Steel Mills

ResponsibleSteel—A New Standard for the Steel Value Chain

June 24, 2019

ArcelorMittal is taking the lead on a new steel industry certification standard called ResponsibleSteel, which will set a single, global standard for the “mine to metal” steel value chain. The standard will enable steel producers to prove their production processes and products meet rigorously defined standards across a broad range of social, environmental and ethical criteria. It will also serve to improve responsible sourcing of raw materials used in steelmaking and reduce supply-chain risk, the company claims.

The objective for ResponsibleSteel is to “support the responsible sourcing and production of steel as a tool for the achievement of ResponsibleSteel’s vision: to maximize steel’s contribution to a sustainable society.”

Draft 4 of the ResponsibleSteel standards and certification was approved at a member meeting last week. Formal approval and ratification is expected by the end of the year.

“I am encouraged both by the progress we have made in developing the ResponsibleSteel standard and the broad-based interest in the scheme,” said Alan Knight, head of sustainable development at ArcelorMittal and co-chair of ResponsibleSteel. “For a scheme like this to truly gain market acceptance we need involvement, collaboration and input from multiple stakeholder groups. Steel industry participants clearly have an important role to play in its development, but an accreditation scheme created solely by the steel industry and for the steel industry would lack credibility. The multi-stakeholder aspect is critical, so the support and membership signup we have received from mining majors, financial institutions, steel consuming customers and NGOs brings that credibility.”

The standards were developed through a series of measures including stakeholder meetings, public comments, focus groups and field tests. Version 3 of the standard received over 600 responses in the public commentary period, which were used to refine Version 4, said Knight.

The standards are based on 12 key principles, which are described in detail in the draft:

Corporate leadership
Social, environmental and governance management systems
Occupational and community health and safety
Labor rights
Human rights
Rights and interests of local communities
Stakeholder engagement and communication
Climate change and greenhouse gas emissions
Noise, emissions, effluents and waste management
Water stewardship
Biodiversity management
Decommissioning and closure of facilities

ResponsibleSteel was established as a not-for-profit organization in 2015 by The Australian Steel Stewardship Forum and founding members ArcelorMittal and BlueScope Steel. As an international, multi-stakeholder membership organization, members include businesses from every part of the steel supply chain. The organization currently has 19 full members and 18 associate members. Members include steel producers Aperam, ArcelorMittal, BlueScope Steel, Vama and voestalpine, as well as automotive companies, industrial and environmental organizations, and financial and academic institutions.