We’re shaping  a more responsible steel industry.

In a year defined by developments that pose serious threats to global stability, both geopolitically and for our climate, many are wondering what we have achieved towards a sustainable future in 2024.

It is tempting to despair as progress on decarbonisation appears stalled, economic conditions render projects less feasible and our political leaders appear distracted. And yet I see many signs that we are building unstoppable momentum towards a transformed industry that can withstand these challenges.

There are change-makers amongst us that are showing resolve, energy and creativity to build the road to a sustainable future. These are the collaborators, the innovators, and the systems thinkers providing the impetus for the long-term transition.

Many, I am proud to say, are members and partners of ResponsibleSteel, who see the powerful potential of our global standards and certification system to help drive us toward a more responsible, fair, and just future. They have sought to work with us, to demonstrate their commitment through certification, and to collaborate to build coherent new systems fit for a better world.

Celebrating certification achievements

‍Let’s start with our members’ certification achievements. Six months after we published our first-ever Progress Report to track the impact our collective endeavour has delivered, we now have:

• Over 160 members headquartered across 36 countries,
• Over 85 sites with Core Site Certification, covering 7% of steel produced annually, both via blast furnaces (42) and electric arc furnaces (17),
• More than 236,000 workers covered by our independent audits that include extensive stakeholder interviews.
• The first site certifications in Vietnam, Canada, Slovenia, Italy, Finland and Sweden as well as new certifications in Germany, France and India.

A significant milestone

‍Most significantly, at Climate Week NYC we announced the world’s first ResponsibleSteel Certified Steel, achieved by U. S. Steel’s Big River Steel site in Arkansas, sending a clear message to the market: progress towards responsible ‘green steel’ is being made, and stakeholders now have a transparent, consistent and credible global system to benchmark it by.

More Certified Steel will follow, and customers that procure it will enjoy a credibility that stands out from the confusing myriad of ‘green steel’ claims. To fortify this, we consulted on our draft Chain of Custody Standard earlier this year that will forge a path to certified physical traceability and allow buyers of Certified Steel to make credible claims for the first time.

Tracking progress towards global climate goals

‍Tracking the progress of the global steel industry in a consistent way is vital, and our report 'Charting progress to 1.5°C through certification' demonstrated the power of the ResponsibleSteel system to benchmark this progress.

Over 25 respected experts agreed to peer review the report, which concluded that by 2030, 15% of the world’s steel needs to demonstrate real decarbonisation progress (achieving ResponsibleSteel Progress Levels 2 or 3) and 8% needs to reach near zero emissions (Progress Level 4).

More than that, every steelmaking site in the world needs to perform better than the current global average emissions intensity. In other words, today’s average steelmaker will become the industry’s worst by 2030 if they don’t start improving their operations.

Regulators, customers and investors have an important role to play here in setting the expectations of the industry and incentivising the transition. We encourage them all to reference our global benchmarks in charting their path to 1.5°C.

And yet the risk is that more frameworks for steel emerge which do not deliver comparable assessments of progress. It’s critical that we work collaboratively to create an international system of standards that are interoperable, ensuring coherence, credibility and positive impact across the board.

Building interoperability

‍I have been delighted this year to develop collaborations with a number of initiatives that seek to reflect ResponsibleSteel’s system of embodied GHG measurement and Decarbonisation Progress Levels within their own frameworks, either through alignment, recognition or conversion.

These are all aspects of the interoperability we need to ensure that global trade in low-emissions steel can flourish. ResponsibleSteel has been a leading voice on how to progress this with the 60+ signatories of the Steel Standards Principles and in conversation with the IEA and the Climate Club. I look forward to sharing more news with you in 2025 on how and where we are putting this into practice.

Alongside this, we are also working at the national level. In the US, ResponsibleSteel’s Progress Level 4 was identified as a benchmark for measuring and defining near-zero steel in the Modern Steel Act. In Germany, we recently welcomed the German Steel Association (WV Stahl) into membership and we continue to build relationships with associations and policymakers in India and China. As regulators at national level develop policy and definitions to incentivise decarbonisation, ResponsibleSteel can support both steelmakers and policymakers to convert their national assessments into a globally coherent and credible system. This year, interoperability became a favourite topic. Next year, we need to turn it into reality.

Looking ahead to 2025 with optimism

‍All this is evidence of the international ecosystem we are building to effectively support the production and trade of low-emission and near-zero steel. That’s why, amidst the growing scepticism and disappointment permeating climate discussions, I have nothing but hope for the year ahead.

I am fuelled by the enthusiasm of our members and stakeholders and their commitment to working across industry, policy, and finance to drive production of and demand for near-zero steel. I want to thank you for your continued thoughtfulness and support.

While 2024 has brought stark reminders of the climate crisis, it has also demonstrated the power of intelligent collaboration. Now is the time to identify common ground and collaborate to turn our commitments and plans into tangible outcomes. Real-world order books, financial arrangements, and large-scale technology implementation. On behalf of the ResponsibleSteel team, I want to wish you and your families much health and happiness, and a peaceful end to the year. We look forward to working with each of you as we take the next steps toward achieving our shared goals in 2025.

Best wishes,

Annie Heaton
CEO, ResponsibleSteel

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As we near the end of the year, we are working on a number of key projects for the organisation. Firstly, the consultation on the Production Standard has been extended to December 8th - this extension provides more time for stakeholders to provide valuable feedback.

Secondly, all members will have received the membership survey via email, offering members a fantastic opportunity to help shape the future of ResponsibleSteel. We strongly encourage all members to fill it out - it really does help us to understand what we are doing right, and what can be added or improved.

Finally, we were on the ground at COP29. Read our blog as we analyse the progress made, the challenges that remain, and the critical steps needed as we look ahead to COP30 and beyond.

In this month's newsletter, you will find key updates including:

• Membership survey
• Insights from COP29
• Production Standard consultation
• New audits and certifications
• New 2025 membership fees
• And more...

Click here to view ResponsibleSteel's November 2024 newsletter.

We are delighted to announce that ArcelorMittal's coil coating plant in Contrisson has been awarded ResponsibleSteel Core Site Certification, underscoring the site's holistic commitment to sustainability and the company's continued progress towards certifying all of its European operations.

ResponsibleSteel certification rigorously assesses the responsibility of steel production. Core Site Certification encompasses over 300 stringent requirements, meticulously verified through an international audit process conducted by trained third-party auditors. The certification adopts a holistic approach, covering key areas such as effective management of water and waste, ensuring health and safety at work, and protecting biodiversity.

The certification also requires a commitment to reducing emissions according to a Paris-aligned pathway, which reinforces ArcelorMittal Construction's C5 Green Commitment, a 5-stage plan that sets out the steps the company is taking to implement sustainable practices and be carbon neutral by 2050.

Jana Meisser, Head of ESG at ArcelorMittal Construction commented: “We’re delighted that ArcelorMittal Construction Contrisson plant located in France has achieved site certification against the ResponsibleSteel International Production Standard. This success underlines our continued dedication to show leadership in responsible production techniques and high ethical standards.”

The site was acquired by Arcelor in 2002 but has a history in steel and iron stretching back hundreds of years. Today the site produces around 300,000 tonnes annually, specialising in the manufacture of continuously rolled, galvanized and pre-painted sheets.

The audit demonstrated the positive relationships the site has built with local stakeholders, strong safety and environment management systems, a well-structured roadmap for the reduction of GHG emissions, and plans to improve the water management policy to name a few.

View the certificate and read the public summary here.