Monthly Digest for ICA Members
ICA
NEWS
The ICA News Brief is a monthly summary of our key activities and achievements. This edition highlights progress in policy, standards, and market development including updated carbon footprint guidance and major wins for copper in global standards.
Événements
Strategic Communications
ICA Advances Metal Asset Valuation in India
OBJECTIVES
- Position separate valuation and accounting of metal in distribution assets as a transformative framework for DISCOM modernization
- Position copper cables and DTs through the accounting framework to improve asset valuation, ease financial stress, boost recycling readiness, and support long-term grid modernization
MESSAGES DELIVERED
- Highlighted that separate accounting and valuation of metal and non-metal components in electrical assets can significantly improve DISCOM asset valuation, terminal value, and long-term financial sustainability
- Emphasized how metal-intensive infrastructure assets such as transformers, cables, and switchgear can enable improved borrowing capability, reduced cost of financing, and better balance-sheet strength for utilities
ICA Joins EU Copper Security Roundtable
OBJECTIVE
- Showcase how innovation and partnerships are transforming the copper industry across the world.
- Position ICA as a leading platform for collaboration and the voice of copper, and its members as responsible producers.
MESSAGES DELIVERED
- Mining transformation is already happening at scale through technology, operational modernization, and workforce development.
- Collaboration across the value chain is essential to build more resilient, transparent, and sustainable copper supply chains.
- Industry leaders highlighted the importance of partnerships, innovation, and global cooperation to strengthen long-term competitiveness.
Advancing Sustainable Mining in Asia-Pacific
Event: ICA strengthens position on sustainable mining and responsible mineral supply chains at the Asia-Pacific dialogue
Objective
- Strengthen ICA’s visibility and thought leadership in sustainable mining, critical minerals, and responsible supply chains during the Asia-Pacific Seminar on Sustainable Development of Green Mining & Mineral Supply Chain in Suzhou, China, alongside the 32nd APEC Trade Ministerial Meeting
- Reinforce ICA’s positioning as a trusted industry voice on critical minerals, sustainability, and responsible copper value chains
- Strengthen engagement with authorities, industry, and academia on future cooperation opportunities
- Anglo American, CMOC, and Rio Tinto representatives joined the dialogue alongside ICA
Key messages
- ICA and member companies contributed perspectives on ESG governance, regional cooperation, carbon accounting, and innovation in sustainable mining
- Highlighted ICA members’ effort on responsible production, and ICA’s work along the downstream
ICA Discusses Copper Recycling with EU
EVENT: As part of a European Metals delegation, ICA, Boliden, and Umicore met with the Commission’s Director-General in charge of Environment to discuss key asks to facilitate the recycling of e-waste in the EU, ahead of a legislative package on circularity, the Commission is expected to publish in Q3
OBJECTIVE
- Advocate for ICA’s key asks on the Circular Economy Act and E-waste Directive at the highest level ahead of the publication of key European Commission proposals
MESSAGE DELIVERED
- The EU must do more to facilitate e-waste recycling by harmonizing standards and improving their enforcement, increasing collection, avoiding copper losses into steel and aluminum streams, and easing shipments
ICA China Promotes Green Transformer Solutions
EVENT: ICA China presented green transformer and dynamic loading solutions at the 2026 Architectural Electrical Annual Conference
OBJECTIVE
- Promote green copper transformer selection
concepts for building electrical applications
MESSAGES DELIVERED
- Dynamic loading design can improve transformerutilization and reduce oversizing by better matching
real load curves and operating conditions - High-temperature insulation systems combined with copper windings provide the technical basis for highload and compact transformer designs, improving reliability, overload capabilities, and reducing life cycle cost
CDA Convenes U.S. Copper Tube & Fittings Manufacturers
OBJECTIVES
- Showcase how innovation and partnerships are transforming the copper industry across the world.
- Position ICA as a leading platform for collaboration and the voice of copper, and its members as responsible producers.
MESSAGES DELIVERED
- Mining transformation is already happening at scale through technology, operational modernization, and workforce development.
- Collaboration across the value chain is essential to build more resilient, transparent, and sustainable copper supply chains.
- Industry leaders highlighted the importance of partnerships, innovation, and global cooperation to strengthen long-term competitiveness.
ICA China Explores Copper's Role in Solid-State Batteries
OBJECTIVES
- Monitor the latest trends and developments in solid-state battery technology
- Assess copper's applications, technical requirements, and value proposition in solid-state batteries
MESSAGES DELIVERED
- Copper's superior conductivity as a current collector helps reduce internal resistance and thermal runaway risk, enhancing battery safety and performance
- Copper foil corrosion resistance can be improved through carbon coatings and other technologies to meet the evolving performance requirements of sulfide solid-state batteries
ICA Engages India's Top Cable Makers
OBJECTIVE
- Under the Power Cable Alliance, led by ICA, consultation with industry on safeguarding the technical standards of electrical cables, ensuring safety, reliability, and performance
MESSAGES DELIVERED
- Highlighted safety risks linked to non-compliant aluminum flexible cables being promoted in India
- Reinforced that copper's superior properties prevent failures in data centers, renewables, and EV chargers
- Secured industry consensus on ensuring existing national standards for electrical cables remain unaffected by the upcoming EPR rules
ICA China Supports EV Standards to Advance Copper Windings
OBJECTIVES
- Fierce market competition has led to active promotion of aluminum windings in EV drive motors to reduce costs, and the industry wants to influence the standard to promote Al windings
- This meeting is the most authoritative automotive standard-setting conference in China, with about 150 top industry experts‘ participation, including ICA China’s standards
MESSAGES DELIVERED
- Safety and reliability, along with cost efficiency, should be prioritized in the development of electric vehicle motors
- Copper windings are the most suitable material for achieving these objectives
ICA Promotes Copper for EV Charging in India
OBJECTIVES
- Advocate copper cables as the standard for EV charging infrastructure
- Amend provincial electrical codes, specifying copper cables for long-term safety and reliability of EV charging infrastructure
MESSAGES DELIVERED
- ICA highlighted the role of copper in EV charging infrastructure for safety and reliability to over 100+ participants
- Shared insights on electrical infrastructure standards/codes for EV Charging, component selection (incl. cables), and installation practices The right size of copper cables and protective features like independent earthing
- Advocating adherence to electrical codes (National Building Code), favoring copper to prevent fire risks
Policy
Scientific & Regulatory Affairs
ICA Updates Copper Carbon Footprint Guidance
OBJECTIVE
- OEMs and regulators in Europe are setting carbon footprint reporting rules that do not capture the complexity of copper production, putting copper at a disadvantage on the market compared to other products
OUR RESPONSE
- In 2022, ICA published rules to calculate and report the carbon footprint of copper production of metals products, gaining acceptance by influential stakeholders, i.e., WBCSD, LME, and CATENA-X
- This update brings the ICA guidance in line with the recently published ICMM paper, which ICA was instrumental in developing harmonized calculation methods for product carbon footprints and life cycle assessments in the mining and metals industry, and other recently updated guidance and standards, ensuring ICA members are prepared to share carbon footprint data in line with market expectations
Copper Included in Proposed Tax Credit Expansion
- The 45X Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit provides a 10% credit on the cost to produce official USGS Critical Minerals
- In Novembre 2025, copper and 8 other minerals became official USGS Critical Minerals. The statute that created 45X was hard-wired in the previous USGS list, with no mechanism to automatically update as the list changes
- H.R. 8780, the Critical Mineral and Extraction Tax Parity Act, introduced by Congressman Moore (R-UT), would make all new minerals (including copper) eligible and would make clear that extraction costs are included in the cost of production
- CDA supports the legislation, as well as separate legislation HR 8277, which extends 45X to copper alone. Congressman Moore is also the newest member of the Copper Caucus
ICA Advances Sector-Specific EU ETS Rules
CHALLENGE ADDRESSED
▪The free allocation of carbon permits under the EU Emission Trading System is key in determining the carbon costs faced by copper smelters and refiners in the EU. Currently, the free allocation for ICA members is determined by the best available abatement technologies in sectors very different from copper, which penalises copper producers. The Commission has proposed to substantially reduce free allocation for 2026-2030
OUR RESPONSE
▪ ICA has advocated with the European Commission, Parliament, and Member States for many years to make the regime more reflective of the decarbonization potential of different sectors, securing support from European Metals for this ask
▪ Since 2025, ICA, together with an alliance of impacted industries, has pushed the Commission not to go ahead with the drastic reduction of free allocation for 2026-2030
▪ On 12 Mai, the Commission announced it will go ahead with the reduction from 2026, but commits to revising the methodology to make the allocation more sector-specific
