All Outokumpu production sites in Europe have now received ResponsibleSteel certification. The Outokumpu Nirosta GmbH locations in Krefeld and Dillenburg also receive certification for sustainable practices according to the standard of the ResponsibleSteel Organization.
The global steel industry standard for sustainable steel sourcing and production has been presented by ResponsibleSteel. Outokumpu is the first steel company in Scandinavia to receive global ResponsibleSteel certifications for all seven production sites in Finland, Sweden and Germany after extensive audits.
Outokumpu has been a member of the ResponsibleSteel organization since 2019. The certification achieved enables the company to further evaluate and strengthen its sustainability management and to advance the steel industry.
“The ResponsibleSteel standard is urgently needed to create a systematic reference framework for the holistic assessment of the sustainability of steel. While the steel industry is responsible for 7-9% of global greenhouse gas emissions, it also plays a crucial role in the energy transition and green industrial transformation. Outokumpu supports the 1.5 degree climate target and has set itself ambitious decarbonization goals for its own production as well as for its upstream and downstream value chain.
In addition, we are committed to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the highest standards of ethical business practices across our supply chain. ResponsibleSteel evaluates criteria in the three ESG fields of environmental, social and corporate governance and thus drives the sustainability performance of companies in all these areas. We are very proud to have received the pioneering certification. Certified by independent auditors on behalf of ResponsibleSteel, we provide our customers with value-added support in choosing demonstrably sustainably produced stainless steel,” explains Heidi Peltonen, Vice President, Sustainability at Outokumpu.
ESG aspects
Key ESG aspects of companies' operations are covered by the standard, taking into account impacts on climate, biodiversity, water management, occupational health and safety, human rights, diversity and inclusion, stakeholder engagement, responsible sourcing practices and governance.
“Outokumpu has already set a short-term science-based target to reduce emissions in all three areas by 42 percent by 2030 compared to 2016. The site certification process has provided Outokumpu with a tool to develop sustainability work and transparency in line with best ESG practices in the steel industry. The next step will be progress certification. We look forward to working with Outokumpu to develop decarbonization progression levels specific to stainless steel manufacturing sites to enable them to move toward certified steel," said Annie Heaton, CEO of ResponsibleSteel.
Transparency for stakeholders
For Outokumpu, the ResponsibleSteel standard provides a tool to assess and strengthen its sustainability work, supported by an ambitious industry framework with an approach that goes beyond compliance. The process was carried out between 2021 and 2023 at Outokumpu locations in Finland, Sweden and Germany.
“ResponsibleSteel certification is equally about the process and the result. The certification process is very extensive and included, for example, site-specific self-assessments with associated on-site audits and in-depth interviews with employees and subcontractors. In terms of assessment, we received excellent feedback on our performance, particularly in the area of decarbonization and our work safety efforts. The process also helped us to identify further measures to take our sustainability work to the next level, for example through greater involvement of stakeholders in our market environment, in the area of social responsibility as well as in biodiversity and water management in our value chain. The location certifications have increased the credibility and transparency of our overall sustainability work," says Anna Vainikainen, Head of Human Rights at Outokumpu.
In May 2024, Outokumpu Nirosta GmbH in Krefeld and Dillenburg received the steel industry's demanding sustainability certification for the first time according to the standard of the ResponsibleSteel organization. In Scandinavia, Outokumpu is the first steel manufacturer to be fully certified by ResponsibleSteel for its European production facilities.
