Our 10 sustainable development outcomes

We are committed to promoting and protecting the safety and well-being of our people, yet we still face challenges in creating a zero- accident workplace. We need to ensure our workplaces are safe. We also want to create a great place to work by supporting the general health of our employees. We additionally believe in the importance of strong labor relations in order to create a positive working environment. 

We are committed to manufacturing products that advance sustainable lifestyles. Our steel is an essential component of countless products Americans depend on in their daily lives, including automobiles, appliances and packaging. The role steel plays in the sustainability strategies of our customers and these products often goes unrecognized. Steel not only allows products to be lighter, which results in reduced carbon emissions, but it is also continuously and easily recyclable. Additionally, compared to competing materials, steel has a smaller environmental footprint.

The sustainability of every city and state in the U.S. depends on infrastructure. Serving as the backbone of the nation, infrastructure encompasses buildings, transportation, energy systems and products serving the military. Steel is the key to sustainable infrastructure in the United States due to its unmatched strength and longevity combined with the benefits of its environmental footprint.

Now more than ever, we are focused on understanding the full life cycle of materials and products. Steel is at a distinct advantage, as the most recycled material in the world – more than aluminum, paper, glass, gas and plastic combined. This is because steel is continuously recyclable, meaning that it can be recycled indefinitely without compromising its quality. As a result, steel plays an important role in the circular economy. 

The air we breathe, the land we live on and the water that sustains us are all essential components of our ecosystem. Each of these elements is also critical to our business and the steelmaking process. Being a trusted user of air, land and water is a hallmark of our sustainability strategy in the U.S. and around the  world.

Steelmaking is an energy-intensive industry. Energy consumption has a negative impact on the environment, and as a result, our goal is to decrease this impact by monitoring and minimizing our annual energy consumption. We continually work to identify and implement ongoing, innovative solutions to increase the sustainability of our operations, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect the environment, all while saving costs.

As a leading producer of steel, our operations depend upon a vast supply chain. Our supply chain reflects who we are and is integral to the creation of our products. Furthermore, as a supplier to many industries ourselves, we recognize the importance of upholding strong supplier relationships and standards. As a vertically-integrated business, our customers are dependent on the reliability of our internal supply chain to ensure they can meet their sustainability goals.

The communities where we operate are far more than just the physical locations of our facilities. These communities are made up of our neighbors and key stakeholders. They are also the places where our employees choose to live and raise their families, and where our future workforce is educated and trained. It is important to us to be both an active and a welcomed member of our communities.

The future of our company depends on a strong pipeline of talented science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) professionals. These employees will also be responsible for driving the product innovations that will lead to a more sustainable future.   

We contribute to society in a variety of ways, through the taxes we pay, the employment of our workforce, our support of local economies and through our sustainability initiatives. It is important that we measure and highlight these contributions.