. She was previously Chief Executive Officer of Société Générale de Belgique from 1998 to
2001. Morin-Postel is a Director of Arlington Capital Europe, 3i Group plc and Pilkington plc.
J.E. Newall – Director since 1985
Newall is Chairman of NOVA Chemicals Corporation and of Canadian Pacific Railway Limited; he
was Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NOVA Corporation from 1991 to 1998. He is a
Director of Maple Leaf Foods Inc. and the Royal Bank of Canada.
Dr. H. Onno Ruding – Director since 2004
Dr. Ruding is a former Minister of Finance of the Netherlands and was an Executive Director of
the International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C. and a member of the Board of Managing
Directors of AMRO Bank in Amsterdam. He is the former Vice Chairman of Citicorp and Citibank,
N.A. Dr. Ruding serves as a Director on the boards of Corning Inc., Holcim AG and RTL Group
and is President of the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) in Brussels. Dr. Ruding is also
a member of the international advisory committees of Robeco Group and the Federal Reserve
Bank of New York.
Guy Saint-Pierre – Director since 1994
Saint-Pierre was Chairman of the Board of the Royal Bank of Canada until his retirement on 27
February 2004. He was President and Chief Executive officer of SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. from
1989 to 1996 and Chairman from 1996 to 2002. Mr. Saint-Pierre is a Director of General Motors
of Canada and the Institute for Research on Public Policy.
Gerhard Schulmeyer – Director since 1996 – Contact information at the Massachusetts
Institute of Techonology: Tel: (617) 253-7483 Fax: (617) 253-2326, email: gerhard@mit.edu
9
Schulmeyer is Professor of Practice at the MIT Sloan School of Business. From 1998 until 2001,
he was President and Chief Executive Officer of Siemens Corporation. He serves on the boards
of Zurich Financial Services, Ingram Micro Inc., and Korn/Ferry International as well as the
international advisory board of Banco Santander Central Hispano.
Paul M. Tellier – Director since 1998
Tellier is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Bombardier Inc. From 1992 to 2002,
he was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian National Railway Company. He is
a Director of McCain Foods, Bell Canada and BCE Inc.
Milton K. Wong – Director since 2003 – Contact Information: President’s Office
Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A
1S6, Tel: (604) 291-4641, Fax: 604.291.4860
Wong is Chairman of HSBC Asset Management (Canada) Limited and Chancellor of Simon
Fraser University in British Columbia (until June, 2005). He serves as a Director on the boards of
the Aga Khan Foundation Canada, the Canada-U.S. Fulbright Program, The Canadiana Fund,
The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Genome BC, Mr. and Mrs. P.A. Woodward’s
Foundation, the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation and Stem Cell Network. He is the founder and
past–Chairman of the Laurier Institution, a non-profit organization for advancing knowledge of the
economics of cultural diversity.
1.4 University links
École Polytechnique de Montréal – Alcan’s serves as the Industrial Chair on Safety of Concrete
Dams.8
Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Alcan Board member Gerhard Schulmeyer is a
Professor of Practice at the MIT Sloan School of Business.
McMaster University – In 2002 Alcan donated $1 million to the Faculty of Health Sciences.
Alcan also supports McMaster’s Centre for Automotive Materials (MCAM). The Centre is also
supported by the Ontario Research and Development Challenge Fund, the Canaa Foundation for
Innovation, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and Materials and
Manufacturing Ontario9.
Simon Fraser University – Alcan Board member Milton Wong serves as Chancellor at Simon
Fraser University.
Université d’Ottawa – Alcan Board member Denis Desautels is the Executive-in-Residence at
the School of Management of the University of Ottawa.
L’Université de Quebec à Chicoutimi (UQAC) – UQAC is hosting a major research project that
included the planning of the new Alma smelter.
1.5 Lawsuits
• In early 2004 Alcan paid $13.6 million to the United States Environmental Protection
Agency to cover environmental cleanup costs at two sites in Northern New York State.
Alcan’s US subsidiary, Alcan Aluminum Corporation, was originally charged by the United
States Justice Department in 1987. One of the sites was a waste incineration facility that
Alcan operated in the early 1970s. The soil is now contaminated with PCBs. Alcan also
8
CADAM Information, École Polytechnique de Montréal. See website: http://www.struc.polymtl.ca/cadam/index2.htm,
accessed on March 14th, 2005.
9
“Development of new materials for automobiles powers research in new McMaster centre,” Shelly Easton, McMaster
Courrier, January 15th, 2001. Available from: http://www.mcmaster.ca/ua/opr/courier/jan1501/news.html, accessed on
March 23rd, 2005.
10
stored similar waste at the other site during the same time period.10 The responsibility for
this case was assumed by Novelis in 2004.
• In 1997 A subsidiary of the now bankrupt Enron Corporation purchased a portion of
Alcan’s contract to supply power from its Kemano power complex in British Columbia to
B.C. Hydro’s affiliate, Powerex Corporation (Powerex). After Enron’s collapse in late
2001, the subsidiary was unable to fulfill its contract with Powerex leaving Alcan with over
$100 million (U.S.) in power obligations. In late 2004 Alcan agreed to repay Powerex
$110 million (U.S.) to settle the dispute.11
• In January 2004 the District of Kitimat (where Alcan operates a smelter) asked the
Supreme Court of British Columbia to stop Alcan from selling power from its Kemano
power plant to third parties.12 The District says that Alcan’s power sales are in
contravention of the Industrial Development Act and the terms of the company’s water
license that give it access to the headwaters of the Nechako River for the purpose of
aluminum smelting. Alcan uses the electricity from its power plant to run its aluminum
smelter, but also sells electricity from the plant to third parties including B.C. Hydro. The
Mayor of Kitimat says that the sale of power is costing local jobs even though Alcan was
given rights to a public resource at a low cost in order to operate their smelter at full
capacity.13 The District of Kitimat is challenging Alcan’s desire to sell power instead of
using to ensure that the smelter operates at full capacity thus averting mass layoffs. In
January 2005 the B.C. Supreme Court announced that the District of Kitimat does not
have legal standing to pursue court action against the company. In response to the ruling
the Mayor of Kitimat said that “Aluminum production in Kitimat is very profitable, but
power sales are even more profitable. Now the company [Alcan] wants to keep the
resource and sell the power, reneging on its contractual commitment to the jobs and
economic benefit for which the resource was exchanged.”14 The District vowed to
continue the legal fight.
• New Jersey – Alcancorp is a third party defendant in a suit seeking response costs
initiated by the State of New Jersey in 1995. Alcancorp allegedly used a disposal
company that dump hazardous material in a landfill site in Pennsauken.15
• France – In 1999, a site owned by one of Alcan’s French subsidiaries, Lawson Mardon
Trentesaux SA, was investigated. The land was found to be contaminated by solvent, fuel
and chemical products resulting from engraving and packaging activities.16
10
“EPA: Alcan pays nearly $14 million for hazardous waste cleanup in Oswego and Fulton”, The Associated Press and
Local Wire, March 24, 2004
11
Alcan’s 2004 annual report, p. 90
12
“Kitimat District accuses Alcan of reneging on contract”, Financial Post, January 17, 2004
13
“District of Kitimat and Ville de Saguenay comment on Alcan power sales”, Canada NewsWire, March 10, 2004
14
“B.C. Supreme Court denies Kitimat’s right to standing on Alcan power sales issue”, Canada NewsWire, January 14,
2005
15
Alcan’s 2004 Annual Report, p. 35
16
ibid
11
2. Economic Profile
2.1 Financial Data
Data 2004 2003 % change
Revenue $24.88 billion $13.85 billion % 79
Profit $258 million $64 million % 303
Total debt $9.40 billion $9.54 billion % (1.4)
Total equity and
invested capital $31.32 billion $30.90 billion % 1.3
[Sources: Alcan 2004 Annual Report, Wall Street Journal]
Alcan’s revenues by market
Market Percentage of 2004 annual
revenue Percentage of 2003
annual revenue
Building and construction 6% 8%
Electrical 3% 4%
Beverage cans 10% 14%
Transportation 8% 7%
Aluminum Ingot 17% 18%
Packaging 37% 29%
Other 19% 20%
[Source: Alcan 2004 Annual Report, p. 33]
Alcan’s Third-Party Revenues by Business Group, 2004
(Third-Party Revenues refers to revenues from outside customers, not transactions within Alcan
Business Groups)
Business Group 2004 2003
Bauxite and alumina 1.50 billion 539 million
Rolled products Europe 3.21 billion 2.45 billion
Primary metal 4.27 billion 2.64 billion
Rolled Products Americas and
Asia 4.38 billion 3.52 billion
Engineered products 5.16 billion 1.76 billion
Packaging 6.11 billion 2.86 billion
Adjustment for equity-accounted
joint ventures (40) million 18 million
Other 263 million 36 million
Total annual revenue 24.88 billion 13.85 billion
[Alcan’s 2004 Annual Report, p.41]
Bauxite and Alumina
Close to 60% of the alumina purchased and produced by Alcan is used to meet the corporation’s
own smelting requirements. The remaining 40% is sold to third parties. Alcan currently holds 10%
of the world alumina market and 10% of the world bauxite market. The company is interested in
building a bauxite mine in Orissa (India) because it has the potential for a very low investment
and operating cost per tonne of high quality bauxite.
12
2.2 Main Customers
Aerospace:
Customers include: Boeing, ATR, Dassault, Embraer, Eurocopter, Sonaca, Socata,17 and Airbus
(Alcan is the lead supplier of aluminum plate for Airbus’ new super jumbo aircraft, the A38018).
Alcan’s aerospace market revenues19: 74% commercial; 10% regional, business, jets and others;
16% military and space. Geographically: 74% Europe, 20% North America, 6% Asia
Weapons manufacturers
In 2004 Alcan’s Engineered Products Business group Aerospace business unit generated $1.15
billion in operating revenue. Sixteen percent of this total came from sales to customers in the
military and space industries. This financial data is not insignificant, and given that Alcan claims
to be a “key supplier to both European and North American military markets”, it is clear that the
company is involved in the arms trade. Through a company acquired in 2003, Baltek, Alcan is
supplying some of the world’s largest builders of military equipment. Some of Baltek’s main
customers include:
Northrop Grumman – In 2004 Northrop Grumman selected Alcan-Baltek’s structural foam core
material for use on its Multirole Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar. The radar is mounted
on top of a Boeing 737 aircraft and is designed for Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C).
Boeing – Alcan-Baltek’s lightweight balsa compound is used in the engine intake of Boeing’s
proposed X32 fighter jet.
Lockheed Martin – Alcan-Baltek supplies Lockheed Martin with structural foam core material for
use in the construction of NASA’s next generation space shuttle.20
Alcan’s involvement with the arms industry is in contradiction of their image as a sustainable and
caring corporation.
Automotive:
Customers include: Audi, BMW, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Ferrari, Ford, GMC, Jaguar,
Land Rover, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Morgan, Oldsmobile, Opel, Peugeot, Porsche, Pontiac,
Renault, Saab Scania, Skoda Auto, Volvo, Volkswagen21.
Revenues by Customer 2003: Audi (17%), DC (16%), GM (8%), VW (7%), Kirchoff (6%), SAS
(6%), VDO (4%), BMW (4%), Tomos (3%), TRW (3%), Strojmetal (2%), Magna (2%), Other
(22%)22.
Food Packaging:
Customers include: Heinz, Cadbury Schweppes, Coca-Cola23, UB, Nestle24, Danone, Pepsico25,
Unilever, Kraft, Mars Incorporated, P&G, LVMH (Moet Hennessy, Louis Vuitton)26.
17
See website: http://www.alcanautomotive.com/overview.html, accessed on March 14th, 2005.
18
Alcan Inc 2004 Annual Report, p. 47.
19
Alcan Investor Workshop: Alcan Engineered Products, Michel Jacques, December 7th, 2004.
20
For more information on Lockheed Martin please visit the Polaris Institute website:
http://www.polarisinstitute.org/corp_profiles/public_service_gats_pdfs/lockheed.pdf
21
See website: http://www.alcanautomotive.com/partnerships.html, accessed on March 14th, 2005.
22
Alcan Investor Workshop: Alcan Engineered Products, Michel Jacques, December 7th, 2004.
23
For more information on The Coca-Cola Company please visit the Polaris Institute website:
http://www.polarisinstitute.org/corp_profiles/public_service_gats_pdfs/coca_cola.pdf
24
For more information on Nestle please visit the Polaris Institute website:
http://www.polarisinstitute.org/corp_profiles/public_service_gats_pdfs/nestle_feb_05.pdf
25
For more information on Pepsico please visit the Polaris Institute website:
http://www.polarisinstitute.org/corp_profiles/public_service_gats_pdfs/pepsi_jan_05.pdf
13
Pharmaceutical Packaging:
Customers include: BD, GlaxoSmithKline, MERCK, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi Aventis Group,
Wyeth, Aventis, Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb27.
Beauty Packaging:
Customers include: L’Oreal, LVMH, Estée Lauder, Gucci Group, YSL Beaute, Revlon, Chanel,
Wella, Beiersdorf, Puig Beauty & Fashion Group, Avon, Boots, Schiseido, P&G, Victoria’s Secret,
O Boticario, Yves Rocher.28
Tobacco Packaging:
Customers include: British American Tobacco, Philip Morris International, Philip Morris USA,
Imperial Tobacco, Reemtsma, JTI, RJ Reynolds Tobacco Holdings, Rothmans Inc., Altadis,
Gallaher Group Plc.29
Alcan and big Tobacco
Alcan is one of the biggest suppliers of packaging to the large multinational tobacco companies.
Alcan’s packaging division is in the process of expanding its operations into China, Eastern
Europe, Southeast Asia, Latin America and Russia. This strategy follows the lead of the big
tobacco multinationals who are investing in these regions. In a recent press release President
and Chief Executive Officer of Alcan Packaging Christel Bories said that the company’s “major
tobacco customers are investing heavily in South-East Asia and it is important for us to grow our
local manufacturing presence to better serve their needs.”30
2.3 Alcan and taxes
Companies like Alcan are always looking for ways to avoid paying taxes. One way to do this is to
incorporate subsidiaries inside countries where the company pays little or no taxes. Countries like
this are known as ‘tax havens’. Leo-Paul Lauzon, who recently published a study on Alcan’s tax
payment history, says that over 200 Alcan subsidiaries are incorporated in tax havens.31 He says
that by incorporating subsidiaries in tax-havens Alcan is transferring its profits offshore where the
company does not have to pay income taxes. If Alcan incorporates a subsidiary in a foreign
country with little or no income taxes, the subsidiary does not have to pay taxes. Alcan is
therefore legally allowed to become incorporated in a low-tax country, obtain a mailing address
and avoid paying taxes on foreign income. In a recent study Lauzon found that Alcan paid no
income tax between 1999 and 2003. Instead, he says that the company received $140 million in
income tax returns. In addition, Lauzon found that Alcan has $1.5 billion in deferred income tax,
26
Alcan Investor Workshop, Alcan Packaging, Christel Bories. December 7th, 2004,
http://www.alcan.com/web/publishing.nsf/AttachmentsByTitle/Investors-
Presentations/$file/2004_Investor_Day_Presentation-Packaging_Final.pdf
27
Alcan Investor Workshop, Alcan Packaging, Christel Bories. December 7th, 2004,
http://www.alcan.com/web/publishing.nsf/AttachmentsByTitle/Investors-
Presentations/$file/2004_Investor_Day_Presentation-Packaging_Final.pdf
28
Alcan Investor Workshop, Alcan Packaging, Christel Bories. December 7th, 2004,
http://www.alcan.com/web/publishing.nsf/AttachmentsByTitle/Investors-
Presentations/$file/2004_Investor_Day_Presentation-Packaging_Final.pdf
29
Alcan Investor Workshop, Alcan Packaging, Christel Bories. December 7th, 2004,
http://www.alcan.com/web/publishing.nsf/AttachmentsByTitle/Investors-
Presentations/$file/2004_Investor_Day_Presentation-Packaging_Final.pdf.
30
“Alcan Acquires Tobacco Packaging Operation in Malaysia”, Alcan Press Release, April 18, 2005,
31
From May 2, 2005 interview on “The Current”, Canadian Brodcasting Corporation Radio One,
http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/2005/200505/20050502.html
14
which is similar to a permanent loan where Alcan pays no interest and will never have to pay.32
Please see Appendix 2 on page 40 for a complete list of Alcan’s subsidiaries.
2.4 Corporate Welfare
Most of Alcan’s financial help from governments comes in the form of subsidized electricity rates.
Some cases include:
• Kitimat – At Alcan’s operations in Kitimat, British Columbia, B.C. Hydro pays the water
rental fees on the water the company uses to generate electricity at its Kemano
hydroelectric dam.33
• Cameroon – Alcan’s electricity costs for their smelter in Cameroon are subsidized by
local ratepayers. The smelter pays discounted prices for the electricity required for
operation while local residents pay higher rates. This in a country where the vast majority
of people do not have access to electricity. See the Social Profile below for details about
Alcan’s Cameroonian operations.
2.5 Restructuring
“As we flow into 2005, much more of the synergies will be coming from restructuring and people
reductions. And in fact, of course, we have accounted for the social plan costs”34 Dick Evans,
Alcan Executive Vice President:
• In late 2004, Alcan announced restructuring efforts at nine European sites. Alcan
committed to a plan to sell two high purity businesses in France. Alcan is actively
pursuing potential purchasers and expects the sales to be completed by the end of 2005.
The restructuring efforts also include the downsizing of four sites: Lafon in Italy, Kolin in
the Czech Republic, Froges (pharmaceutical workshop) in France and Alcan Mass
Transportation Systems (AMTS) business unit in Zurich, Switzerland, as well as three
plant closures: Flemalle in Belgium, Cruseilles in France, and Garbagnate in Italy. The
downsizing will result in cutting approximately 520 jobs in Europe (Alcan presently
employs 46,000 people in Europe and said the cuts will be partially offset by the expected
creation of 40 new jobs in France and Switzerland) 35.
• On August 19, 2004, Alcan announced a proposal to consolidate its U.K. aluminum sheet
rolling activity at its plant in Rogerstone, Wales. Production ceased at the rolling mill in
Falkrik, Scotland in December 2004 and the rolling mill is expected to close during the
first quarter of 2005. Sixty-five employees were terminated as at December 31, 200436.
2.6 Spinoff off Novelis
On January 6, 2005, Alcan completed the spin-off of Novelis Inc. (Novelis) to its shareholders.
Novelis consists of substantially all of the aluminum rolled products businesses held by Alcan
prior to its 2003 acquisition of Pechiney, together with “some of Alcan’s alumina and primary
metal-related businesses in Brazil, which are fully integrated with the rolled products operations
32
ibid
33
Wozney, R., “Mayor’s Report”, March 14, 2005,
http://www.city.kitimat.bc.ca/whatsnew/alcan_power_sales/mayor_messages/20050314_mayors_report.pdf
34
Alcan Inc. Earnings Conference Call, FD (Fair Disclosure) Wire, February 8, 2005
35
“Alcan Reports Fourth Quarter Results,” Canada NewsWire, Tuesday, February 8, 2005
36
“Alcan Reports Fourth Quarter Results,” Canada NewsWire, Tuesday, February 8, 2005
15
there, as well as four former Pechiney rolling facilities in Europe…”37 The spin-off makes
beverage-can sheets and other products for companies like Coca-Cola Co.38
2.7 Pechiney Hostile Take Over
In December 2003, Alcan completed a $4.4 billion acquisition of Pechiney, the French Aluminum
Group39. Alcan has absorbed Pechiney’s operations, and gained a significant foothold in the
aeronautics industry (including supplying Airbus). Industry experts estimated that the merged
group would see its share of the European market “exceed 70 per cent in some areas of
production”. They calculate that it may attain “around 80 per cent of the European market for
aluminium boxes, 60 per cent of the market for rolled products for the automotive sector, and a 40
per cent share of European production of narrow strip products”.40
2.8 Some of Alcan’s New or Planned Investments:
May 2005: United States – In May 2005, Alcan signed an exclusive supply agreement with U.S.
tobacco giant R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJR). Alcan will supply RJR Tobacco with
printed tobacco packaging including folding cartons and labels. Alcan will build a new facility
close to RJR Tobacco’s plant in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.41
April 2005: Malaysia – Alcan acquired the tobacco packaging interests of CM Printing Sdn Bhd
(CMP) in Malaysia. The move is a further step in Alcan’s strategy of establishing its packaging
operations in emerging markets.42
March 2005: China – Alcan purchased a packaging manufacturing site in the Suzhou region of
China. The site will be equipped to produce plastic and aluminum packaging for make-up and
personal care products for the company’s global customers and the local market. Production will
begin by the end of 2005.43
January 2005: Russia – In January 2005 Alcan announced that it will invest $55 million in
Russia’s packaging market by building and equipping two new plants near Moscow and St.
Petersburg. The Moscow plant will focus on flexible packaging for the confectionary and dairy
markets and the St. Petersburg plant will produce tobacco packaging. A company press release
stated that “these projects are a part of Alcan Packaging’s strategy to develop its geographic
footprint in growing economies.”44
37
“Alcan Reports Fourth Quarter Results,” Canada NewsWire, Tuesday, February 8, 2005
38
“Alcan tightens focus,” Cheryl Meyer, Daily Deal, Friday, December 24, 2004
39
“Ratings Review: Dec. 10, 2003” Daily Deal/The Deal, Thursday, December 11, 2003
40
“Pechiney Employees Warn Against Eu Haste In Decision On Takeover By Alcan (Les Salaries De Pechiney Veulent
Un Examen Approfondi De L’offre
D’alcan)” Global News Wire
– Europe Intelligence Wire, Le Monde, Financial Times
Information Limited, September 27, 2003
41
“Alcan Secures Exclusive Tobacco Packaging Supply Agreement With R.J. Reynolds”, Alcan Press Release, May 2,
2005,
ith+R.J.+Reynolds
42
“Alcan Acquires Tobacco Packaging Operation in Malaysia”, Alcan Press Release, April 18, 2005,
43
“Alcan Purchases Manufacturing Site in China for Beauty and Personal Care Products”, Alcan press release, March 22,
2005,
sonal+Care+Products
44
“Alcan To Invest US$55 Million In Growing Russian Packaging Market”, Alcan press release, January 1, 2005,
Market
16
September 2004: Australia – Alcan announced in September 2004 the expansion of the Gove
aluminum refinery in Northern Australia. The $1.3 billion expansion would increase the refinery’s
production by 30%.45
June 2004: Oman – In June 2004 Alcan announced the signing of a Memorandum of
Understanding with the Oman Oil Company (OOC) and with the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity
Authority (ADWEA) for a 20 percent equity interest in the development of a proposed aluminum
smelter project in Sohar, Oman. The smelter would have a 330 kiloton per year capacity.
Construction is expected to begin in the second half of 2005 and be operational by the end of
2007. 46
June 2004: South Africa – On June 29, 2004, Alcan announced that “Alcan officials and a South
Africa delegation are continuing to examine the best value-creating alternatives offered by the
aluminum smelter project originally proposed by Pechiney in Coega, South Africa.”47
May 2004: Guinea – In May 2004 the world’s largest aluminum producers, Alcan and Alcoa,
signed a memorandum of understanding with the Guinean government to build a 1.5 million
tonnes per year alumina refinery. Alcan holds a 43% interest in Halco Mining Inc, Its joint venture
with Alcoa, which owns 51% of the Guinean mining company Compagnie de Bauxites de Guinea
(CBG). The remaining 49% of CBG is owned by the government of Guinea. CBG has exclusive
rights through 2038 to Guinea’s bauxite reserves and resources in a 10,000 mile area in the
northwestern part of the country. CBG’s open pit mine operations in Guinea constitute the biggest
bauxite mining complex in the world.48
March 2004: China – On March 10, 2004, Alcan announced it had secured the necessary
regulatory and government approvals to move forward with the definitive joint venture agreement
with Qingtongxia Aluminum Company and the Ningxia Electric Power Development and
Investment Co. Ltd. In the Agreement, Alcan will invest up to “$150 million for a 50% participation
and a secure power supply in an existing 150 000 tonnes modern pre-bake smelter located in the
Ningxia autonomous region in China”. The agreement also includes giving Alcan a “substantial
operating role and the option to acquire, through additional investment, up to 90% of a new 250
000-tonne potline already under construction.”49
2004: Ghana – Alcan currently operates a bauxite mine in Awaso, Ghana through the Ghana
Bauxite Company50. In 2004, Alcan bought the remaining 35% shares in the Ghana Bauxite
Company from the Ghanan Government.51
October 2003: Malaysia – On 8 October 2003, Alcan announced that it had increased its
ownership position in the Aluminium company of Malaysia (ALCOM) from 36% to 59%. At the
time, Alcom employed 360 people at its Bukit Raja operation near Kuala Lumpur.52
2.9 Recent Acquisitions (excluding Pechiney)
45
Alcan Investor Report: Bauxite and Alumina, Micheal Hanley, December 7th, 2005.
46
“Adwea In $ 2b Oman Smelter Deal” Global News Wire – Asia Africa Intelligence Wire, Financial Times Information, Al
Nisr Publishing LLC, February 24, 2005
47
Alcan Report to the Securities and Exchange Commission – Form 10-Q, For the quarterly period ended September 30,
2004. p.9.
48
“Commodities: Market Review: Aluminium – Guinea”, Global News Wire – Asia Africa Intelligence Wire Copyright 2004,
Financial Times Information, Africa Research Bulletin (ARBE), November 16, 2004.
49
Alcan Report to the Securities and Exchange Commission – Form 10-Q, For the quarterly period ended September 30,
2004. p.9.
50
Alcan Inc. 2003 Annual Report.
51
“Ghana: Economy Turned Around?” Global News Wire – Asia Africa Intelligence Wire, Financial Times Information,
Blackwell Publishers Ltd, Africa Research Bulletin (ARBE), November 16, 2004.
52
Alcan Report to the Securities and Exchange Commission – Form 10-K, For the fiscal year ended 31 December 2003.
p.9
17
• On March 5, 2003, Alcan Inc. announced that it had entered into agreements to acquire
Baltek Corporation, the world’s leading s
upplier of balsa-based structural core materials,
for approximately $35 million.53 Alcan’s 2004 Annual Report cites that this transaction
cost $38 million.54
• On September 25, 2003, Alcan announced that it had agreed to acquire the
Uniwood/Fome-Cor Division of Nevamar for US$95 million (Uniwood/Fome-Cor was one
of the largest U.S.-based manufacturers of foam-based display boards).55
• In April 2003, Alcan acquired VAW Flexible Packaging (FlexPac) from Norsk Hydro at a
cost of $302 million.56 FlexPac included 14 plants in 8 countries and 5,400 employees. As
a result of acquiring Flexpac, Alcan also acquired 63% of the total issued share capital of
Strongpack Plc in Thailand, and went on to acquire an additional 12% of Strongpack in
June 2003.57
• In September 2002, Alcan acquired a 40% ownership in the Aluminerie Alouette
consortium.58
2.10 Investment in unconsolidated affiliates (Joint ventures)59
Sor-Norge Aluminium AS (50%)
Aluminium Norf GmbH (50%)
Consortium Strojmetal A.S. Kamenice & Alcan Singen GmbH (50%)
Rhenaroll S.A. (50%)
Halco (Mining) Inc. (45%)
Queensland Alumina Limited (41%)
Alcan Propack Chengdu Co. Ltd. (26%)
Mineracao Rio Do Norte S.A. (13%)
Petrocoque S.A. – Industria E Comercio (25%)
Pechiney Reynolds Quebec Inc. (50%)
Alucam – Compagnie Camerounaise de l’Aluminum (46.67%)
Socatral – Societe Camerounaise de Transformation de l’Aluminium (29.96%)
Airlessystems (50%)
Alcan Ningxia Aluminium Company Limited (50%)
Euronorca Partners (50%)
2.11 Main Advertising Firms
Cossette Communications Group – Group members Optimum Public Relations and Fusion
Alliance Marketing list Alcan as a major client. Cossette’s other clients include Bell Canada,
Coca-Cola Ltd., General Motors of Canada, The Home Depot, McDonald’s Restaurants of
Canada, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, MasterCard, Molson Breweries, Nike Canada,
Petro-Canada, The Phoenix Company, Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmaprix and TD Waterhouse
Inc.60
53
“Alcan Inc – Acquisition of Baltek Corp.” Company News Feed formerly Regulatory News Service ,AFX News Limited,
Thursday, March 6, 2003
54
Alcan Inc 2004 Annual report, p. 41
55
“Alcan Inc – Growth cont. with acq.Uniwood” Company News Feed formerly Regulatory News Service AFX News
Limited, September 25, 2003
56
Alcan Inc 2004 Annual Report, p. 41
57
Alcan Inc 2004 Annual Report, p. 83
58
Alcan Inc 2004 Annual Report, p. 85
59
Alcan’s 2004 Annual Report P. 77
60
“Cossette Communication Group Acquires Majority Stake in Award-winning U.S. Public Relations Firm PainePR”,
Canada NewsWire Ltd. Monday, October 4, 2004
18
Marketexplorers has completed marketing research for Alcan (other customers include RBC
Royal bank, Shaw Cable, Western Canada Lotteries, The Insurance Corporation of B.C. and The
Future Shop).61
Strawberry Creative Agency, a London based marketing company, cites Alcan as one of its
customers. Its other customers include Fujitsu, BMW, HSBC Bank, Motorola, Pharma Marketing
Academy, and Umbro.62
Smith and Haroff, a public relations (including political/lobbying issues) firm based in the US,
has worked with Alcan.63
LVBA Communications created an “Alcan Good Citizen Guide” in 2000, and highlighted
corporate social responsibility in Brazil.64
Low & Associates Inc., A Washington-area Public Relations Firm, has been linked to Alcan65.
Tecsult, A Quebec Engineering firm, managed a public-participation program associated with the
implementation of an Alcan aluminum smelter in Alma (Quebec)66.
Alcan has been a client of Public Relations Partners, a firm based out of Cleveland67.
2.12 Marketing Strategies
According to an investor’s meeting with Merrill Lynch in December 2004, Alcan’s management is
targeting a 35% debt to total equity ratio68, and is planning to double the value of the company
every five years.69 “Merrill Lynch said Alcan is counting on a further upturn in the Business cycle
by remaining in high-margin upstream businesses (alumina and aluminum) and in high-margin
downstream markets (aerospace and exterior auto sheet applications), which are capital-
intensive”70. With its spin-of of Novelis, Alcan is further focusing on “its bauxite and alumina,
primary aluminum and high-growth packaging and engineered products businesses”71.
According to Merrill Lynch, “Alcan continues to restructure its portfolio assets by
closing/consolidating facilities, including workforce reduction, and investing on the primary side
where there exist power and raw material advantages”72. Merrill Lynch is looking for Alcan to seek
“upstream growth” through “greenfield and brownfield73 expansions”, following an investor
meeting with Alcan in December, 200474. Alcan Packaging has stated the goal of changing their
“geographical footprint” and building a “significant presence in Eastern Europe, Russia, China,
61
“Survey shows overwhelming Canadian Support for bid to host 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games”, PR
Newsire Europe, Monday, February 24, 2003
62
Strawberry Media Portfolio, Available from: http://www.strawberrymedia.com/2005.3/english/contact.asp, accessed on
March 21, 2005
63
Smith and Haroff website, Available from: http://www.smithharroff.com/clients_corporate.htm, accesed on March 21,
2005
64
LVBA website. Available from: http://www.lvba.com.br/english/cases/case_alcan06.html, accessed on March 21st, 2005
65
“Largest Public Relations Firms In The Metro Area”, Available from: http://www.bivings.com/news/ranking1999.html,
accessed on March 21, 2005
66
“Tecsult Communications”, Available from:
http://www.tecsult.com/Page/Anglais/Secteurs/Economie/Communication.htm, accessed on March 21, 2005
67
“PRP Firm Profile 2004”, Available from: http://www.prpartners.com/Documents/PRPProfile.pdf, accessed on March 21, 2005
68
This ratios indicates how much the company is leveraged (in debt) by comparing what is owed to what is owned. A high
debt to equity ration could indicate that the company may be over-leveraged, and should look for ways to reduce its debt.
69
“Alcan to seek upstream growth…” Metals Week, The McGraw-Hill Companies, December 13, 2004
70
“Analyst views mixed on benefits of Alcan rolled spin-off” Metals Week, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., May 24,
2004
71
“Alcan tightens focus,” Cheryl Meyer, Daily Deal, Friday, December 24, 2004
72
“Alcan to seek upstream growth…” Metals Week, The McGraw-Hill Companies, December 13, 2004
73
A brownfield expansion is an investment that provides incremental capacity to an existing smelter. A Greenfield
expansion is one that involves investment in building a new plant. Alcan Inc. 2004 Annual Report, p. 114
74
“Alcan to seek upstream growth…” Metals Week, The McGraw-Hill Companies, December 13, 2004
19
select Southeast Asian countries, Mexico and Brazil”75. Alcan’s language in investor workshops
focuses on “geographic expansion in eastern Europe and China”, “innovation” and “portfolio
enrichment through acquisitions and divestments”76.
2.13 Alcan’s major competitors
Primary Metal and Bauxite and Alumina:
• Alcoa (based out of USA),
• Rusal and Sual (based out of Russia),
• GAPCO (Japan)
Alcan Packaging77:
Food Flexible:
• Europe: Amcor, Sealed Air, Constantia, Huhtamaki
• Americas: Bemix, Sealed Air, Winpack, Printpack
• Asia: Dai Nippon, “Locals”
Pharmaceutical:
• Flexibles: Constantia, Amcor
• NA Plastics: Owens, Druf Plastics
• Glass Tubing: Schott, Gerresheimer
• Medical Flexible: Amcor, Bemis
Beauty:
• Tubes: Tupack, Betts, Essel
• Rexam, Risdom, Alpla
Tobacco:
• Europe: Amcor, Field, Westvaco, Mayr Melnhof
• Americas: IP Shorewood, RJR
• Asia: Amcor
Alcan Aerospace78:
• Alcoa
• Corus
Alcan Composites79:
• Alcoa
• Reynolds
• Mitsubishi (in the Asia/Pacific Region)
75
Alcan Investor Workshop, Alcan Packaging, Christel Bories. December 7th, 2004
76
Alcan Investor Workshop: Alcan Engineered Products, Michel Jacques, December 7th, 2004
77
Alcan Investor Workshop, Alcan Packaging, Christel Bories. December 7th, 2004
78
Alcan Investor Workshop: Alcan Engineered Products, Michel Jacques, December 7th, 2004
79
Alcan Investor Workshop: Alcan Engineered Products, Michel Jacques, December 7th, 2004
20
3. Political Profile
3.1 Political Connections
Travis Engen, President, CEO and Director, Alcan – Engen is a former member of United
States Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s Defense Business Board. Rumsfeld set up the
Board, which consists of twenty business executives, to provide the Defense Department with
advice on management improvements in the interests of the Department of Defense. The
objective of the Board is to enhance the effectiveness of organizational support to the United
States’ military.
Daniel Gagnier, Senior Vice President, Corporate External Affairs, Alcan – Gagnier has held
a number of positions with the Government of the Province of Saskatchewan and the Federal
Government of Canada. From 1972 to 1982 Gagnier occupied various diplomatic positions with
Canada’s Department of External Affairs in Mexico, the United Kingdom, Yugoslavia and Ottawa.
Between 1982 and 1984 he was the executive director of the Canadian Unity Information Office,
part of the federal Department of Justice, following which he was appointed by the Privy Council
Office as assistant secretary to the Cabinet (Communications). In 1985, Mr. Gagnier joined the
Saskatchewan Government as deputy minister, economic development and trade, a position he
held until 1987. 80
Brenda Pulley, Vice President, Government Affairs, Alcan Aluminum Corporation (Alcan’s
U.S. subsidiary) – Prior to joining Alcan Pulley served as Legislative Assistant to Ike Skelton,
member of Congress from Missouri. She has also worked as Legislative Assistant for the U.S.
House of Representatives Subcommittee on Small Business.
Onno Ruding, Member of Alcan’s Board of Directors since 2004 – Ruding is a former
Minister of Finance of the Netherlands and formerly worked as an Executive Director of the
International Monetary Fund (IMF).
3.2 Big business associations
Alcan is a member of the following industry associations. The company’s affiliation with these
lobby groups provides them with the ability to influence policy makers in Canada, the United
States and around the world. In addition to the groups listed below, Alcan is a member of industry
associations in the packaging industry.
Aluminum Association81 – The Aluminum Association is a lobby group that represents the
interests of the primary producers of aluminum, aluminum recyclers and producers of fabricated
products. Amongst other things, this group lobbies the United States Government on behalf of the
aluminum industry to keep energy prices for aluminum producers low.
Aluminium Association of Canada82 – The Aluminum Association of Canada (AAC) represents
the interests of the Canadian aluminum industry. The AAC is made up of three member
companies: Alcan, Alcoa and Alumineries Alouette Inc.
Aluminum Federation Ltd.83 (ALFED) – The Aluminum Federation represents the interests of
the UK aluminum industry. Its mission is to promote the interests of its members and to expand
80
Standards Council of Canada, of which Daniel Gagnier is Chairman.
http://www.scc.ca/en/about/governance/council/councilmemberdetails_16.shtml
81
http://www.aluminum.org/
82
http://aac.aluminium.qc.ca/anglais/
83
http://www.alfed.org/xpor/home
21
the market for aluminum products in the UK. The Aluminium Federation has a very strong
influence among dozens of members of the British parliament, with whom they interact on a
regular basis regarding issues concerning the aluminum industry in the UK. In 2001, the group
managed to withdraw a climate change levy that was imposed on aluminum producers by the
British Government (starkly contradicting Alcan’s position on lowering emissions). They pursued
the matter by lobbying members of parliament. David Harris commented on this lobby effort
saying that the “government has understood our point of view and later withdrew the levy.”84
Alcan Smelting & Power UK’s W.E. Jones serves as Vice President on Alfed’s Council.
Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE) – Alcan CEO Travis Engen is a member of the
CCCE, he is also one of the group’s directors. The CCCE is Canada’s largest and most powerful
business lobby group. It lobbies for the interests of its membership made up of Canada’s largest
corporations many of which are subsidiaries of foreign multinationals. Headed by Thomas
D’aquino and formerly known as the Business Council on National Issues (BCNI), the CCCE
played a key role in spearheading the original free trade agreement between Canada and the
United States. Recently the CCCE has been pushing for even greater economic integration with
the United States through its North American Security and Prosperity Initiative (NASPI), a five
point plan of action to secure the free movement of goods, capital and services across borders.
Through their membership in the CCCE, Alcan has access to the highest level of policy makers in
the Canadian Government.
Canadian Manufactures and Exporters (CME)85 – The CME is the leading business network in
Canada, representing 90% of Canada’s Exports and 75% of manufacturing. They are the main
business lobby pushing of the FTAA and the WTO in Canada, including the General Agreement
on Trade in Services (GATS) agenda. They advocate for government to set an agenda that is
“business friendly” (i.e. ripe for corporate profits). They offer their members “meetings”,
“friendships”, and “incredible access” to top government officials. Daniel Gagnier, Alcan’s Senior
VP for corporate and external affairs, is the Chair of the CME.86
European Aluminium Associations (EAA)87 – The EAA is a lobby group that represents the
interests of the Aluminum industry in Europe. Its membership is made up of corporations, national
associations, the Organisation of European Aluminium Smelters and Refineries and the
European Aluminum Foil Association. The EAA’s objective is to help the aluminum industry grow
in European markets and to maintain and improve the image of the industry. In February 2005 the
EEA began lobbying the European Union to act on high energy prices.88
International Aluminum Institute (IAI)89 – The IAI is the global forum of aluminum producers. It
promotes the wider use of aluminum worldwide. Alcan CEO Travis Engen is the IAI’s Chairman.
Over the past four years the IAI has been publishing studies and reports designed to construct an
environmentally friendly profile of the aluminum industry.
United Nations Global Compact – Alcan became a participant of the United Nations Global
Compact in 2004. The Global Compact is an agreement based on ten principles of human rights,
environmental protection, labour rights and corruption designed to promote ‘responsible corporate
citizenship’.90 The Global Compact is a voluntary initiative which is not defined as a binding set of
regulations nor as a code of conduct for companies. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan defines
the Global Compact as a dialogue forum to promote mutual learning among corporations. To
become members of the Global Compact, a corporation’s CEO must send a letter to Secretary
84
“Gulf should form regional aluminium body”, Gulf News, November 14, 2001
85
The CME’s website is, http://www.cme-mec.ca/
86
For more information on the CME visit the Polaris Institute’s website,
http://www.polarisinstitute.org/polaris_project/public_service/lobby_cartels/CME.htm
87
http://www.eaa.net/
88
Hollinger, P., “Alcan’s Europe smelters hurt by energy costs”, The Financial Times, April 18, 2005
89
http://www.world-aluminium.org
90
United Nations Global Compact Website, http://www.unglobalcompact.org/Portal/Default.asp?
22
General Kofi Annan expressing support for the Compact and its principles, set in motion changes
to business operations so that the Compact will become part of the company’s business strategy,
culture and day-to-day operations. Compact members are also expected to publicly advocate the
Global Compact through press releases and speeches. In a statement released by EarthRights
International in June 2004 in response to the UN’s Global Compact Leaders’ Summit, the group
said that the Global Compact “cannot adequately address corporations’ negative social and
environmental impact…[it] distracts Governments and the UN from necessary steps to establish
an effective intergovernmental framework on corporate accountability…[it] provides little but a
public relations cover for global corporate malefactors.”91
World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) – The WBCSD is a coalition
of 170 international companies who claim to be committed to sustainable development through
“economic growth, ecological balance and social progress”. Alcan CEO Travis Engen sits on the
WBCSD’s Executive Committee. The WBCSD’s mission is to “provide business leadership as a
catalyst for change toward sustainable development, and to promote the role of eco-efficiency,
innovation and corporate social responsibility”. The WBCSD is a notorious “greenwasher”,
responsible for presenting itself and its members as environmentally friendly and compassionate.
It sees large corporations as the best avenue for ‘sustainable development’ and believes that
companies like Alcan should be the leaders in meeting the United Nations’ Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs). The WBCSD is a strong advocate for public-private partnerships.
The group’s membership boasts such environmentally and socially responsible corporations as,
British Petroleum, The Coca-Cola Company, Chevron/Texaco, Shell and Suez.92
World Economic Forum (WEF) – Alcan CEO Travis Engen chairs the World Economic Forum’s
(WEF) Water Initiative. The WEF’s Water Initiative is designed to facilitate corporate involvement
in water resources management and promotes market based strategies for water management
for the benefit of the private sector. Through Engen’s involvement with the water initiative, Alcan
is contributing to the WEF in its mission to advance neoliberal economic policies and the interests
of its members made up of the world’s largest corporations. Two thousand political, business and
academic elites meet in Davos Switzerland for the WEF’s annual meetings. The WEF takes credit
for launching the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs which led to the
creation of the World Trade Organization.93
91
“Joint civil society statement on the Global Compact and corporate accountability”, June 23, 2004,
http://www.earthrights.org/news/ngogcstatement.shtml
92
the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s 2004 Annual Report,
http://www.wbcsd.ch/web/publications/ar2004.pdf
93
New Internationalist Magazine, “The Naked Lobbyist”, New Internationalist, No. 347, July 2002
23
4. Social Profile
4.1 Social track record
This section exposes how Alcan has had major problems in a number of their operations around
the world.
4.1.1 India94
“Alcan is pleased to be collaborating with Hindalco on this Project as, like Alcan, the Aditya Birla
group is driven by a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) perspective and a performance ethic
pegged on value creation for its multiple stakeholders…Alcan has a successful track record for
such joint ventures (including in Australia, Brazil [see section below] and Africa) based on its
global experience of working in more than 55 countries and regions. As for Utkal, the
partners…share the same commitment to moving forward with a Project that is economically,
socially and environmentally sustainable well into the future.”95
Alcan has had operations in India since 1938. The company’s latest project in India in the eastern
state of Orissa – a joint venture project with Indian corporation Hindalco – has had major
problems since its beginning in 1993. This section provides a look at the main timelines and
players involved in Alcan’s operations in Orissa. The final section on ongoing resistance
campaigns against Alcan’s involvement provides an important resource for those interested in
joining the struggle to get Alcan out of India, or for those looking for more information on the
controversy surrounding the company’s operations in the country.
Kashipur block in the Rayagada district of Orissa contains one of the largest deposits of bauxite
ores in the world. For a company that relies on cheap and abundant sources of bauxite for their
overall operations, the deposits in India are incredibly desirable. In 1993, a consortium of private
companies, collectively known as UAIL (Utkal Alumina International Ltd), was formed to initiate a
project to extract these ores and produce alumina. UAIL was initiated as a joint venture between
Indal (India), Tata Industries (India), Norsk Hydro (Norway) and Alcan (Canada).96 The project,
which is slated for an area chiefly occupied by Adivasis (indigenous people of India), will lead to
large scale displacement and loss of livelihood for the local population. The project, part of a
broader program of industrialization in the state, will also result in massive environmental
degradation. The people of Kashipur have opposed the project since its inception and their ten
year struggle against the project culminated in deadly violence when police fired on a crowd of
unarmed protesters killing three people.
The local population and opponents to the project say that India’s constitution and Supreme Court
rulings protect tribal areas from being expropriated by corporations. The state government,
however, claimed the land as theirs and then handed the concession to Utkal Alumina
International Ltd. (UAIL) Alcan, meanwhile, has consistently painted a picture of an accepting and
gracious local population eager for the project to go ahead. Alcan has also been successful in
hiding behind its rhetoric on corporate social responsibility and sustainable development in order
to gloss over its participation in this destructive project.97
94
The information in this section is taken directly from the Alcan’t in India Campaign website,
http://www.saanet.org/alcant/context.htm#details
95
Please see Alcan’s recently posted Frequently Asked Questions and Powerpoint Presentation dealing with the project
on their website for details: http://www.alcan.com/web/publishing.nsf/Content/Joint+Venture+in+Orissa
96
See the Organizational Profile for more details regarding Alcan’s financial interest in the project.
97
Please see Alcan’s recently posted Frequently Asked Questions and Powerpoint Presentation dealing with the project
on their website for details: http://www.alcan.com/web/publishing.nsf/Content/Joint+Venture+in+Orissa
24
Alcan’s operations in India since 1938
The following is a time-line of Alcan’s various projects in India and their percentage ownership:
1938 – Alcan becomes a 50.5% owner of the Indian Aluminium Company, Limited (Indal). From 1938 until 1979 Indal was
responsible for: starting a sheet mill at Belur; building India’s first smelter at Alupram; building an aluminum refinery at
Alupram; building a smelter at Hirakud; building a foil mill at Kalwa; building a smelter and alumina refinery at Belagaum;
building a sheet mill at Taloja; purchased a powder and paste plant at Kalwa; starting research laboratories at Belgaum
and Taloja.
1987 – Alcan reduces its equity in Indal from 50.5% to 39.6%.
1992 – Alcan, Indal and Tata sign a memorandum of understanding for the Utkal Project’s joint feasibility study. The
project plans to build a bauxite mine and refinery in India’s Orissa Province. At this point Alcan was not an equity partner
in the project.
1994 – Alcan reduced its equity in Indal to 34.6%. Norsk Hydro joins the Utkal Project as an equity partner.
1995 – Alcan joins the Utkal Project as an equity partner (Indal 20%, Tata 20%, Norsk Hydro 40% and Alcan 20%)
1998 – Tata leaves the Utkal Project and Alcan increases its equity to 35%. Later that year Alcan increased its equity in
Indal from 34.6% to 54.6%.
2000 – Alcan sells its entire 54.6% stake in Indal to Indian giant Aditya Birla Group’s Hindalco Industries Limited.
2003 – Norsk Hydro leaves the Utkal Project after heavy pressure from Norwegian civil society groups. Aditya Birla
Group/Indal now owns a controlling 55% in the Utkal Project. Alcan increases its stake from 35% to 45%.
2005 – Indal and Hindalco merge, thus Hindalco (Aditya Birla Group) owns a 55% interest in the Utkal Project.
Police repression
On December 16, 2000, armed police entered the village of Maikanch during a meeting of
villagers opposed to the mine, and opened fire. Three people died and 8 others were injured
during the attack. That day approximately 4000 people from 15 villages were holding a meeting in
Maikanch to plan a roadblock for December 20. Two platoons of police arrived at the meeting
scaring most of the terrified villagers into the surrounding hills. The few women that stayed behind
were informed by the police that they were there with orders to fire saying that they would not
spare the remaining women and their children if they did not ask the male villagers to return to the
village. During the incident a 55 year old woman was assaulted by the police. Hearing the uproar
the men returned from the hills and were immediately met with gunfire from the police. The police
and the regional police claimed that they had been attacked by the villagers forcing the police to
open fire.98
The killings triggered a judicial inquiry that drove Alcan to declare a moratorium on the mine.
Three years later the judicial inquiry gave Alcan the green light to proceed with the project despite
finding that there was an excessive use of police force and insufficient resettlement aid for the
Adivasis. The inquiry said that the project should go ahead concluding that the local population
“cannot afford to remain backward for the sake of so-called environmental protection.”99
Police repression continued in late 2004 when community members who were protesting the
construction of police barracks. On December 2nd 2004, approximately 150 people – primarily
women – were sitting and protesting near the spot where the foundation for the barracks had
been dug. The police, who numbered between 500 and 600, ordered the protesters to disperse
so that a local politician could inaugurate the construction. The protesters refused to leave and
98
“Tribal people in India confront Alcan investment: three die”, MiningWatch Canada, January 17, 2001,
http://www.miningwatch.ca/publications/Utkal_UA.html
99
Regg Cohn, M., “Indian villagers set to battle Alcan”, Toronto Star, July 3, 2004
25
were subsequently fired upon with teargas and then charged by the police who proceeded to beat
the villagers with sticks. A number of people were injured.100
A December 3rd 2004 report from Independent Media states that “District Administration and
police have unleashed a reign of terror in the Kashipur area.”101 Since the December 2nd incident
the entire proposed project area had been sealed off by the administration and the police and no
media or outsiders were allowed to enter the villages that would be affected by the project. Police
have also reportedly resorted to indiscriminate violence against adivsis in the area.102
On December 16, 2004, the anniversary of the 2000 killings, a number of local politicians and
elected members of the state of Orissa legislation were arrested. Journalists accompanying the
delegation were beaten up and one person’s video camera was taken.103 Repression and
silencing of the media has continued in the area since the beginning of the year. In one case in
May 2005, an Indian filmmaker was roughed up by police while filming a peaceful demonstration
against the project in Tikiri (eastern Kashipur region). The filmmaker was filming a roadblock
when a number of police rushed him and attempted to take his camera from him. After seizing the
camera the police threw in on the ground and kicked it to pieces.104
Why is the project harmful for the people?
Displacement and loss of livelihood: The people of Kashipur have been farming their land for
centuries. Depriving them of their land would make them destitute since they do not have any
other avenue for earning a living. Tens of thousands of people will be displaced by this project. If
it goes ahead it will completely wipe out a self-sustained community.
Facts on displacement: Adivasis constitute less than 8% of India’s population but account for
more than 40% of India’s displaced. Conservative estimates place the number of people
displaced by “development” projects in India (since 1947) to 33 million. Approximately 1.4 million
people have been displaced by such development projects in Orissa since 1947. Mining projects
in Orissa have displaced 50,000 people and new projects are expected to displace at least
another 100,000 people.
Loss of indigenous culture: The community would be splintered and leading to a loss of
indigenous culture. The loss of community would also lead to increased insecurity for women and
children. The people will lose Baphlimali hill to the mining project, which is sacred to the people
since they believe it to be the abode of the goddess Baphlimali.
Environmental impact
The bauxite mining technique proposed in Kashipur is extremely harmful for the environment.
Effluent discharge – a by-product of bauxite refining is red mud – will be disposed of using red
mud stacking in an enclosed area giving rise to at least 125 tons of caustic soda a day. The
waste will be dumped into two streams that are the major key sources of water for the villages in
the surrounding area. Such large amount of alkaline deposit will raise the pH of the water, making
it unfit for consumption. Agriculture and aquatic life downstream will be severely affected.105
100
Huika, B., “Behind firing at Kashipur again” Independent Media, December 3, 2004,
http://prod.india.indymedia.org/en//2004/12/209923.shtml
101
“Reign of terror in Kashipur: People pay the price as the CM wants to inaugurate UAIL plant in January, 2005”,
Independent Media, December 3, 2004
102
“Kashipur: Industrialization through the barrel of a gun”, Independent Media, January 31, 2005,
http://prod.india.indymedia.org/en//2005/01/210041.shtml
103
ibid
104
“Reporters Without Borders criticises assault on filmmaker”, Indo-Asian News Service, June 3, 2005
105
Refer to http://www.saanet.org/kashipur/images/lake.jpg for an image of a waterbody polluted by the NALCO mining
project in the vicinity of Kashipur
26
Ash disposal from power generation – In order to generate the enormous amount of power
needed for the project coal fired power generators will require 2800-3000 tons of coal per day.
This is expected to generate 900-1000 tons of ash per day that will be dumped into an ash
pond.106
Overburden dumping – According to the environmental clearance given by the government, the
company does not have to take care of overburden dumping for the first five years. It is expected
that the overburden will be dumped on the slopes of the mined area leading to siltation of
streams, damage of slopes and cultivable lands.
Violation of fundamental rights – The fifth schedule of the Indian constitution guarantees the
rights of indigenous people over their natural resources and land. The adivasis will lose land that
belongs to them according to the Indian constitution.
No tangible benefits for the people – This is a 100% export-oriented mining project. All the
alumina produced will be exported since India is self sufficient in its aluminium production. There
are no plans for Kashipur after the mining is over.
Timeline of Important Events
1993
Utkal Alumina Industries Ltd. (UAIL) established to exploit bauxite reserves in Kashipur region of Orissa, India.
2000
December 16: Three villagers killed by state police who opened fire on a crowd following a meeting of the anti-mining
movement the previous day.
December 29: Inter-village council (Gram Sabha) convened where elected officials from 22 of the 24 “officially project
affected” villages pass resolution opposing the mine.
2001
Early January: 10,000 local people gather in Kashipur and proclaim, “We are not afraid to die, we will not leave our land
[for this bauxite project].”
January 20: Orissa Government initiates Judicial inquiry to investigate shootings, UAIL project construction delayed until
release and approval of judicial enquiry.
December 17: Lead investor Norsk Hydro decides to divest its share from the project. Alcan eventually takes over a
portion of Norsk’s investment in 2003, giving Alcan a total 45% share and Indal (Alcan’s former Indian subsidiary) holding
the remaining 55%.
2003
October 16: Press leak reports that Orissa Government approves the findings of the inquiry into killings and gives
company go ahead. Extract from the summary: “[The] Commission has expressed its doubt about the stated purpose of
the visit of Police force to Maikanch on 16th December, 2000, that it was to maintain law and order… excessive force was
used in that as many as 19 rounds were fired.”
November 5: Hindu Business Line: Indal CEO Dr. S.K Tamotia “hopeful that it’s ongoing…alumina project in Orissa will
be completed without further delay.”
2004
April 14th: In a Economic Times article, “ Officials in the Orissa government confirmed that Utkal Alumina International
(UAIL) has started rehabilitation and resettlement work at the plant and mining sites.”
October 19th: A 5,000 strong demonstration is held in Orissa, by the people’s movement against UAIL, demanding once
more that the project be cancelled altogether.
November 25th: Chief Minister (head of state) of Orissa, Shri Naveen Patnaik, gives clear instructions to state
bureaucrats and police superintendents that all anti-mining movements must be firmly suppressed.
December 1st: 500 armed police enter the village of Karal to inaugurate the construction of an access road and police
barracks in preparation for mining activities. Hundreds of indigenous people who gather to protest this activity are tear-
gassed and 16 of them are critically injured when police attack them with batons. In the following days, hundreds of police
are deployed into the area, arresting people indiscriminately and sealing the area off from media and outsiders.
2005
106
Refer to http://www.saanet.org/kashipur/images/pond.jpg for image of the ash pond at the NALCO mining project near
Kashipur
27
Mid-April: Alcan posts information regarding the project on their website, stating that the majority of the local population is
in favour of the project.
Status of the project
In spite of the repression, the people of Kashipur are steadfast in their opposition to the project.
Work on the project has not yet started, however the judicial enquiry into the killings of Dec 16,
2000, clearing the company and the government gives them latitude to go ahead with the project.
As of mid-April 2005, Alcan’s position on the go-ahead of the project is as follows: “The Utkal
Project is a very attractive opportunity for Alcan but it is still in a development phase- a Technical
Review is currently underway, which will then lead to a Definitive Feasibility Study and thereafter,
Construction Authorization within an approximate twelve-to-fifteen month period. In parallel, the
partners are dedicating a lot of attention to other milestones such as securing the necessary
clearances, permits, approvals and support form the appropriate government authorities
wherever such clearances/approvals are required.”107
Ongoing campaigns opposing the project
Apart from the groups in India who are campaigning to stop the project a few groups in Canada
and Norway are working to pressure Alcan to withdraw from the project. Some of the groups
include:
Alcan’t in India (http://saanet.org/alcant/) – Alcan’t in India is a solidarity group based in
Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is aimed at supporting the residents of Kashipur in their struggle to
preserve power over the development of their land and resources. As a solidarity group Alcan’t is
dedicated to making the concerns of Kashipur inhabitants heard by ALCAN and the general
public. They are an entirely volunteer-based grassroots group with no direct affiliation with any
non-governmental organizations. Alcan’t is in direct contact with both local movement leaders and
elected representatives in the Kashipur area.
MiningWatch (http://www.miningwatch.ca/) – MiningWatch Canada (MWC) is a pan-Canadian
initiative supported by environmental, social justice, Aboriginal and labour organisations from
across the country. It addresses the urgent need for a co-ordinated public interest response to the
threats to public health, water and air quality, fish and wildlife habitat and community interests
posed by irresponsible mineral policies and practices in Canada and around the world.
4.1.2 Brazil
“Practically speaking, the commencement of operations at the dam is a tragedy for the families
and workers who have lived in the Code River Valley for over 300 years and for the environment
of Minas Gerais, Brazil, The flooding of the their homeland represents a final defeat in their six-
year struggle against the Candonga Consortium to preserve the River and their cultural heritage
and to ensure their social and economic survival.”108
Alcan’s former operations in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil and its involvement in a joint
venture with Companhia Vale do Rio Doce called the Candonga Consortium, provides a clear
example of Alcan’s negative track record when dealing with population displacements. The
Consortium was created in May 2000, and was then composed of the giant Brazilian steel
107
Alcan Website, Frequently Asked Questions,
Click to access Utkal+-+Qs+and+As+-+En.pdf
108
Official correspondence no 266/04 JG/RJ, to Mr. Miloon Kothari, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Adequate
Housing, UN Commission on Human Rights, from the residents and workers affected by the Candonga Hydroelectric
Dam, http://www.global.org.br/english/arquivos/candongaenglishfinal.pdf
28
corporation Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD) and Energia Eletrica, Promocao e
Participacoes Ltda’s (EPP). Alcan became a joint venture partner in October 2001 when it bought
Energia Eletrica, Promocao e Participacoes Ltda’s (EPP) 50% share for $7.05 million U.S.109
Alcan entered into the joint venture to ensure a steady supply of electricity for its former (it is now
controlled by Novelis) smelter in Ouro Preto situated close to the Rio Doce where the dam was
eventually built. The Ouro Preto factory uses a smelting process which demands vast amounts of
power and produces high pollution emissions. Alcan closed its Jonquiere, Quebec, smelter, which
was identical to the Ouro Preto facility, because, according to CEO Travis Engen, the company
needed to make decisions that were “environmentally responsible.”110 Engen also said that
despite Alcan’s “efforts over the years to bring the Jonquière Söderberg lines up to today’s
environmental and technological standards, the reality is that this technology has a limited life
span.”111
To the people of region affected by the construction of the Candonga dam Engen’s claim of
environmental responsibility, made only 6 months before the dam went into operation, must ring
hollow. This section will cover the order of events that in the construction of the Candonga dam
and Alcan’s complicity in the destruction of the lives of over 150 families. The information in this
section is based on an Official correspondence between the Global Justice Center along with
other social justice groups and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing for
the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. The Special Rapporteur referenced the report
in his official report to the High Commission.
The concession contract for the construction of the Candonga dam was granted to the
Consortium in May 2000. This concession contract, granted by Brazil’s National Electrical Energy
Agency, gave the Consortium the right to use public goods to generate electric energy. It also
confirmed the legal responsibility of the federal agency for the supervision and control of the
environmental licensing process as well as affirmed the consortium’s responsibility for future
environmental damages and human rights violations.112
The construction plans for the dam would require the displacement of the residents of the
neighboring town of Sao Sebastao do Soberbo. The Consortium began a negotiation process
with the residents of the community in order to convince them that the dam would be good for the
community (which would later be completely inundated with water) and to negotiate
compensation for displacement. Local share croppers and gold diggers, who made their living
from the river and the land surrounding it were completely excluded from negotiating process and
only a few ever received compensation at all.113 At the beginning of the process, residents did not
know that their town would be destroyed.
The process began when technicians from the EPP contacted residents (the EPP’s share of the
Consortium was acquired by Alcan in 2001) presenting the project as scientific and
progressive.114 During the same period other tactics were used by the Candonga Consortium
(prior to Alcan’s involvement) such as organizing a party for residents and a visit to the
community of Nova Ponte where a dam had already been constructed. The residents of Sao
Sebastao do Soberbo learned from the people of Nova Ponte what the dam meant for them:
broken promises, deceptions and important losses. It was at this point that the first signs of
resistance by the residents of do Soberbo began to show.115
109
ibid, p. 14
110
“Alcan to Halt Production at its 60-Year-Old Jonquière Söderberg Aluminum Smelter in Quebec”, Alcan press release,
January 22, 2004, http://www.alcan.com/web/publishing.nsf/Content/Alcan+to+Halt+Production+at+its+60-Year-
Old+Jonqui%C3%A8re+S%C3%B6derberg+Aluminum+Smelter+in+Quebec
111
Official correspondence no 266/04 JG/RJ, to Mr. Miloon Kothari, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Adequate
Housing, UN Commission on Human Rights, from the residents and workers affected by the Candonga Hydroelectric
Dam, http://www.global.org.br/english/arquivos/candongaenglishfinal.pdf
112
ibid, p. 14
113
Ibid p. 20
114
Ibid p. 16
115
Ibid p. 16
29
The negotiations between the Consortium and the residents continued with technicians and
negotiators contacting residents by going door to door in order to assess the value of their houses
and properties. Residents of Sao Sebastao do Soberbo were generally offered to exchange their
houses and properties for a new house and land that would be built for them by the Consortium.
Property values were to be assessed by the technicians. After technicians had assessed the
property values they would return with a figure and offer the residents that amount. A Global
Justice Center investigation revealed that none of the residents were able to understand the
technicians’ numbers and calculations. The report says that the residents “had no participation
whatsoever in the assessment of the value of the properties. Contrary to these findings both
Alcan116 and Novelis117 claim that the negotiations were transparent and undertaken collectively.
The Global Justice Center investigation reported that the Consortium insisted on negotiating with
each family individually. Families, therefore, had no way of knowing how the prices offered for
their properties compared to others in the community. This led to disparities over the assessed
value of properties.118
The Global Justice Center’s report said that negotiations took place in a violent and tense
atmosphere where threats, lies and misinformation were the norm. They documented several
cases where residents received death threats for resisting selling their properties or for their
membership in the residents’ association. In one case a resident, who refused to sell his land to
the Consortium and whose house was located on the construction site, disappeared under
suspicious circumstances.119 A number of families were told that they had to give up their land
because their properties had become a public good.120 The report notes that “public good” means
the generation of electricity for private consumption at the Alcan (now Novelis) and CVRD
factories.
The Global Justice Center’s investigation said that the negotiations showed “complete disrespect
on the part of the Consortium towards the families…were dominated by violence, pressure
psychological manipulation and threats, and led to completely arbitrary results.”121 Even the State
Foundation for the Environment of Minas Gerais (FEAM) stated that the way the negotiations
were conducted could be an obstacle to the issuance of the operating license and that the
Consortium failed to respect the universality of the recognition of social and economic rights for
all of the residents. The FEAM also pointed out that the negotiation process was compromised by
the undervaluation of properties, the lack of consideration of depreciation factors due to the dam,
the lack of recognition of the functional value of the lands and the lack of consideration for the
loss of opportunities for residents.122
Few residents and landowners were ever fully compensated for their lost homes and land. Once
the residents had moved and Sao Sebastao do Soberbo destroyed, the Consortium decided to
move its office to the municipality of Rio Doce, making communications between residents and
company even more difficult.123 Many of the residents signed agreements with the Consortium to
sell their house for a brand new one in a new community that would be built by the Consortium.
The new community is located on a farm whose owners did not want to sell their land to the
Consortium, and were eventually forced to by a court order. The Global Justice Center’s report
116
Alcan Brazil website,
aCandonga
117
Novelis Brazil website,
naCandonga
118
Official correspondence no 266/04 JG/RJ, to Mr. Miloon Kothari, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Adequate
Housing, UN Commission on Human Rights, from the residents and workers affected by the Candonga Hydroelectric
Dam, http://www.global.org.br/english/arquivos/candongaenglishfinal.pdf, p. 17
119
Ibid p. 18
120
Ibid p. 17
121
ibid p. 19
122
ibid p. 21
123
ibid, p 22
30
says that the situation has yet to be resolved and the property titles have yet to be passed to the
displaced residents of the old Sao Sebastao do Soberbo. This has left many in a stressful and
tenuous situation over their right to housing.124
According to the Global Justice Center’s report the construction of the new community has been
a complete disaster for the families, the municipality of Santa Cruz do Esclavado and the state of
Minas Gerais. During the construction, which began in March 2002 (Alcan purchased EPP’s
share of the Consortium in October 2001), a number of irregularities, rights violations and
situations of disrespect were perpetrated by the Consortium.125 While the Consortium claimed that
it would provide technical support, transparency and open dialogue with the communities, work
on the new town continued unilaterally. Families who tried to access the construction site were
denied access and their needs were disrespected.
Eventually 120 homes were constructed in the new community. Families began moving to New
Soberbo in late 2003 and by December of that year 41 families had moved. Others refused to
leave the old town because of outstanding claims with the Consortium. In order to pressure
residents to move to the new city the Consortium forced the bus company to discontinue its
service to the Old Soberbo and destroyed the road between Rio Doce and the old town. The
Consortium also organized social parties in the New Soberbo in order to convince residents to
move in. Residents were also harassed by the Consortium and offered large amounts of money
to move. The school, which served as an emergency shelter during what was then the rainy
season, was eventually torn down in order to pressure residents to move out. By the end of April
2004 all of the residents except for 14 families had succumbed to the pressure and moved to the
new community.126
The displaced residents encountered a number of problems with their new houses and public
buildings in the New Soberbo. Some of the problems include: a backyard with infertile soil, which
has lead to food insecurity; the houses have serious infrastructure defects including, cracks in the
walls, water and soil infiltrations, water condensation, lack of hot water, and problems with leaky
roofs; lack of space; yellowish and brown drinking water; and increased living costs.127 The Global
Justice Center’s report states that “The Consortium simply left the families without any means of
subsistence.”128
On May 3, 2004, 192 police officers from the civil, federal, military police and security agents,
some heavily armed, showed up in the Old Soberbo to evict the final 14 families. The police were
followed by demolition material and moving trucks. What followed, as described in the Global
Justice Center’s report, was a scene of terror with the police forcefully evicting and humiliating
residents. All of the remaining houses were torn down in some cases with furniture and personal
belongings still inside. Alcan Brazil’s director of institutional relations and the Consortium’s
director of communications insisted that the use of force was justified because of threats of
resistance.129 What the Alcan employees failed to mention was that a large number of the people
left in the old town were elderly and unable to put up any resistance.
On April 2, 2004 the Nucleo de Assessoria as Comunidades Atingidas por Barrangens (NACAB),
a group made up of lawyers, economists, activist, agronomists, members of the Movement for the
Populations Affected by Dams (MAB) and the Pastoral Land Commission in Minas Gerais, filed a
civil suit against the state of Minas Gerais, Alcan, CVRD, and the Candonga Consortium in the
Trial Court of Ponta Nova. The suit challenged the legality of the dam’s Operating License that
had been issued on March 30, 2004 citing the failure to protect the rights of the affected
124
ibid, p22
125
ibid, p.22
126
ibid, p. 26
127
ibid p. 25
128
ibid p.29
129
ibid p. 27
31
population and requested an injunction against the operation of the dam.130 The NACAB asked
the judge to grant a temporary injunction and to bar Alcan, CVRD, and the Candonga Consortium
from filling the reservoir unless the socio-economic disputes mentioned in the suit be properly
resolved. On April 15, 2004, the judge from the Ponte Nova Trial Court issued the injunction
against the commencement of operations.
The judge held that defendants (Alcan, CVRD, Candonga Consortium) did not resolve all that
was required for the implementation of social and environmental measures during the
construction of the dam and that they did not fulfill their promises concluding that the operational
license should not have been granted. She also said that once the reservoir was filled there
would be no way to ensure that the outstanding claims of the community would be heard. She
then granted the injunction saying that the Operation license would be suspended until all of the
social and environmental disputes and outstanding claims were resolved.131
On April 26, Alcan and the CVRD appealed the decision. They argued a number of points,
including: that the injunction was unfair to them and the general public since it would put the
project at risk; that the general public would suffer because the energy produced would benefit
the community (in reality the electricity generated by the dam would benefit Alcan and CVRD’s
smelting operations); that there was no evidence to support the injunction saying that the
environmental licensing process occurred properly and conformed with social and environmental
legislation. In addition to its appeal, the defendants offered a $4.6 million (U.S.) legal guarantee to
the Judge in Ponte Nova in order to prove that they could pay for the outstanding claims with the
communities if they decided to resolve them.
In a setback to the resistance movement on May 18, 2004 the mayors of the neighboring
communities of Rio Doce and Santa Cruz do Esclavado filed an intervention in favour of the
Consortium. On June 4, 2004, the Consortium received further support from the Office of the
Public Prosecutor of the State of Minas Gerais, which agreed with the defendants arguing that
barring the operation of the dam will not resolve the outstanding claims and that the dam is an
irreversible reality.132
On June 14 the Trial judge upheld her decision by refusing to lift the injunction in exchange for
the defendants’ legal guarantee, stressing that the Consortium had violated their contractual
obligation to the residents. The residents and the NACAB finally lost their legal challenge on June
22 when the President of the Superior Court of Justice of the State of Minas Gerais responded to
the request for intervention by the neighboring mayors and overturned the injunction on the basis
that the public interest would be harmed if the reservoir was not filled. The Consortium began
filling the reservoir that same day.133
Soon after the reservoir was filled, representatives from the State Foundation for the Environment
of Minas Gerais (FEAM) visited New Soberbo and Santana do Deserto to ensure that the filling of
the reservoir had occurred safely and conformed to their norms and regulations. They also
inspected the resettlement projects. They noted a number of problems including: a lack of safety
measures that the Consortium had previously committed to for the filling of the dam; the failure to
construct a transportation system for fish in order to regulate reproductive cycles; a high level of
dissatisfaction among the displaced residents; serious building problems with the new homes;
unpaid compensation; unsafe roads; no roof on the new school; as well as problems with waste
management and risk from flooding.134
This case provides a clear example of how a multinational corporation is capable of permanently
altering the lives of hundreds of residents for the monetary gain of their shareholders. While Alcan
130
ibid p. 40
131
ibid p. 41
132
ibid p. 42
133
ibid
134
ibid p 43
32
is no longer legally responsible for the Candonga dam or the smelter which operates from the
electricity generated at the dam, its actions between October 2001 when it took 50% control of
the Consortium and January 2005 when Novelis assumed control of operations, contradict its
rhetoric of sustainability and transparency.
Ongoing campaigns: Justica Global/Global Justice Center (http://www.global.org.br/) – The
Global Justice Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of human rights in
Brazil through rigorous fact finding, documentation and reporting, direct action, as well as the use
of international mechanisms for the protection of human rights. The group has registered more
than 100 complaints with the United Nations special mechanisms for the protection of human
rights.
4.1.3 Cameroon – Alucam and the proposed Lom Pangar Dam
“A key factor influencing global corporations to invest in a given region is the willingness of
governments, communities and other stakeholders to work together in supporting issue resolution
and development…The balance between the financial returns and sustainable development leads
to investments that maximize value. Sustainable development in turn, involves a range of
responsibilities and concerns — for the community, for the environment and for employees — and
this can be achieved only through a productive dialogue with all the stakeholders who have a
vested interest in the region”135. Cynthia Carroll, Senior Vice President Alcan Inc., at a business
forum on globalization
Just as Alcan is cutting back its smelting operations in Canada, it is planning to double the output
of its smelting operations in Cameroon where it has 47% percent direct ownership in a joint
venture named Alucam.136 Alucam is jointly owned by Alcan (47%) and the government of
Cameroon (53). Because of the availability of cheap labour and cheap electricity, Alcan sees
Cameroon as a favourable location to increase its operations. In its 2004 annual report the
company states that “with a sharp focus on cost reduction, productivity improvement and
technology development, Alcan is continuously reinforcing its low cost primary metal position.
Alcan believes that 75% of its production is produced at costs which are lower than the world
average.”137 In the case of Cameroon, these lower than average costs are subsidized by the
Cameroonian population and come at great risk to the environment.
Alcan’s Cameroon operations produced a relatively low 40,100138 tonnes of primary aluminum in
2004. As with all of Alcan’s smelting operations, a cheap and accessible source of power is
essential for profitability. In Cameroon, Alucam consumes nearly half of the energy produced at
the country’s privatized electric utility (AES-Sonel) at greatly subsidized prices while the majority
of the population does not have access to electricity. 139 Estimates range from 78%140 to 95%141 of
Cameroon’s population does not have access to electricity. In addition, Alucam purchases its
power from AES-Sonel at below-cost energy prices. Alucam’s contract with AES-Sonel
guarantees electricity at greatly reduced rates. The joint venture purchases 40% of AES-Sonel’s
135
“Alcan Primary Metal President addresses global forum on aluminum industry’s driving factors” Alcan Inc. Press
Release, Friday March 4, 2005
136
“Lom Pangar Dam, Cameroon: Drought could cripple Cameroon’s hydro-heavy energy sector”, International Rivers
Network, Unpublished Article, April 2005
137
Alcan 2004 annual report 10-k, p. 19
138
Alcan’s 2004 smelting output around the world: 1.56 million tonnes in Canada, 196,900 tonnes in the U.S., 211,900 in
the U.K., 108,800 in Brazil, 178,400 in Iceland, 82,200 in Norway, 44,900 in Switzerland, 442,200 in France, 217,800 in
the Netherlands, 255,000 in Australia, and 43,900 in China.
139
“Lom Pangar Dam, Cameroon: Drought could cripple Cmaroon’s hydro-heavy energy sector”, International Rivers
Network, Unpublished Article, April 2005
140
Hydro Potential and Benefits for Social and Economic Development, International Journal on Hydropower and Dams,
Issue six, 2004, p. 44
141
“Lom Pangar Dam, Cameroon: Drought could cripple Cmaroon’s hydro-heavy energy sector”, International Rivers
Network, Unpublished Article, April 2005
33
total annual power generation compared to a much lower 25% purchased by low voltage
(households, small business and street lights) consumers. Comparing AES-Sonel’s source of
revenue the percentages are dramatically different, with Alucam representing approximately 12%
of the power company’s revenues while low voltage consumers cover approximately 54% of their
annual revenue.142 These statistics show that the Alucam’s electricity consumption is being
subsidized by residential consumers.
If Alucam doubles its output it will need to greatly increase its power consumption. A potential
source for this extra power would be from AES and the Cameroonian government’s proposed
Lom Pangar Dam project, which would displace rural villagers and flood protected forests. Since
Hydropower already represents 95% of Cameroon’s supply of electricity, the proposed dam
would increase Cameroon’s economic vulnerability to blackouts caused by drought.143 The
majority of the electricity generated by the proposed dam would go towards Alucam’s smelting
operations.
In 2003 The World Bank, which ironically advised the Government of Cameroon to privatize its
national power company, raised concerns about the Lom Pangar dam saying: “The Lom Pangar
dam has raised some concerns for the World Bank Group because of potential negative social
and environmental impacts related to long-term and cumulative changes in the Sanaga river
system flow regime. The flooding of a large dam catchment area would affect a portion of the
Deng-Deng forest, a biodiversity hotspot explicitly protected under current arrangements.”144
The project originates with the privatization of the national electricity company in 2001 when AES
agreed to develop the Lom Pangar dam within seven years if it was found to be the least cost
option. The project is part of AES’ 20-year contract to run the utility. If recent environmental
impact assessments comply with international standards and the project receives financing,
construction could begin as early as 2005 and be completed by 2008.145
While it is clearly in Alcan’s interest, It is unclear whether or not Alcan has a direct hand in
pushing the dam project forward. However, the Chief Executive Officer of Alcan’s Primary Metals
group was recently in Cameroon and visited the Prime Minister in late 2004. On the agenda was
the possible expansion of Alucam’s output and AES-Sonel’s obligation to develop the Lom
Pangar Dam.146
Ongoing campaign: International Rivers Network IRN (http://www.irn.org/) – This California
based group supports local communities working to protect their rivers and watersheds. The
group works to halt destructive river development projects, and to encourage equitable and
sustainable methods of meeting needs for water, energy and flood management. The IRN is
conducting research into the proposed hydroelectric dam in Cameroon.
4.1.4 Alcan in South Africa
After sustained pressure from social justice groups in Canada over its investments in South Africa
during apartheid, Alcan sold its 24% interest in South African aluminum company Hulett
Aluminum in March 1986. Alcan announced the sale only three weeks after stating that no plans
existed to dispose of their share.147 During the 1980’s Hulett Aluminum was involved in the
142
Pineau, P.O., “Transparency in the Dark: An Assessment of the Cameroonian Electricity Sector Reform”, August 12,
2004, http://web.uvic.ca/padm/faculty/pineau/pdfs/cameroonassessment.pdf
143
“Lom Pangar Dam, Cameroon: Drought could cripple Cameroon’s hydro-heavy energy sector”, International Rivers
Network, Unpublished Article, April 2005
144
ibid
145
ibid
146
“Le group Alcan Primary Metal se cherche sa voie”, The African Independent,
http://www.africanindependent.com/cam_alcan_cherche_voie112004.html
147
Gibbens, R., “Alcan reverses plans; will sell stake in Hulett”, The Globe and Mail, March 21, 1986
34
manufacture of material for military equipment, thus, according to The Task Force on the
Churches and Corporate Responsibility (TFCCR), contributing to the South African apartheid
government’s plans to prolong its armed repression in the country.148 In 1982 the TCCR filed one
of three shareholder proposals with Alcan designed to pressure the company to divest its interest
in Hulett. When the company did eventually divest its interest in 1986 it claimed it was purely a
business decision.149 Alcan was a founding shareholder of Hulett in 1949.
4.1.5 Alcan in British Columbia
In 1949 Alcan was granted permission by the Governments of British Columbia and Canada to
construct a hydro-electric dam on a watershed of its choice. Alcan chose the headwaters of the
Nechako River for its project known as Kemano I.150 The dam would ultimately provide electricity
for Alcan’s smelter in Kitimat. The construction of the dam, which reversed the flow of the river
through a 16km tunnel to a power plant in Kemano, led to the flooding of 49,000 hectares of the
Upper-Nechako watershed. The flooding removed about three-quarters of the natural flow of the
Nechako River and damaged salmon spawning grounds.151 While other options existed at the
time, Alcan chose to build the dam’s spillway out of the Cheslatta River, a tributary that emptied
into the Nechako River approximately 10km from the dam. This decision required the relocation
of the Cheslatta people from their land because the spillway would periodically flood all of the
villages along the river’s edge. In 1952, only one month before the dam would go into operation,
the Department of Indian Affairs forced the Cheslatta to relocate using questionable tactics,
including the alleged forgery of surrender documents. Adult band members received only $50 as
compensation. Eleven separate reserves were found for band members on an existing ranching
community.152 In 1998 the Cheslatta-Carrier launched a legal battle in the B.C. Supreme Court
over the hydroelectric dam saying that while band members live in poverty the federal and
provincial governments have allowed Alcan to make huge profits from the exploitation of their
land. The Cheslatta-Carrier Nation sought unspecified damages and an injunction ordering Alcan
to repair the damage done to the Nechako River by constructing a proper water flow release
system.153 In 2001, a government-industry committee recommended a $100 million project to
restore the River.154
In 1980, Alcan announced plans for the Kemano Completion Project (KCP), which proposed to
dam the nearby Nanika River and create a second reservoir that would be connected by canal to
the existing Nechako system. The KCP was designed to increase Alcan’s production of
hydroelectricity. Under pressure from critics in 1987, who claimed the expansion was Alcan’s
attempt to become a private power company, the corporation managed to conduct closed-door
meetings with federal and provincial officials who granted permission for the company to go
ahead with its plans without subjecting them to public or environmental review.
Alcan’s underhanded dealings with authorities sparked a powerful and sustained social
movement by the Cheslatta, local ranchers and Mennonites. The movement received support
from aboriginal and environmental groups from around the world. Due to growing political unrest,
B.C. Premier Mike Harcourt’s Government cancelled the KCP in 1995.155
148
Auman, A., “Churches hail Alcan’s sale of S. African unit”, The Toronto Star, March 25, 1986
149
ibid
150
Larsen, S., “Promoting aboriginal territoriality through interethnic alliances: The case of the Cheslatta T’en in northern
British Columbia”, Human Organization, Vol. 62, Issue 1, 2003
151
Kenedy, P. “Cheslatta band sues over 1950s Alcan deal”, Financial Post, April 15, 1998
152
Larsen, S., “Promoting aboriginal territoriality through interethnic alliances: The case of the Cheslatta T’en in northern
British Columbia”, Human Organization, Vol. 62, Issue 1, 2003
153
“BC band launches lawsuit against hydroelectric projects”, Canadian Press Newswire, April 14, 1998
154
“Committee recommends $100M project to restor B.C.’s Nechako River”, Canadian Press Newswire, June 7, 2001
155
Larsen, S., “Promoting aboriginal territoriality through interethnic alliances: The case of the Cheslatta T’en in northern
British Columbia”, Human Organization, Vol. 62, Issue 1, 2003
35
4.2 Environmental Track Record
“Aluminum delivers real value in terms of customer solutions that make economic sense and are
environmentally friendly.”156 Travis Engen, Chair and Chief Executive Officer
Alcan has put an enormous amount of money and energy into constructing its image as an
environmentally responsible, sustainable and green corporation. It has published sustainable
development reports listing its philanthropic and environmental actions around the world. Through
its affiliation with large international institutions, such as the United Nations Global Compact and
the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Alcan has been able to further paint its
operations as environmentally friendly and socially responsible. Alcan’s recent focus on
sustainable development and Corporate Social Responsibility is a response to greater scrutiny of
multinational corporations by civil society groups around the world. While Alcan has been able to
position itself as a ‘leader’ in sustainability its operations around the world continue to be
environmentally damaging. Alcan operates huge smelters and refineries that release dangerous
chemicals into the environment, their operations require incredible amounts of electricity from
destructive hydro electric dams, and their bauxite mines employ the most damaging form of
mining: strip mining. In addition, Alcan plans to expand its operations in the South where
environmental regulations may be less stringent. Regardless of Alcan’s effort to convince the
world that they are environmentally and socially responsible, they are a part of a very destructive
industry. Apart from Alcan’s environmental impacts mentioned in the section above, other
examples of the company’s track record are included below.
Toxic Pollution
Alcan’s Vaudreuil bauxite refining operation in Jonquière Quebec released 10,163,062 kg of
toxins in 2001.157 This included more than 10 million kg of calcium fluoride to an onsite landfill.
Calcium fluoride can irritate lungs and cause bone changes (referred to as skeletal fluorosis).158
The plant also released 3,236kg of benzo(a)pyrene to the landfill, a chemical known for causing
cancer. In 2003 the Vaudreuil bauxite project was listed as the largest discharger of toxic
chemicals by Environment Canada (as defined under the Canadian Environmental Protection
Act).159 In response to Alcan’s dumping of toxins Paul Muldoon, Executive Director of the
Canadian Environmental Law Association said: “I take little comfort when I hear that dangerous
chemicals are being buried in landfills. Sooner or later landfills leak, and people and the
environment are exposed to contaminants”.160
Alcan’s Shawinigan factory, where the company produces aluminum cables, is Canada’s third
largest source of toxic pollution.161 Between 1995 and 2001 the factory released 1 916 404 kg of
calcium fluoride, most to an off-site landfill, 65,142 kg of hydrogen fluoride to air, and 4 929 kg of
cancer-causing benzo(a)pyrene to the air”.162
Alcan in Jamaica
Alcan opened its mining operations in Jamaica in 1953 and sold out to the private Swiss company
Glencore in 2001. About one-third of Jamaica’s bauxite refining capacity changed hands during
156
Notes for an address by Richard B. Evans, Executive Vice President, Alcan Inc. and President, Aluminum Fabrication,
Europe at The International Aluminum Forum May 18, 2001,
he+Aluminum+Industry
157
No Author., “Canadian polluters increased chemical release by 20% from 1995 to 2001,” Enviromental Defense, June
19 2003, http://www.environmentaldefence.ca/pressroom/releases/20030619-e.htm
158
ibid
159
ibid
160
ibid
161
ibid
162
ibid
36
the transaction.163 Prior to its acquisition of Switzerland’s Alusuisse in 2000 Alcan had plans to
double the output of one of its Jamaican refineries. The purchase of the Swiss company,
however, gave Alcan more bauxite and alumina than it needed.164
In 2001 a report on land use and forest cover determined that bauxite mining was the single
largest cause of deforestation in Jamaica.165 The study stated that the significant degradation of
forests and watersheds occurred in mining areas in the parishes of Trelawny, St. Anne, St.
Elizabeth, Manchester, Clarendon and St. Catherine. It went on to say that the most affected
areas were in the parishes of St. Anne and Manchester. The parish of Manchester is where
Alcan’s Kirkvine facilities were located (the site continues to be mined by Glencore and
Windalco).
Porto Trombetas: bauxite mine Brazil
Alcan owns 12.5% of Mineracao Rio Do Norte along (MRN) with Alcoa (18.2%, U.S.), BHP
Billinton Plc (14.8%, Australia), Companhia Brasileira de Aluminio (10%, Brazil), Companhia Vale
do Rio Doce (40%, Brazil) and Norsk Hydro ASA (5%, Norway). MRN operates one of the world’s
largest bauxite mines in Porto Trombetas in the State of Para 880 from the city of Belem. The
region holds large reserves of bauxite. MRN’s exploitation of these reserves, which began when
the mine began operations in 1979, represents one of the worst cases of aggression against the
environment in this region of Brazil. Between 1979 and 1989, MRN dumped 24 million tonnes of
bauxite waste (tailings) into neighbouring Batata lake. The dumping caused the destruction of a
large part of Batata lake’s ecosystem. In some places the layer of bauxite at the bottom of the
lake reaches a thickness of 4.5 metres.166
4.3 Labour Track Record
For a complete history of worker struggles at Alcan’s Kitimat smelter in British Columbia please
visit the Canadian Auto Workers local 2301’s website: http://www.caw2301.ca/early.htm
Workplace deaths
An alarming number of workplace fatalities have occurred at Alcan’s worldwide operations over
the past five years (5 in 2004167, 3 in 2001168 and 3 in 2000169 statistics for 2002 and 2003 are
unavailable). Some of the cases of workplace fatalities include:
• In one case in 2001, a worker at Alcan’s Aluminium plant in Rogerstone170, South Wales
was crushed to death by a crane. The worker chose to climb across the crane after
deciding that an oil covered walkway was too dangerous to cross. The company was
fined Pounds 35,000 for the incident.171
• In 2004 a worker at Alcan’s operations in Gove, Australia was crushed while conducting
maintenance at a steam power station. The employee was working on a boiler while the
163
James, C., “New beginning for Jamaican bauxite: One-third of the island’s refining capacity has changed hands”,
Financial Times, June 13, 2001
164
“Jamaica”, Mining Annual Review, October 2001
165
Neufville, Z., “Bauxite mining blamed for deforestation”, Interpress Service, April 6, 2001
166
“Trombetas: the world’s largest bauxite mine”, Amigos da Terra – Amazonia Brasileira,
http://www.amazonia.org.br/english/noticias/noticia.cfm?id=71557
167
Alcan 2004 Annual Report,
Click to access Alcan+2004+Annual+Report.pdf
168
http://www.alcan.com/corporate/alcancom.nsf/graphics/reports/$file/csr_actions_e.pdf
169
Alcan’s 2000 Annual Report,
http://www.alcan.com/annualrp.nsf/0/b1328b3c03453bde85256a5c0053642a?OpenDocument
170
The Rogerstone plant was transferred to Novelis in January 2005
171
Stead, M., “Crushed to Death”, South Wales Echo, June 5, 2001
37
power plant was shut down when he became pinned by a piece of equipment that shifted
unexpectedly.172 Various investigations into the incident are underway.
• At Alcan’s smelter in Kitimat, British Columbia, over 20 workers have been disabled by or
have died from on-site exposures to cancerous emissions.173
Worker action
Kitimat and Arvida
In April 2005, employees at Alcan’s smelters in Kitimat, British Columbia and Arvida, Quebec
passed resolutions supporting campaigns against the company’s proposed bauxite mine and
refinery in India’s eastern state of Orissa. Canadian Auto Workers Local 2301 in Kitimat passed a
resolution saying that workers at the smelter will refuse to smelt any alumina shipped to British
Columbia from Alcan’s operation in Orissa.174
Quebec
In Late January and early February 2004 workers at Alcan’s Arvida refinery in Saguenay (who
had recently affiliated with the Canadian Auto Workers) took control of their plant.175
Between the times the plant was taken over and running it under self management in late
January and February 4th the union claimed that “the smelter has turned out 1,500 tonnes of
aluminum since then, providing Alcan with some 2.25million in sales.176”
The take over was in reaction to Alcan’s decision to close the plant in the spring of 2004, cutting
550 jobs.177 The 60 year old plant was originally slated to close in 2014.178 Alcan had stated that
all of its Canadian plants using Soderberg technology will be closed by 2015 due to inefficiency
and pollution.179
Alcan claimed that they were shutting down the plant early because of the rapid rise of the
Canadian Dollar.180 However, another source claims that the plant was closed in order to “take
advantage of the slew of pending retirements and wouldn’t have to make layoffs.181”
On January 31st 2004, 5000 people demonstrated against Alcan’s proposed closure.182
President of the Quebec Labour federation Henri Masse said “The message is simple…Alcan
must respect it promises…. There are long-term agreements with the union… (They) provide for
the preservation of employees and operations. Alcan is breaking its promises.183”
172
“Call for tough mining inquiry”, Northern Territory News, August 13, 2004
173
“Behind the Shining: Aluminum’s Dark Side”, an IPS/SEEN/TNI report, 2001,
http://www.saanet.org/kashipur/docs/seenalum.htm
174
“Alcan workers at Kitimat, B.C., refuse to smelt alumina from Orissa, India”, Canadian Press, April 13, 2005
175
No Author., “Alcan’s rolling reversal; Militant union claims production at Quebec smelter improved since it took control,”
Hamilton Spectator, February 4th 2004, p A14
176
ibid
177
No Author, “Thousands demonstrate against closing of Alcan’s Saguenay Que. Smelter,” Canadian Press News Wire,
January 31 2004
178
ibid
179
No Author., “Alcan’s rolling reversal; Militant union claims production at Quebec smelter improved since it took control,”
Hamilton Spectator, February 4th 2004, p A14
180
No Author, “Thousands demonstrate against closing of Alcan’s Saguenay Que. Smelter,” Canadian Press News Wire,
January 31 2004
181
No Author., “Alcan’s rolling reversal; Militant union claims production at Quebec smelter improved since it took control,”
Hamilton Spectator, February 4th 2004, p A14
182
ibid
183
No Author., “Thousands demonstrate against closing of Alcan’s Saguenay Que. Smelter,” Canadian Press News Wire,
January 31 2004
38
5. Shareholder Profile
3.1 Alcan’s top ten institutional investors as of March 2005
For more information regarding Alcan’s major investors please follow the links provided
Holder # of shares from
370 million
outstanding
% of total
shares Value
Morgan Stanley
http://www.morganstanley.com 21,672,135 5.86 $821,807,359
Fidelity Management & Research
https://www.fidelity.com 15,166,623 4.1 $575,118,344
Capital Guardian Trust Company
http://server.capgroup.com/capitalguardian 15,054,555 4.07 $570,868,725
McLean Budden Ltd
http://www.mcleanbudden.com 11,023,018 2.98 $417,992,842
Bankmont Financial Corp
http://www4.bmo.com 9,755,005 2.64 $369,909,789
TD Asset Management
http://www.tdassetmanagement.com 7,633,295 2.06 $289,454,546
Deutsche BK Aktiengesellschaft
http://www.deutsche-bank.de 7,263,542 1.96 $275,433,512
Franklin Resources
http://www.franklintempleton.com 6,883,189 1.86 $261,010,526
I.G. Investment Management, Ltd
http://www.investorsgroup.com 6,547,687 1.77 $248,288,291
RBC Asset Management Inc.
http://www.rbcfunds.com 6,104,144 1.65 $231,469,140
[Source: Yahoo Finance]
3.2 Alcan’s top ten mutual fund holders as of December 2004
Holder # of
shares % of
total Value
Oppenheimer Quest Balanced Fund
https://www.oppenheimerfunds.com 4,700,000 1.27 $217,704,000
Pimco Fds Multi Mgr Ser-Pea Value Fund
http://www.pimco.com 3,448,716 0.93 $164,848,624
Investment Company of America 2,500,000 0.68 $122,600,000
Pimco Fds Multi Mgr Ser-Pea Renaissance Fund
http://www.pimco.com 2,340,000 0.63 $111,852,000
Fidelity True North Fund
http://www.fidelity.ca/fidelity/cda/live/1,,english~525,00.html?strmid=54 2,200,000 0.59 $107,888,000
Templeton Institutional Funds, Inc-Foreign Equity Series
http://www.ftinstitutional.com/inst/ 2,055,803 0.56 $98,267,383
Fidelity Canadian Asset Allocation Fund
http://www.fidelity.ca/ 2,000,000 0.54 $98,080,000
Fidelity Value Fund http://www.fidelity.ca/ 1,955,960 0.53 $77,788,529
New Perspective Fund Inc
http://www.americanfunds.com/ 1,575,000 0.43 $77,238,000
39
[Source: Yahoo Finance]
3.2 Other investors
• The Canadian Pension Plan – The CPP Investment Board owns 5.6 million shares of
Alcan worth $257,549,000 (cnd).
• The Ethical Funds Company – http://www.ethicalfunds.com/
• Canada Life – http://www.canadalife.ca
• Desjardins Environment Fund – http://www.desjardins.com/
40
Appendix 1
Relevant quotes from Alcan executives and directors
Travis Engen – “Our ambition as we go forward is no less than to be the best at everything we
do … the best company to invest in, to work for, to buy from and sell to, to have as a corporate
citizen in your community. We cannot realize this ambition without our actions being a
demonstration of Corporate Social Responsibility.”184
Travis Engen, responding to media questions after Alcan’s 2005 annual general meeting where
the CEO faced critical questions from Alcan’t in India members and independent journalists
regarding the company’s activities in India – “When you stand for a certain point and talk about
your aspirations, you’re held to the standard of what you just said. When you seem to be falling
short, you’re then subject to criticism.”185
Milton Wong, Alcan Director – “I suggest that what we’ve been seeing is a convergence of
certain values under the rubric of sustainability: social values, human values and environmental
values. Taken together, they’re what I’ll refer to today as Corporate Social Responsibility. I think
corporate social responsibility is the new direction in which the best-run companies are heading.
It’s what people want.”186
Milton Wong – “Let’s be honest. The whole point of being in business is to make money.”187
Milton Wong – “We live in a more skeptical, less trusting society than we did even as recently as
50 years ago. People take nothing at face value anymore. It’s no longer good enough for
corporations to say they’re doing a good job. They have to prove it. They have to show it. It has to
be witnessed. Corporations have to be transparent enough in their actions that all of us can
see it with our own eyes.”188
Milton Wong – “no one wants to find out that a company whose shoes they wear is relying on
child labour in another country. No one wants to find out a company is dumping toxic effluent into
the river they grew up swimming in. No one wants to find out the person who picked the banana
they ate for breakfast later gave birth to a baby with defects because of the pesticides used.
When people find out things like this, they vote with their wallets. They give their business to
companies who are better behaved.”189
Travis Engen – “We know that we cannot succeed in doing what we exist to do — that is, make
money — in an unsuccessful world. We cannot use the resources we depend on without careful
stewardship. We cannot secure the skills and innovation we need in our people without
progressive educational systems. We cannot offer the quality-of-life conditions that will attract and
retain skilled workers and their families without healthy, economically viable communities. We
cannot expect society to endorse our use of resources, such as water and minerals,
unless society realizes tangible benefits from our use of these resources.”190
184
Notes for an address by Travis Engen, Conférence de Montréal (Travis Engen), June 7, 2004,
http://www.alcan.com/web/publishing.nsf/Content/Conf%C3%A9rence+de+Montr%C3%A9al+%28Travis+Engen%29
185
Marotte, B., “Alcan comes under fire by activists”, The Globe and Mail, April 29, 2005
186
“Towards Sustainability: Rewriting the Script”, a speech by Milton K. Wong, Chair of HSBC Asset Management
(Canada) Inc., Chancellor, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, B.C., Alcan Inc. Board Member, Presented to The World
Environment Centre and International Environment Forum North American Roundtable: “CSR: Building the Business
Model and the Business Case”, Montreal, Canada, October, 15, 2004,
http://www.alcan.com/web/publishing.nsf/Content/Towards+Sustainability%3A+Rewriting+the+Script
187
ibid
188
ibid
189
ibid
190
ibid
41
Richard B. Evans, Executive Vice President, Alcan Inc. and President, Aluminum Fabrication –
“In fact, I am convinced that the key to aluminum’s success in the future will depend heavily on
how effectively we present the overall life-cycle message of our metal including its unique
recyclability. If we don’t get that message across in a convincing fashion
— steel, plastics and
other competitors will attempt to divide and conquer by focusing on the negatives of a single step
in the aluminum value chain, such as bauxite mining or smelting. If there is a successful model
that we should try to emulate in promoting aluminum, I think It is that of the plastics industry —
which focused a cooperative global effort on removing or pre-empting governmental barriers and
used associations very effectively to this end — rather than attempting to create unsustainable
value propositions. In my opinion this is the opportunity for our industry — and for the
associations represented here… clearly position aluminum positively and accurately on the
“sustainability map” — in the minds of investors, customers, employees, politicians, regulators
and other stakeholders”191.
191
Notes for an address by Richard B. Evans, Executive Vice President, Alcan Inc. and President, Aluminum Fabrication,
Europe at The International Aluminum Forum May 18, 2001,
he+Aluminum+Industry
42
Appendix 2
Alcan’s Subsidiaries and Related Companies as of February 15, 2005
Alcan is the direct owner of the stock of each Subsidiary or Related Company, except where the
name is indented. Indentation signifies that the principal ownership by Alcan is through the
company under which the indentation is made; where there is additional ownership through
another company also listed below, that additional ownership is described in the end-note on
page 47.
ALCAN INC.
Subsidiaries, Related Companies, Etc. Organized
Under The
Laws Of
% Of Voting
Shares Held
By
Immediate
Owner
3712001 CANADA INC. Canada 100.00
9121-5988 QUÉBEC INC. Quebec 100.00
ALCAN ALUMINIUM QUEBEC AND COMPANY, LIMITED PARTNERSHIP Quebec 99.00 (1)
9121-5996 QUÉBEC INC. Quebec 100.00
ALCAN-SPROSTONS LIMITED Jamaica 100.00
ALCAN ADMINCO (2000) INC. Canada 100.00
ALCAN ALESA TECHNOLOGIES LTD. Canada 100.00
ALCAN ALUMINIO (AMÉRICA LATINA) INC. Canada 100.00
ALCAN ASIA PACIFIC LIMITED Canada 100.00
ALCAN HOLDINGS FINANCE LLC Delaware 100.00
ALCAN CORPORATION Texas 100.00
ALCAN ALUMINUM EXPORT, INC. Georgia 100.00
ALCAN CONNECTICUT, INC. Connecticut 100.00
ALCAN MANAGEMENT SERVICES USA INC. Ohio 100.00
ALCAN PECHINEY CORPORATION Texas 100.00
PECHINEY CORK & SEAL OF CALIFORNIA, LLC California 100.00
PECHINEY METALS LLC Delaware 100.00
HOWMET INSURANCE COMPANY, INC. Vermont 100.00
PECHINEY PLASTIC PACKAGING TEXAS, INC. Delaware 100.00
CEBAL MEXICANA LP Texas 99.00 (27)
PECHINEY PLASTIC PACKAGING, INC. Delaware 100.00
GUARDIAN PLASTICOTE LIMITED India 17.00
PECHINEY PLASTIC PACKAGING RECEIVABLES CORPORATION Delaware 100.00
PECHINEY PLASTIC PACKAGING (CANADA) INC. Ontario 100.00
VENTURE PACKAGING, INC. North Carolina 100.00
PECHINEY ROLLED PRODUCTS, LLC Delaware 100.00
PECHINEY CAST PLATE, INC. Delaware 100.00
PECHINEY WORLD TRADE (USA), INC. New York 92.88 (59)
BRANDEIS SERVICES, INC. Delaware 100.00
PECHINEY BÉCANCOUR, INC. Delaware 100.00
PECHINEY REYNOLDS QUEBEC INC. Nebraska 50.25
ALUMINERIE DE BÉCANCOUR, INC. Quebec 50.10
PECHINEY SALES CORPORATION Delaware 100.00
PECHINEY CANADA, INC. Canada 100.00
PECHINEY HOLDINGS, INC. Delaware 100.00
43
PECHINEY PERU Peru 98.00
PMC LEASE COMPANY Delaware 100.00
PRP PROPERTY & EQUIPMENT, LLC Illinois 100.00
TECHPACK AMERICA LLC Delaware 100.00
HENLOPEN MANUFACTURING CO. INC. New York 100.00
COSMETECH MABLY INTERNATIONAL, LLC New York 100.00
COSMETECH MABLY INTERNATIONAL (H.K.) LTD. Hong Kong 51.00
CT PACK, LLC New York 100.00
TECHPACK AMERICA COSMETIC PACKAGING, L.P. Texas 99.50 (78)
TECHPACK LATIN AMERICA S.A. Venezuela 100.00
TPI MEXICANA S.A. De C.V. Mexico 99.98 (80)
TPI MOLPLASTIC Ltda Brazil 100.00
TPI PLASTIMEC S.A. Argentina 51.00
ALCAN POWER MARKETING, INC. Ohio 100.00
ALCAN PRIMARY PRODUCTS CORPORATION Texas 100.00
ALCAN PRODUCTS CORPORATION Texas 100.00
ALCAN BALTEK CORPORATION Delaware 100.00
BALSA DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION New Jersey 100.00
BALSA ECUADOR LUMBER CORPORATION New Jersey 100.00
BALTEK FOREIGN SALES CORPORATION US Virgin Islands 100.00
BALTEK INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION Delaware 100.00
BALTEK LIMITED England 100.00
PACIFIC TIMBER LIMITED England 100.00
BALTEK MERCOSUR, L.L.C. New Jersey 100.00
COMPANIA ECUATORIANA DE BALSA S.A. Ecuador 100.00
CRUSTACEA CORPORATION Delaware 100.00
CRYOGENIC STRUCTURES CORPORATION Delaware 94.00
PLANTATIONES DE BALSA S.A. Ecuador 49.90 (60)
(61) (62) (63)
POUCNST S.A. Ecuador 100.00
PRODUCTOS DEL PACIFICO S.A. Ecuador 100.00
BALMANTA S.A. Ecuador 67.93 (25)
MADERAS SECAS C.A. Ecuador 57.08 (52)
(53)
SANLAM CORPORATION New York 100.00
ALCAN EUROPE LIMITED England 100.00
ALCAN FINANCES B.V. The Netherlands 100.00
ALCAN FINANCES (Bda) LTD. Bermuda 100.00
ALCAN ASIA LIMITED Hong Kong 100.00
ALCAN NIKKEI CHINA LIMITED Hong Kong 49.00
ALCAN NINGXIA HOLDINGS LIMITED Bermuda 100.00
ALCAN NINGXIA ALUMINIUM COMPANY LIMITED China 50.00
ALCAN PACKAGING MALAYSIA SDN BHD Malaysia 100.00
ALCAN PACKAGING PUERTO RICO INC. New Jersey 100.00
ALCAN (BERMUDA) LIMITED Bermuda 100.00
ALCAN SHIPPING (BERMUDA) LIMITED Bermuda 100.00
CHAMPLAIN INSURANCE COMPANY LTD. Bermuda 100.00
HALCO (MINING) INC. Delaware 34.53 (49)
BOKÉ INVESTMENT COMPANY Delaware 100.00
COMPAGNIE DES BAUXITES DE GUINÉE Delaware 51.00
NONFEMET INTERNATIONAL (China-Canada-Japan) ALUMINIUM
COMPANY LIMITED China 27.00
QUADREM INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, LTD. Bermuda 9.02 (66)
ALCAN FINANCES (IRELAND) LIMITED Canada 100.00
ALCAN ALUMINIUM AG Switzerland 100.00
ALCAN PACKAGING RORSCHACH AG Switzerland 100.00
ALCAN HOLDINGS CANADA LIMITED Canada 100.00
ALCAN FINANCES (IRELAND) COMPANY Ireland 100.00
ALCAN HOLDINGS AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED Australia 100.00
ALCAN SOUTH PACIFIC PTY LTD Australia 100.00
44
ALCAN GOVE DEVELOPMENT PTY LIMITED Australia 100.00
ALCAN NORTHERN TERRITORY ALUMINA PTY LIMITED Australia 100.00
GOVE ALUMINIUM LIMITED Australia 100.00
ALCAN GOVE PTY LIMITED Australia 50.00 (5)
ALCAN QUEENSLAND SMELTER PTY LTD Australia 100.00
NABALCO PTY LIMITED Australia 100.00
QUEENSLAND ALUMINA LIMITED Australia 21.39 (67)
QUEENSLAND ALUMINA SECURITY CORPORATION Delaware 20.00
TRANS TERRITORY PIPELINE PTY LIMITED Australia 100.00
ALCAN HOLDING ITALIA S.P.A. Italy 100.00
ALCAN PACKAGING ITALIA S.R.L. Italy 89.00 (11)
Bp EUROPACK S.R.L. Italy 100.00
ALCAN HOLDINGS SWITZERLAND AG (SA/LTD.) Switzerland 100.00
AL HOLDING USA LLC Delaware 100.00
ALA (NEVADA) INC. Nevada 100.00
ALCAN COMPOSITES USA INC. Missouri 100.00
ALCAN GATOR-COR HOLDINGS, LLC Delaware 59.44 (3) (4)
ALCAN GATOR-COR COMPANY, LLC Delaware 100.00
NEVAMAR FINANCING, LLC Delaware 100.00
NEVAMAR OFFSHORE ACQUISITION CORPORATION Delaware 100.00
NEVAMAR TE ACQUISITION CORPORATION Delaware 100.00
ALCAN GLOBAL PHARMACEUTICAL PACKAGING INC. New Jersey 100.00
HBE FERMENTATION SYSTEMS INC. California 10.00
INTERNATIONAL GLASS EQUIPMENT LTD. Bahamas 100.00
POLAR MATERIALS INC. Pennsylvania 86.21
PC MATERIALS INC. Pennsylvania 50.00
POLYPLASMA INC. Canada 100.00
ALCAN PACKAGING FOOD AND TOBACCO INC. Delaware 100.00
ALCAN PACKAGING PHARMA CENTER INC. Delaware 100.00
ALCAN PACKAGING THERMAPLATE INC. New Jersey 100.00
ALUSUISSE ALUMINUM USA INC. Delaware 100.00
VAW FLEXIBLE PACKAGING INC. Delaware 100.00
ALCAN AIREX AG Switzerland 100.00
ALCAN ALESA ENGINEERING AG Switzerland 100.00
ALCAN ALLEGA AG Switzerland 100.00
ALCAN ALUCOBOND (FAR EAST) PTE LTD. Singapore 100.00
ALCAN ALUMINIO ESPAÑA, S.A. Spain 100.00
ALCAN ALUMINIO PORTUGAL LDA. Portugal 98.00
ALCAN ALUMINIUM VALAIS SA Switzerland 100.00
ALCAN AUSTRIA Gmbh Austria 100.00
ALCAN ALPE ADRIA D.O.O. Slovenia 100.00
ALCAN HUNGARIA Kft. Hungary 100.00
ALCAN ROMANIA SRL. Romania 100.00
ALCAN CAPITAL JERSEY LIMITED The Island Of
Jersey 100.00
ALCAN FINANCE JERSEY LIMITED The Island Of
Jersey 100.00
ALCAN DÉCIN EXTRUSIONS S.R.O. Czech Republic 100.00
ALCAN HOLDINGS EUROPE B.V. The Netherlands 100.00
A-L FINANCIAL PRODUCTS LTD. England 100.00
ALCAN DISTRIBUZIONE Srl Italy 100.00
ALCAN HOLDINGS FRANCE S.A. France 100.00
ALCAN CMIC SAS France 100.00
ALCAN FRANCE EXTRUSIONS SAS France 100.00
ALCAN PACKAGING FRANCE SAS France 100.00
ALCAN PACKAGING GLASS PHARMA France 100.00
ALCAN PACKAGING SAINT MAUR France 100.00
CIVILE IMMOBILIÈRE CELI France 99.50 (32)
ALCAN PACKAGING SARREBOURG SAS France 100.00
LAWSON MARDON TRENTESAUX SA France 99.99
SOCIÉTÉ ALSACIENNE D’ALUMINIUM France 100.00
45
VAW INTERNATIONAL CAPSULES S.A. France 100.00
ALCAN HOLDINGS GERMANY Gmbh Germany 99.24 (7)
ALCAN AUTOMOTIVE KAMENICE S.R.O. Czech Republic 100.00
ALCAN BDW BETEILIGUNGS Gmbh Germany 100.00
ALCAN BDW Gmbh & CO. KG Germany 100.00
ALCAN COMPOSITES LTD, SHANGHAI China 100.00
ALCAN KAPA Gmbh Germany 100.00
ALCAN PACKAGING NEUMUNSTER Gmbh Germany 100.00
ALCAN PACKAGING SINGEN Gmbh Germany 99.90 (12)
TSCHEULIN-ROTHAL Gmbh Germany 97.17
ALCAN PACKAGING MOSKAU OOO Russia 100.00
ALCAN SINGEN Gmbh Germany 100.00
CONSORTIUM STROJMETAL A.S. KAMENICE & ALCAN SINGEN
Gmbh (Unincorporated) Czech Republic 50.00
ALCAN TOMOS D.O.O. Slovenia 66.66
ALMET AG Germany 63.64
ALCAN HOLDINGS NEDERLAND B.V. The Netherlands 100.00
ALCAN NEDERLAND B.V. The Netherlands 100.00
S.A. ALCAN BELGIUM N.V. Belgium 99.37 (77)
ALCAN PACKAGING AMSTERDAM BV The Netherlands 100.00
ALCAN PACKAGING BRABANT BV The Netherlands 100.00
ALCAN PACKAGING ZUTPHEN BV The Netherlands 100.00
ALU-VASTGOED B.V. The Netherlands 100.00
ALUMINIUM & CHEMIE ROTTERDAM B.V. The Netherlands 53.30 (24)
ALCAN HOLDINGS UK LIMITED England 100.00
ALCAN PACKAGING CRAMLINGTON LTD. England 100.00
LAWSON MARDON PACKAGING LTD. England 100.00
ALCAN PACKAGING UK LTD England 100.00
KOTERS (LIVERPOOL) LIMITED England 100.00
LAWSON MARDON FIBRENYLE LTD. England 100.00
FIBRENYLE (CORBY) LIMITED England 100.00
LAWSON MARDON FLEXIBLE LIMITED England 100.00
MARDON FLEXIBLE PACKAGING (KENTON) LIMITED England 100.00
LAWSON MARDON SMITH BROTHERS LTD. England 100.00
ALCAN PACKAGING SUTTON LTD. England 100.00
MARDON PELOREX LIMITED England 100.00
LMG IRIDON LIMITED England 100.00
LAWSON MARDON THERMOPLASTICS LTD. England 100.00
WHEATON UK LTD. England 100.00
LAWSON MARDON NORTHERN LIMITED England 100.00
LAWSON MARDON READING LTD. England 100.00
STALCON PLASTICS LIMITED England 100.00
ALCAN PACKAGING (UK SALES) LTD. England 100.00
HEADLEY (READING) LIMITED England 100.00
CELLOGLAS HOLDINGS LTD. England 100.00
ALCAN PRINT FINISHERS LTD. England 100.00
FIVE STAR CORPORATION LIMITED England 100.00
PROTECTA PRINT LIMITED England 100.00
QUALICOAT LIMITED England 100.00
UNIVERSAL COATINGS LIMITED England 100.00
WEST MIDLANDS FOIL BLOCKING LIMITED England 100.00
LUSTRETEX LTD. England 100.00
THE UV COMPANY LIMITED England 100.00
UVIPAK (FINISHING) LIMITED England 100.00
LAWSON MARDON GROUP INTERNATIONAL LIMITED England 100.00
ALCAN PACKAGING IZMIR GRAVUR BASKILI KARTON SANAYI VE
TICARET A.S. Turkey 100.00
ALCAN PACKAGING KAZAKHSTAN LLP Kazakhstan 100.00
ROTOPAK MATBAACILIK AMBALAJ SANAYI VE TICARET A.S. Turkey 100.00
ROTOPAS AMBALAJ PAZARLAMA VE DAGITIM A.S. Turkey 100.00
VAW EUROPACK IBERICA, S.L. Spain 100.00
LAWSON MARDON PACKAGING SALES LTD. England 100.00
ALCAN JAPAN LTD. Japan 100.00
46
ALCAN PRODOTTI SPECIALI Spa Italy 100.00
LMG (IRELAND) LIMITED Ireland 100.00
ALCAN PACKAGING DUBLIN LTD Ireland 100.00
WCL FLEXIBLE PACKAGING LIMITED Ireland 100.00
VERAMIC S.A. Belgium 100.00
WAXED CARTONS (EXPORT) LIMITED Ireland 100.00
ZITELI LIMITED Ireland 100.00
ALCAN HOLDINGS INVESTMENT LLC Delaware 100.00
ALCAN ICELAND LTD. Iceland 100.00
ENDURVINNSLAN LTD. Iceland 7.00
ALCAN MASS TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS AUSTRALIA PTY. LTD. Australia 100.00
ALCAN PACKAGING CANADA LIMITED Ontario 100.00
LAWSON MARDON PACKAGING OVERSEAS (BRISTOL) LIMITED England 99.00 (51)
ALCAN PACKAGING KREUZLINGEN AG (SA/LTD.) Switzerland 100.00
ALCAN PACKAGING SERVICES AG (SA/LTD.) Switzerland 100.00
ALCAN TECHNOLOGY & MANAGEMENT AG (SA/LTD.) Switzerland 100.00
ALCAN TRADING AG (SA/LTD.) Switzerland 100.00
ALUFLUOR AB Sweden 50.00
ALUSUISSE OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED Australia 100.00
ALCAN ENGINEERING PTY LIMITED Australia 100.00
SWISS ALUMINIUM AUSTRALIA LIMITED Australia 100.00
GOVE JOINT VENTURE (THE) Australia 70.00 (48)
ALUSUISSE SERVICIOS S.A., Panama Panama 100.00
ALUSUISSE SERVICIOS S.A., Venezuela Venezuela 100.00
IGORA-GENOSSENSCHAFT FUR ALUMINIUM-RECYCLING Switzerland 5.60
METALLICA S.A. Switzerland 35.00
METALLWERKE REFONDA AG Switzerland 100.00
SOCIÉTÉ MINIÈRE ET DE PARTICIPATIONS GUINÉE-ALUSUISSE Guinea 50.00
SOR-NORGE ALUMINIUM AS Norway 50.00
ALCAN HOLDINGS (THAILAND) LIMITED Thailand 100.00
ALCAN INTERNATIONAL LIMITED Canada 100.00
ALCAN MANAGEMENT SERVICES CANADA LIMITED Canada 100.00
ALCAN PACKAGING PROPACK CO. LIMITED Hong Kong 65.00
ALCAN PROPACK CHENGDU CO LTD China 40.00
EVERWEAL INTERNATIONAL LIMITED Hong Kong 100.00
HUIZHOU PROPACK PLASTIC LIMITED China 100.00
JIANGYIN PROPACK ADVANCED PACKING CO., LIMITED China 100.00
JIANGYIN PROPACK PACKING CO., LIMITED China 99.05
PROPACK HUIZHOU LIMITED China 73.47 (64)
PROPACK HUIZHOU NEW MATERIAL CO LTD China 100.00
VPS PROPACK BEIJING CO., LTD. China 55.00 (82)
ALCAN PACKAGING STARPACK CORPORATION Philippines 100.00
SPC REALTY CORPORATION Philippines 40.00
ALCAN PACKAGING STRONGPACK PUBLIC COMPANY LIMITED Thailand 49.00 (13)
ALCAN PACKAGING STRONGTHAIPACK COMPANY LIMITED Thailand 100.00
ALCAN PARTICIPAÇÕES LTDA. Brazil 100.00
ALCAN ALUMINA LTDA. Brazil 100.00
CONSÓRCIO DE ALUMÍNIO DO MARANHÃO (“CONSÓRCIO ALUMAR”) Brazil 10.00
ALCAN COMPOSITES BRASIL S.A. Brazil 70.00
ALCAN EMBALAGENS DO BRASIL LTDA. Brazil 100.00
ALCAN PACKAGING DO BRASIL LTDA. Brazil 83.00 (10)
MINERAÇÃO RIO DO NORTE S.A. Brazil 12.50
ALCAN REALTY LIMITED Canada 100.00
ALCAN SHIPPING SERVICES LIMITED Canada 100.00
ALCAN SMELTERS AND CHEMICALS LIMITED Canada 100.00
ALUMINERIE ALOUETTE INC. Quebec 20.00 (16)
47
ALUMINUM COMPANY OF CANADA LIMITED Canada 100.00
ALCAN FINANCES USA LLC Delaware 100.00
BRITISH ALCAN ALUMINIUM Plc England 100.00
ALCAN CHEMICALS EUROPE LIMITED England 100.00
ALCAN CHEMICALS LIMITED England 100.00
ALCAN FARMS LIMITED England 100.00
TBAC LIMITED England 100.00
ALCAN ALUMINIUM UK LIMITED England 85.00 (2)
BRITISH ALCAN OVERSEAS INVESTMENTS LIMITED England 100.00
SARATOGA RESOURCES N.V. Netherland
Antilles 20.00
VIGELAND METAL REFINERY A/S Norway 50.00
GHANA BAUXITE COMPANY LIMITED Ghana 80.00
VIGELANDS BRUG A/S Norway 100.00
THE BOWLING BACK LAND COMPANY LIMITED England 50.00
PECHINEY France 100.00
ALCAN ALPHA 2004 France 99.76
ALCAN BETA 2004 France 100.00
ALCAN CENTRE DE RECHERCHES DE VOREPPE France 100.00
ALCAN DELTA 2004 France 100.00
ALCAN EPSILON 2004 France 100.00
ALCAN GAMMA 2004 France 100.00
ALUMINIUM DUNKERQUE S.A. France 100.00
ALUMINIUM PECHINEY France 98.75 (20)
AFFIMET France 100.00
ALUCAM – COMPAGNIE CAMEROUNAISE DE L’ALUMINIUM Cameroun 46.67
ALUBASSA Cameroun 70.09 (14)
ALUCONGO Congo 55.86 (15)
CENTRE MÉDICAL DES ENTREPRISES DE LA SANAGA Cameroun 74.89 (30)
(31)
COLALU Centre Africa 57.35 (33)
HOSTELLERIE DE LA SANAGA Cameroun 67.50
SOCATRAL – SOCIÉTÉ CAMEROUNAISE DE TRANSFORMATION DE
L’ALUMINIUM Cameroun 52.55 (68)
SOTRALGA – SOCIÉTÉ DE TRANSFORMATION DE L’ALUMINIUM AU
GABON Gabon 38.33 (75)
ALUMINIUM PECHINEY SERVICE France 99.36 (22)
ALUMINIUM PECHINEY SPV France 99.96 (23)
ALUMINIUM PECHINEY UO 5 France 100.00
BAOTOU PECHINEY AND BAOLU HIGH PURITY ALUMINIUM COMPANY
LIMITED China 51.00
CIE IVOIRIENNE DE L’ALUMINIUM (IVOIRAL) Ivory Coast 10.00
ÉLECTRIFICATION CHARPENTE LEVAGE – E.C.L. France 100.00
ECL SCES AFRICA ENGINEERING South Africa 100.00
ECL SERVICES MIDDLE EAST W.L.L. Bahrain 90.00 (37)
ECL SERVICES NL BV The Netherlands 100.00
ECL SERVICES PTY LIMITED Australia 100.00
ECL SERVICES, INC. Quebec 100.00
ECL SERVICOS LIMITADA Mozambique 85.71 (38)
ECL SHANGHAI China 100.00
PECHINEY ALUMINA RESOURCES INDIA PRIVATE LTD India 100.00
PECHINEY PHILIPPINES INC Philippines 99.99
PECHINEY TECHNOLOGY LTD. Quebec 100.00
PECHINEY VÉNÉZUELA, S.A. Venezuela 100.00
PECHINEY SERVICIOS Venezuela 100.00
PEM ABRASIFS-RÉFRACTAIRES France 100.00
SOCIÉTÉ FINANCIÈRE POUR LE DÉVELOPPEMENT DE L’ALUMINIUM
–
S.F.D.A. France 100.00
ALUMINIUM DE GRÈCE S.A.I.C. Greece 41.10 (17)
(18)
DELPHES & DISTOMON (SOCIÉTÉ MINIÈRE DE) Greece 99.98
SOCIÉTÉ IMMOBILIÈRE ALPES PROVENCE – SIAP France 89.44 (73)
48
SOCIÉTÉ MAURIENNAISE DE TRANSFORMATION – S M T France 100.00
SOCIÉTÉ MINIÈRE DES BAUX France 99.90
SOCIÉTÉ POUR LE DÉVELOPPEMENT DE L’AFRIQUE CENTRALE ET
DE L’OUEST
– SODAFE France 62.85 (74)
BRANDEIS (BROKERS) LIMITED England 100.00
CARBONE SAVOIE France 30.00
CARBONE SAVOIE BRAZIL HOLDING SA Brazil 97.87
CARBONE SAVOIE BRAZIL SA Brazil 99.98
COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE D’ÉLECTROLYSE DU PALAIS France 100.00
FONDERIE DE CUIVRE DU PALAIS France 100.00
COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE DE PARTICIPATION INDUSTRIELLE ET
FINANCIÈRE France 100.00
CEBAL AMERICA RECURSOS HUMANOS S. De R.L. De C.V Mexico 99.00
CEBAL AMERICAS DE REYNOSA S. De R.L. De C.V. Mexico 99.00
CEBAL BRASIL LIMITADA Brazil 100.00
CEPILLOS DE MATAMOROS, S.A. De C.V. Mexico 100.00
EMIROLL United Arab
Emirates 30.00
ENVARIL PLASTIC PACKAGING S.R.L. Argentina 100.00
ENVARIL PLASTIC PACKAGING URUGUAY SA Uruguay 100.00
NOVACEL S.A. DE C.V. Mexico 100.00
CELPLY S.A. DE C.V. Mexico 100.00
PECHINEY BRIDLICNA S.R.O. Czech Republic 100.00
PECHINEY HOLDINGS UK LTD England 100.00
ALCAN INTERNATIONAL NETWORK UK LIMITED England 100.00
ALCAN INTERNATIONAL NETWORK LIMITED England 100.00
ALCAN INTERNATIONAL NETWORK GULF LIMITED England 100.00
ALUMINIUM PECHINEY (UK) LIMITED England 100.00
PECHINEY UK LIMITED England 100.00
BRANDEIS LIMITED England 100.00
CEBAL UK LTD England 100.00
FEEP HOLDINGS UK LIMITED England 100.00
PET PLAS PACKAGING LIMITED England 100.00
KENPAK (EUROPE) LIMITED England 100.00
PECHINEY AVIATUBE LTD. England 100.00
PECHINEY CEBAL PACKAGING LTD England 100.00
PECHINEY TRADING LIMITED England 100.00
TECHPACK (UK) LIMITED England 100.00
DEUTSCHE ALUMINIUM VERPACKUNG RECYCLING Gmbh Germany 16.67 (36)
FINANCIÈRE EUROPÉENNE D’EMBALLAGES PECHINEY France 100.00
ALCAN PACKAGING SKRIVANY S.R.O. Czech Republic 100.00
CEBAL S.A.S. France 97.94 (29)
CEBAL AÉROSOL FRANCE France 100.00
CEBAL CR, A.S. Czech Republic 99.45
CEBAL ITALIANA SPA Italy 99.87
CEBAL MINMETAL S.R.L. Italy 99.67 (28)
CEBAL MEXICO Mexico 100.00
CEBAL SVENSKA AB Sweden 100.00
CEBAL TUBA SP ZO.O. Poland 80.00
CEBAL ZHONGSHAN CO. LTD China 60.00
COPAL SAS France 51.00
COTUPLAS France 76.96 (35)
PECHINEY MANUFACTURE MAROCAINE D’ALUMINIUM
– M.M.A. Morocco 49.39 (56)
AL WIFAQ 5 Morocco 99.95
SOCIÉTÉ MÉTALLURGIQUE DE MOHAMMEDIA – S.M.M. Morocco 79.00
SOCIÉTÉ MANUFACTURE MAROCAINE DE MOHAMMEDIA – S.M.M.M. Morocco 99.94
CEBAL VERPACKUNGEN Gmbh Germany 100.00
CEBALSOL S.R.O. Czech Republic 100.00
DANAFLEX PACKAGING CORPORATION LIMITED New Zealand 100.00
PECHINEY BOUTEILLES PLASTIQUES France 100.00
PECHINEY CAPSULES France 100.00
PECHINEY CAPALUX INC. Canada 100.00
INVERSIONES PECHINEY CHILE LIMITADA Chile 99.99 (50)
49
ENOCAP CHILE S.A. Chile 100.00
PECHINEY CELOGRAF S.L. Spain 100.00
ALCAN PACKAGING ALZIRA SAU Spain 100.00
CEBAL ENTEC S.A. Spain 100.00
INDUSTRIAS METALICAS CASTELLO S.A. Spain 100.00
PRECIS, S.A. Spain 100.00
PECHINEY ESPANA, S.A. Spain 100.00
POLIBOL S.A. Spain 100.00
GUARDIAN ESPANOLA S.A. Spain 100.00
SOPLARIL Portugal Portugal 99.99
PECHINEY EMBALLAGE FLEXIBLE EUROPE France 100.00
ALCAN LEBENSMITTEL VERPACKUNGEN Gmbh Germany 100.00
ALUFIN Gmbh TABULAROXID Germany 100.00
PECHINEY SCHEUCH BETRIEBS-UND VERWALTUNGS Gmbh Germany 100.00
PECHINEY SCHEUCH Gmbh & Co KG Germany 100.00
SCHEUCH UNTERSTUTZUNGSKASSE Gmbh Germany 100.00
SOCIÉTÉ DE FINANCEMENT DES RISQUES INDUSTRIELS – SOFIRI Luxembourg 90.00 (72)
SOPLARIL France 100.00
AVENIR PRINT SERVICE France 100.00
SOPLARIL ITALIA S.P.A. Italy 100.00
FINANCIÈRE TECHPACK France 100.00
TECHPACK INTERNATIONAL France 99.99
AIRLESSYSTEMS France 50.00
BENSON SRL Italy 100.00
COSMETECH MABLY EUROPE France 85.47 (34)
DECOPLAST France 99.91
LAFFON SPA Italy 100.00
LIR France France 100.00
MT PACKAGING France 100.00
NOVELIS DISTRIBUTIONS AG Switzerland 100.00
PT TECHPACK ASIA Indonesia 95.00
SFG – SOCIÉTÉ FRANÇAISE DE GALVANOPLASTIE France 100.00
TECHPACK DEUTSCHLAND Gmbh Germany 100.00
TECHPACK FINANCEMENT France 100.00
FRANCE ALUMINIUM RECYCLAGE SA France 39.99 (39)
INTERFILIÈRES MATÉRIAUX France 20.00
GIE – PECHINEY RECHERCHE France 92.00 (40)
(41) (42) (43)
(44) (45) (46)
(47)
INVESTRIA France 98.74
PECHINEY CONSOLIDATED AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED Australia 55.52 (54)
ALCAN PRIMARY METAL AUSTRALIA (PTY) LTD Australia 100.00
ALUMINIUM PECHINEY HOLDINGS PTY LTD Australia 99.00 (21)
JOHCATH HOLDINGS PTY LIMITED Australia 100.00
CATHJOH HOLDINGS PTY LIMITED Australia 50.00 (26)
PECHINEY RESOURCES PTY, LIMITED Australia 100.00
PECHINEY AUSTRALU PTY LIMITED Australia 100.00
TOMAGO ALUMINIUM COMPANY PTY LTD Australia 50.00
TOMAGO ALUMINIUM JOINT-VENTURE Australia 36.05 (79)
PECHINEY ÉLECTROMÉTALLURGIE France 100.00
INVENSIL France 100.00
INVENSIL FREE STATE (Pty) LTD South Africa 100.00
SILICON SMELTERS (Pty) Ltd South Africa 100.00
VAAL SILICON SMELTERS (Pty) LTD South Africa 74.90
SOCIÉTÉ DE PRODUITS INDUSTRIELS DU RHÔNE France 99.94
PECHINEY KHI 99 France 99.76 (55)
PECHINEY MANHATTAN France 100.00
SAVOIE SERVICE Y.K. Japan 100.00
PECHINEY NEDERLAND, N.V. Netherlands 100.00
PECHINEY NEDERLANDS & CO ALUMINIUM PRODUCTIE BEDRIEJF,
C.V. The Netherlands 85.00
PECHINEY PHI 2000 France 100.00
50
PECHINEY RHENALU France 100.00
ALCAN ALUMINIUM-PRESSWERK GMBH Germany 100.00
ALCAN ALUMINIUM-PRESSWERK BURG Gmbh Germany 100.00
ALCAN ALUMINIUM-PRESSWERK PFALZ GMBH Germany 100.00
ALMET France 100.00
ALUMINIUM DU MAROC S.A. Morocco 15.69 (19)
PECHINEY AVIATUBE France 100.00
PECHINEY BÂTIMENT France 100.00
PECHINEY SERVICES FINANCE France 46.53 (57)
(58)
PECHINEY SOFTAL France 100.00
RHENAROLL S.A. France 49.85
PECHINEY WORLD TRADE S.A. France 100.00
ALCAN HELLAS S.A. Greece 99.46 (6)
ALCAN INTERNATIONAL NETWORK AUSTRALASIA (PTY) LIMITED Australia 100.00
ALCAN INTERNATIONAL NETWORK BELGIUM S.A. Belgium 100.00
ALMET BELGIUM SA Belgium 99.34
DE CLEEN & VEREECKEN N.V. Belgium 99.60
ALCAN INTERNATIONAL NETWORK DEUTSCHLAND Gmbh Germany 100.00
COFRANEX Gesellschaft Für Industrielle Importe Und Dienstleistungen
Mbh Germany 100.00
ALCAN INTERNATIONAL NETWORK EURASIA LLC Russian
Federation 100.00
ALCAN INTERNATIONAL NETWORK HANDELSGESELLSCHAFT M.B.H. Austria 100.00
ALCAN INTERNATIONAL NETWORK ITALY Italy 99.99 (8)
OXIMET SRL Italy 66.67
ALCAN INTERNATIONAL NETWORK JAPAN Japan 100.00
ALCAN INTERNATIONAL NETWORK NORDIC AS Denmark 100.00
ALCAN INTERNATIONAL NETWORK PORTUGAL LDA Portugal 99.87 (9)
ALCAN INTERNATIONAL NETWORK SA (Pty) Ltd South Africa 100.00
CHROMEX MINING CO (PTY) LIMITED South Africa 100.00
PECHINEY APPROVISIONNEMENTS ALUMINE France 100.00
PECHINEY A.I.M. France 100.00
PECHINEY BRASIL LTDA Brazil 100.00
PECHINEY CHILE LIMITADA Chile 99.00
PECHINEY DIS TICARET LIMITED SIRKETI Turkey 99.99
PECHINEY FAR EAST LIMITED Hong Kong 99.90
PECHINEY (SHANGHAI) WORLD TRADE LTD China 100.00
PECHINEY MEXICANA SA De CV Mexico 99.96
PECHINEY NORGE A/S Norway 100.00
PECHINEY SINGAPORE PTE LTD Singapore 100.00
PECHINEY SVERIGE AB Sweden 100.00
PECHINEY TAIWAN INC. Taiwan 99.92
PECHINEY TRADING FRANCE France 100.00
PECHINEY VERKOOP B.V. The Netherlands 100.00
SEFRANEX DUBAI LTD England 100.00
SEFRANEX France 100.00
SOCIÉTÉ COMMERCIALE PECHINEY EGYPTE SAE Egypt 90.00 (69)
QUIMICA E METALURGICA MEQUITAL LTDA Brazil 100.00
SATMA France 100.00
SOCIÉTÉ D’ASSURANCE DE RISQUES INDUSTRIELS
– S.A.R.I. France 99.80 (70)
(71)
SOCIÉTÉ D’ENTREPRISES, CARRIÈRES ET MINES DE L’ESTE
REL –
S.E.C.M.E. France 100.00
SOCIÉTÉ DE FINANCEMENT POUR AIDER À LA CONVERSION DANS LES
BASSINS
D’EMPLOI DE PECHINEY
France 100.00
SOCIÉTÉ DES FONDERIES D’USSEL France 100.00
SOCIÉTÉ GÉNÉRALE DE RECHERCHES ET D’EXPLOITATIONS MINIÈRES
– SOGEREM France 100.00
UGINA Morocco 99.92 (81)
PT INTERKEMAS FLEXIPACK Indonesia 99.99 (65)
SOCIÉTÉ DES ALUMINES ET BAUXITES DE PROVENCE SARL France 100.00
SUBTANEE HOLDING COMPANY LIMITED Thailand 98.20 (76)
51
SANGTHIEN HOLDING COMPANY LIMITED Thailand 100.00
THE ROBERVAL AND SAGUENAY RAILWAY COMPANY Quebec 100.00
UTKAL ALUMINA INTERNATIONAL LIMITED India 45.00
Additional Ownership (%) Through The Following Subsidiaries
(1) 9121-5996 Québec Inc. 1.00
(2) British Alcan Aluminium Plc 15.00
(3) Nevamar Te Acquisition Corporation 37.69
(4) Nevamar Offshore Acquisition Corporation 2.87
(5) Swiss Aluminium Australia Limited 50.00
(6) Sefranex 0.54
(7) Alcan Holdings Switzerland Ag (Sa/Ltd.) 0.76
(8) Pechiney A.I.M. 0.01
(9) Pechiney A.I.M. 0.13
(10) Alcan Holdings Switzerland Ag (Sa/Ltd.) 17.00
(11) Bp Europack S.R.L. 11.00
(12) Alcan Singen Gmbh 0.10
(13) Sangthien Holding Company Limited 25.61
(14) Société Pour Le Développement De L’afrique Centrale Et De L’ouest
– Sodafe 12.64
(15) Société Pour Le Développement De L’afrique Centrale Et De L’ouest
– Sodafe 25.00
(16) Alcan Aluminium Quebec And Company, Limited Partnership 20.00
(17) Pechiney 10.00
(18) Aluminium Pechiney 9.08
(19) Pechiney Manufacture Marocaine D’aluminium
– M.M.A. 5.97
(20) Pechiney Rhenalu 1.25
(21) Aluminium Pechiney 1.00
(22) Financière Européenne D’emballages Pechiney
0.64
(23) Compagnie Générale De Participation Industrielle Et Financière 0.04
(24) Sor-Norge Aluminium As 10.50
(25) Compania Ecuatoriana De Balsa S.A. 32.07
(26) Alcan Primary Metal Australia (Pty) Ltd 50.00
(27) Pechiney Plastic Packaging, Inc. 1.00
(28) Cebal S.A.S. 0.33
(29) Pechiney 2.06
(30) Hostellerie De La Sanaga 0.05
(31) Socatral – Société Camerounaise De Transformation De L’aluminium 0.07
(32) Alcan Holdings France S.A. 0.50
(33) Société Pour Le Développement De L’afrique Centrale Et De L’ouest
– Sodafe 25.00
(34) Lir France 14.53
(35) Cebal Verpackungen Gmbh 5.00
(36) Alcan Holdings Germany Gmbh 16.67
(37) Ecl Services, Inc. 10.00
(38) Ecl Sces Africa Engineering 14.29
(39) Alcan Holdings France S.A. 20.00
(40) Almet 1.00
(41) Aluminium Pechiney 1.00
(42) Pechiney Aviatube 1.00
(43) Pechiney Électrométallurgie 1.00
(44) Pechiney Rhenalu 1.00
(45) Pechiney Softal 1.00
(46) Satma 1.00
(47) Société Des Fonderies D’ussel
1.00
(48) Gove Aluminium Limited 30.00
(49) Aluminium Pechiney 10.47
(50) Pechiney Cork & Seal Of California, Llc 0.01
(51) Lawson Mardon Packaging Ltd. 1.00
(52) Compania Ecuatoriana De Balsa S.A. 41.67
(53) Balmanta S.A. 1.25
(54) Pechiney Holdings, Inc. 44.48
(55) Compagnie Générale De Participation Industrielle Et Financière 0.04
(56) Société Manufacture Marocaine De Mohammedia – S.M.M.M. 13.45
(57) Aluminium Pechiney 45.63
(58) Alcan Centre De Recherches De Voreppe 7.84
(59) Compagnie Générale De Participation Industrielle Et Financière 7.12
(60) Balmanta S.A. 20.01
(61) Compania Ecuatoriana De Balsa S.A. 10.03
(62) Productos Del Pacifico S.A. 10.03
(63) Maderas Secas C.A. 10.03
(64) Everweal International Limited 23.65
(65) Aluminum Company Of Canada Limited 0.01
(66) Compagnie Générale De Participation Industrielle Et Financière 6.01
(67) Pechiney Resources Pty, Limited 20.00
(68) Aluminium Pechiney 5.44
(69) Sefranex 10.00
(70) Financière Européenne D’emballages Pechiney
0.03
(71) Compagnie Générale De Participation Industrielle Et Financière 0.03
(72) Compagnie Générale De Participation Industrielle Et Financière 10.00
(73) Pechiney 10.56
(74) Ugina 1.95
(75) Société Pour Le Développement De L’afrique Centrale Et De L’ouest
– Sodafe 25.00
(76) Alcan Holdings (Thailand) Limited 1.80
(77) Alcan Holdings Switzerland Ag (Sa/Ltd.) 0.62
(78) Henlopen Manufacturing Co. Inc. 0.50
(79) Cathjoh Holdings Pty Limited 15.50
(80) Henlopen Manufacturing Co. Inc. 0.02
(81) Société Générale De Recherches Et D’exploitations Minières
– Sogerem 0.02
(82) Alcan Inc. 20.00
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