CDA's Director of Sustainability to Speak on Standardizing Sustainability Metrics for Copper

Jessica Sanderson will highlight copper's sustainability advantages at upcoming EMC & ENSURE conferences.

Apr. 7, 2026 at 2:34pm

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A photorealistic studio still-life featuring a polished copper ingot, recycling tags, and a copper pipe fitting, representing the copper industry's efforts to standardize sustainability reporting.Copper industry leaders work to establish transparent, standardized sustainability metrics for the material's life cycle.McLean Today

Jessica Sanderson, the Director of Sustainability at the Copper Development Association (CDA), will present at the upcoming ENSURE and EMC conferences. She will introduce CDA's "Define and Refine" framework, which offers a comprehensive approach to comparing copper's sustainability with that of other materials. Sanderson will emphasize the importance of aligning recycled content comparisons and scrap carbon accounting for credible sustainability metrics, and outline how material selection and supplier practices influence environmental impact.

Why it matters

As sustainability becomes an increasingly important factor in material selection, it is crucial for industries to establish standardized and transparent methods for measuring and reporting on the environmental impact of their products. Sanderson's presentations will help ensure that copper is evaluated on a level playing field, allowing designers, specifiers, and procurement teams to make informed decisions.

The details

Sanderson's presentations will be based on two recent CDA publications: "Recycled Content in Copper: Practical Definitions for Real-World Applications" and "CDA Scrap Accounting Guidance: Ensuring Consistency in Product Carbon Footprints." These resources establish a clear semi-fabrication casting boundary for recycled content and recommend a consistent cut-off approach for business-to-business, product carbon disclosures. Sanderson will share how CDA and its U.S. semi-fabricator members have aligned on a common methodology for calculating and disclosing recycled content and scrap accounting in copper products, and developed guidance to help ensure clarity, comparability, and credibility in environmental data.

  • The ENSURE (Environmental Sustainability Through Waste and Recycling) conference will take place on April 13–15, 2026, in Wakefield, Massachusetts.
  • The EMC (The Environmental Markets Conference) will take place on April 27–30, 2026, in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The players

Jessica Sanderson

The Director of Sustainability at the Copper Development Association (CDA).

Copper Development Association (CDA)

A U.S.-based not-for-profit association of the global copper industry, committed to promoting the proper use of copper materials in sustainable, efficient applications.

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What they’re saying

“Material choice defines the sustainability performance of the system, while supplier selection refines the impact.”

— Jessica Sanderson, Director of Sustainability, Copper Development Association

“We've made real progress standardizing recycled content and scrap reporting across U.S. semi-fabricators. Now, our goal is to help sustainability practitioners and engineers understand what's behind the data so that copper can be compared fairly with other materials. Getting the methodology right is key to making informed material choices.”

— Jessica Sanderson, Director of Sustainability, Copper Development Association

“We want the sustainability community that writes the rules, especially the LCA practitioners and standards bodies, to see the work the copper industry has already accomplished. Our goal is to ensure copper is evaluated on a level playing field, so designers, specifiers, and procurement teams have environmental data that is truly comparable and useful for making decisions.”

— Jessica Sanderson, Director of Sustainability, Copper Development Association

What’s next

Sanderson's presentations at the ENSURE and EMC conferences will provide an opportunity for sustainability practitioners, LCA experts, and industry stakeholders to learn more about CDA's efforts to standardize sustainability metrics for copper. The goal is to ensure that copper is evaluated fairly and that decision-makers have access to reliable, comparable environmental data.

The takeaway

By establishing standardized methods for measuring and reporting on the sustainability of copper, the Copper Development Association is working to ensure that copper is evaluated on a level playing field with other materials. This will empower designers, specifiers, and procurement teams to make informed decisions that prioritize sustainability and environmental impact.