BlueScope Steel has achieved ResponsibleSteel™ certification at their Port Kembla Steelworks facility in Australia in recognition of their responsible production and sourcing practices.

The ResponsibleSteel™ certification creates a valuable point of difference for the Port Kembla Steelworks (PKSW), being the first site in the Asia Pacific region and the fourth steelmaker in the world to obtain this recognition. Achieved in early 2022, the certification is also a significant milestone in BlueScope’s whole business sustainability journey as the company continues to implement improvements and learn from the process designed to strengthen their business, industry and local communities. 

This important recognition also reflects the quality of BlueScope’s operations and how positively they seek to engage with their stakeholders, in particular, customers, suppliers, employees and communities. 

The independent, third-party site certification process has involved multiple teams across the business and ensures that BlueScope is a world leader in steel sector sustainability. The rigorous audit and assessment of BlueScope’s performance against the 12 principles of the ResponsibleSteel™ Standard has covered a range of environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria, including:

  • Occupational health and safety 
  • Environmental aspects – air emissions, noise, water stewardship, waste and biodiversity 
  • Human rights and labour rights 
  • Climate change and greenhouse gas emissions 
  • Stakeholder engagement, local communities, and communications 

What is ResponsibleSteel™?

ResponsibleSteel™ is the global steel industry's multi-stakeholder sustainability standard and certification program, designed to ensure that customers, stakeholders and consumers can be confident that the steel they use has been sourced and produced responsibly.

ResponsibleSteel’s vision is that steel’s contribution to a sustainable society is maximised. Its mission is to enhance the responsible sourcing, production, use and recycling of steel by:

  • Providing a multi-stakeholder forum to build trust and achieve consensus; 
  • Developing standards, certification and related tools; 
  • Driving positive change through the recognition and use of responsible steel. 

The ResponsibleSteel™ Standard is designed to support the responsible production of steel, as a tool for the achievement of Responsible Steel’s vision.

Principles 

There are 12 principles in the ResponsibleSteel™ Standard that cover a wide range of sustainability topics such as health and safety, labour and human rights, climate change, water and supply chain. ​

The staged certification process involves the following:

  • Each of the 12 principles is audited to ensure the high standard defined by ResponsibleSteel™ is being met.​
  • The standard requires BSL to have the appropriate policies, procedures, management plans, risk assessments, objectives and targets, and reporting in place.​
  • Engagement of our community and stakeholders is a key aspect of the standard.​
  • Audit days are determined based on the complexity of the site and is dependent on the number of employees. The audit occurs over 2 stages.​
  • In Stage 1, the certification body will identify areas of concern and determine if a site is ready for Stage 2. This can be done remotely.​
  • Stage 2 is an on-site audit. The audit process involves interviewing a number of employees and external stakeholders.​
  • Responsible Steel may assign an independent representative to ‘witness’ the Stage 2 audits.​​​​​​​​

BlueScope and ResponsibleSteel™

For more than 10 years, BlueScope has played a foundational role in the establishment of ResponsibleSteel™, helping to realise their shared vision for a sustainable steel industry. BlueScope believes that the certification can give their customers confidence in the environmental, social and governance performance of their steelmaking facilities.

BlueScope has proudly played an active role in the development, collaborative engagement and promotion of the Standard.

What’s next for ResponsibleSteel™?

As uptake of the ResponsibleSteel™ Site Certification continues at pace, BlueScope will continue to partner in the development of further ResponsibleSteel™ Standards for Certified Steel, addressing key challenges in the greenhouse gas emissions performance and responsible sourcing.

BlueScope’s role in the development and application of the ResponsibleSteel Standard is an important part of how the company strives to create strength along the steel value chain.

What the certification means for industry

ResponsibleSteel™ aims to provide specifiers and building practitioners with confidence that they are specifying steel from a facility that has demonstrated responsible sourcing and production practices.

View the PKSW certification document and associated public summary audit report. These documents are also available on ResponsibleSteel.