Test Phase for Additional Requirements
The ResponsibleSteel additional requirements on GHG emissions will go through a 12-month test phase after they are voted by the membership. The test phase applies to elements of 10.4.5, 10.4.7 and Annex 2 to the Additional Requirements on GHG emissions; 3.2, 3.4, 3.7 and Annex 1 to the additional requirements on responsible sourcing – these are highlighted in the final requirements document V3.0.
During this period, the ResponsibleSteel Secretariat will be open to engaging with members to learn from early implementation experiences of those elements and use inputs from the test phase to revise and improve these requirements. Different mechanisms are in place to support this process:
- Members can always provide feedback to the Secretariat by using this template, or through emails and calls. The feedback will be reviewed on an ongoing basis to make sure the requirements are fit for purpose and the intent of the requirements is clear.
- The Secretariat will use this feedback to provide clarifications and interpretations on a regular basis to support the implementation of the additional requirements.
- Where there is a strong case that substantial changes are urgently required, an urgent revision process can be activated, following our Standard Development Procedure.
When a certified site has successfully been audited against the additional requirements, it will earn ‘certified steel’ certification. A site that is not yet a certified site can choose to be audited against the existing requirements (Standard version 1.1) and the additional requirements at the same time to earn ‘certified steel’ certification.
Please note that we aim to start the Standard Revision Process in 2023. This process will take into account all comments received in the Issues Log after the standard is adopted and involve the full consultation process outlined in Section 3 of our Standard Development Procedure. In this process, we may have different technical working groups to focus on specific topics.
Should you want to know more about the test phase, do not hesitate to contact us at assurance@responsiblesteel.org.
