Time to put ideas into action for ResponsibleSteel™
London, February 19th,2018
ResponsibleSteel™, the industry’s first global multi-stakeholder standard and certification initiative, was launched in 2017 and has set itself ambitious goals for this year.
Steel is the world’s largest materials industry. With a turnover of 1 trillion US dollars, it is 10 times larger than the aluminium industry, 7½ times larger than the copper industry and 4 times larger than that of the cement industry.
The development of credible standards and a robust certification process requires the support of actors across the steel supply chain. This is why key stakeholders, including downstream companies, steelmakers, unions and civil society representatives, are actively contributing to the development of ResponsibleSteel™.
“At the end of our first stakeholder meeting in September 2017, there was a special kind of energy in the room. Participants who would not normally come together affirmed our vision and ambition.” commented Matthew Wenban-Smith, Executive Director of ResponsibleSteel™
A significant number of key stakeholders from the business world (including ArcelorMittal, BlueScope Steel and HSBC) and civil society (e.g. CDP and WWF) joined ResponsibleSteel™ as members and associates in 2017.
Key goals for 2018 are to build the membership, develop and test the ResponsibleSteel™ Standard in the field, and establish an effective, balanced multi-stakeholder governance model.
“In September 2018, we will hold our first General Assembly and adopt a new constitution, putting in place a truly multi-stakeholder governance structure, so that we can give consumers and businesses worldwide confidence that steel has been sourced and produced responsibly at all levels of the supply chain.” concludes Wenban-Smith.
The initiative welcomes new members from business and civil society, and with interests covering all stages of the supply chain from mining or the supply of scrap metal, through to the use of steel in finished products. Further information on membership can be found here.
back to news