We’re shaping a more ResponsibleSteel industry.

ArcelorMittal’s Hamburg site has achieved ResponsibleSteel Core Site Certification, marking an important moment for Europe’s only direct reduced iron (DRI) - electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking site.

The certification recognises the site’s performance against ResponsibleSteel’s International Production Standard and its commitment to responsible steelmaking across environmental, social and governance issues. It follows a comprehensive, two‑year independent audit process carried out by certification body GUTcert, including on‑site assessments, worker interviews and engagement with external stakeholders. Certification confirms that the Hamburg site meets ResponsibleSteel’s globally recognised requirements, with a strong emphasis on transparency and continuous improvement.

Annie Heaton, CEO of ResponsibleSteel, welcomed the announcement, saying, “We congratulate ArcelorMittal Hamburg on achieving ResponsibleSteel Core Site Certification. As Europe’s only DRI‑EAF steelmaking site, this is an important milestone for the region’s steel industry. As the site works towards its ambition of producing near‑zero steel, this certification demonstrates that decarbonisation is being pursued alongside strong social and environmental practices. We look forward to continuing to support ArcelorMittal Hamburg on its journey towards responsible, lower‑emission steel.”

As Europe’s steel sector accelerates efforts to decarbonise, ResponsibleSteel’s Production Standard provides a robust framework that goes beyond greenhouse gas emissions to address workers’ rights, occupational health and safety, community impacts, pollution, biodiversity, and water stewardship.

ResponsibleSteel's Head of Membership and Communications, Joe Woodruff, was on the ground to present the team at ArcelorMittal Hamburg with the site's certificate. He emphasised, "This is a significant achievement, and one that deserves to be recognised and celebrated. Certification is never just a technical exercise. It represents commitment, perseverance, and real courage. To achieve certification, steelmaking sites must work through challenges, address non-conformities, strengthen systems, and demonstrate openness to scrutiny and improvement. That process is what ResponsibleSteel certification is designed to support, not perfection from day one, but credible progress built on transparency and accountability."

The audit process confirmed that the site has established management systems in place and is actively addressing environmental and social impacts, while also identifying areas for further improvement, which is a core principle of ResponsibleSteel’s approach to certification. In particular, the auditors recognised the site's strong commitment to health and safety, which was evident throughout the process. ResponsibleSteel certification is valid for three years, with regular surveillance audits required to ensure ongoing conformity with the Production Standard.

Thoralf Winkel, CEO of ArcelorMittal Hamburg, commented, “For us, the ResponsibleSteel certification is far more than a formal piece of documentation. It stands for our shared values and our consistent commitment to sustainability, integrity and responsible conduct. With this, we are making a clear promise – to the environment, our local communities and future generations.”

ArcelorMittal Hamburg has been in operation since 1970. The site produces liquid steel and hot‑rolled wire rod and has an annual production capacity of up to 800,000 tonnes of wire rod.

With the certification of the Hamburg site, all four of ArcelorMittal’s steelmaking sites in Germany are now certified against the ResponsibleSteel International Production Standard, alongside Bremen, Duisburg and Eisenhüttenstadt. This reflects a broader commitment across the company’s German operations to independent verification, stakeholder engagement and continuous improvement in responsible steelmaking practices.

Take a look at the certificate and the public audit summary here.

Earlier this year, ResponsibleSteel was in China to mark an important milestone following the announcement at COP30 of our agreements with the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA) and the Brussels‑based Low Emission Steel Standard (LESS). The visit culminated at CISA’s annual LCA conference, where we presented the project to the Chinese steel value chain and celebrated our shared ambition to advance steel decarbonisation through global collaboration.

In this video, we speak with voices from across the steel value chain, including ResponsibleSteel’s CEO, Annie Heaton, and Director of Programmes, Amy Jackson; CISA’s Vice Secretary General, Feng Chao; VAMA’s Chief Technology Officer, Li Xiang; and Hang Lung Properties’ Deputy Director - Sustainability, John Haffner. They reflect on why interoperability between global standards matters, and how collaboration between ResponsibleSteel and CISA can help unlock trusted, comparable data for low‑ and near‑zero‑emission steel.

Together, these partnerships are laying the foundations for a more transparent global market, one that supports informed procurement, targeted investment, and real emissions reductions across the steel value chain.

What do ResponsibleSteel's interoperability projects look like in practice?

In short, interoperability means measuring emissions using rules that are as aligned as possible, and recognising the differences, to enable comparison on a like-for-like basis. Imagine the benefit this would bring for anyone wanting to distinguish what good looks like, for example, procurement teams, investors, and policymakers.

But making interoperability work in practice requires a lot more if we want a reliable, credible and sustainable system that generates high-quality, comparable data.

We've outlined the key components of this in our Framework for Credible Interoperability, which will inform both our work with LESS and CISA:

• Aligned GHG accounting rules
• A reliable calculation tool
• A robust assurance mechanism
• Credible claims protocols
• Good governance, oversight and resourcing
• Appropriate data management
• Strong operations management systems

This is how markets are built: first with innovation, then with the necessary rules and systems that enable good information to flow – so that steel buyers can understand, investors can evaluate, and steelmakers can compete, based on emissions performance that everyone can trust.

ResponsibleSteel’s 2026 Progress Report captures a year marked by deepening global alignment and strengthened member commitment to advancing responsible, low‑emission and near‑zero steelmaking. Despite a challenging operating environment marked by geopolitical volatility, shifting supply chain risks and heightened scrutiny of corporate transition plans, our latest report demonstrates how ResponsibleSteel continues to convene members and stakeholders to drive credible, independently verified progress across the global industry.

A critical year for responsible steelmaking

ResponsibleSteel Chair Gerry Tidd reflects on a year marked by disruption and rapidly shifting expectations for heavy industry, as many steelmakers turned their focus to immediate operational pressures. Yet the urgency around climate and sustainability has not diminished. As Tidd notes in his opening message, “In this evolving context, ResponsibleSteel’s role as a trusted multistakeholder convenor and an independent global reference point has never been more critical.”

Despite these headwinds, 2025 saw clear momentum across ResponsibleSteel’s global certification programme. Seven new sites achieved Core Site Certification—including the first site in the Gulf Cooperation Council region and the largest single certified site in Europe to date. Importantly, every site with expiring certifications chose to recertify, underscoring the value of credible, independent verification in a rapidly changing market.

Strengthening global alignment

Last year, we celebrated a major milestone in aligning global approaches to low emission steel. ResponsibleSteel concluded landmark agreements with the Low Emission Steel Standard (LESS) in Europe and with the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA), extending common approaches to GHG measurement and classification across a collective membership covering roughly 60% of global steel production. These partnerships lay the foundations for interoperability mechanisms that will bring greater clarity to markets, reduce fragmentation and enable investment in the world’s largest steel producing regions.

The year also saw major buyer and investor engagement initiatives, including the Strength to Strength campaign, a US investor roadshow, and new guidance from Microsoft and Carbon Direct recognising ResponsibleSteel Progress Levels as benchmarks for supplier expectations.

Key highlights from the year

The report details strong progress across ResponsibleSteel’s certification and membership programmes:

• Seven new certified sites across Europe, the Middle East and India
• 100% recertification uptake for expiring certificates
• Nearly 90 certified sites across 19 countries, representing a combined 142 million tonnes of annual steel production
• Over 262,000 workers covered by ResponsibleSteel certification
• 12 new members, bringing total membership to 167 organisations headquartered across 36 countries.

Looking ahead: Building the systems for accelerating progress at scale

In her closing message, CEO Annie Heaton outlines the organisation’s focus for 2026: reinforcing the systems and frameworks that will underpin growth in responsibly produced low emission and near zero steel. With many companies facing delayed transition investments and unpredictable market conditions, Heaton stresses the importance of maintaining long term ambition while supporting practical, measurable progress.

ResponsibleSteel’s priorities include strengthening interoperability mechanisms, advancing the revision of ResponsibleSteel’s International Production Standard and claims framework, and expanding work with buyers and investors to support robust procurement and financing decisions.

As Heaton states, “This work is key to expanding low‑emission steel supply, enabling global trade through comparable data, strengthening investment cases, reducing regulatory burden and supporting effective policy. In short, it helps to keep global trade gates open and ensure a claim made in one region can be understood and trusted in another.”

As our membership grows and global partnerships deepen, ResponsibleSteel continues to serve as a unifying force, bringing together industry, civil society, policymakers and finance to accelerate pathways to responsibly produced low-emission and near-zero steelmaking.

Read ResponsibleSteel’s 2026 Progress Report here.