The International Production Standard is the foundation of ResponsibleSteel's certification programme and a key tool for driving more socially and environmentally responsible steel production globally.

As the steel industry continues to evolve, it is essential that the Production Standard remains relevant, credible and effective. The proposed revisions will inform any revised Version 3.0 of the Production Standard and address a range of topics identified through stakeholder feedback, implementation experience and developments across the regulatory and sustainability landscape. These include:

- Climate Change & GHG Emissions

- Just Transition

- Evolving ESG and Regulatory Frameworks

- Annual Leave Requirements

- Enabling product claims

The survey is open from Wednesday 30 September until Monday 23 November (08:00 UTC).

We invite all interested stakeholders to review the proposed revisions and provide feedback through our consultation process. Your input will play an important role in ensuring the Production Standard remains practical, robust and responsive to the needs of the industry and wider society.

Find out more

‍Visit the main landing page for detailed information on the proposed revisions, supporting materials, timelines and how to participate - go to page

Focused Discussions

‍Want to discuss any of the proposed revisions in more detail? Complete our form to let us know which areas you’d like to explore, and we will be in touch - Fill in this form

Consultation Survey

‍If you are already familiar with the consultation process and proposed changes, you can complete the consultation survey here - Access the survey

We encourage you to share this consultation with colleagues and others who may have an interest in the futuredevelopment of the Production Standard. If you have any questions about the consultation or Standard Revision ingeneral, please contact standards@responsiblesteel.org.

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As demand for low emission steel grows, buyers increasingly need reliable and comparable information to understand the emissions performance of the products they are purchasing. Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are an established tool for providing this information – but how effectively do they reflect genuine differences in steelmaking emissions?

ResponsibleSteel’s new report, From Data to Decisions: Comparable GHG Emissions Data for Steel Procurement, examines this question using real, verified site-level data from steelmakers.

What did we find?

The analysis demonstrates that GHG values reported at product level can vary significantly, even where products are assessed using the same Product Category Rule. Importantly, methodological choices – including system boundaries, approaches to co-product allocation and background datasets – can have a significant influence on reported emissions.

This means that relying on product-level GWP (Global Warming Potential¹) values alone to identify and procure ‘low-emissions’ steel can produce misleading results, potentially rewarding methodological differences rather than genuine decarbonisation progress.

The report does not argue that EPDs are unsuitable for steel procurement. Rather, it highlights the importance of greater transparency, comparability and consistency in the way emissions information is calculated and communicated.

Towards more credible steel procurement

For markets to effectively recognise and reward genuine emissions reductions, buyers need confidence that the emissions data they use allows for meaningful comparison between products and producers.

The report sets out practical recommendations for strengthening the foundations of credible low-emissions steel procurement, including greater transparency around emissions calculations, clearer disclosure of crude steel emissions intensity and scrap content, and approaches that enable more meaningful comparison of steel products.

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Read the full report

Read the summary

Sign up for our webinar

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[1] Global Warming Potential (GWP) in an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a standardised metric that measures how much heat a product's greenhouse gas emissions trap in the atmosphere, relative to carbon dioxide (CO₂).

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The revision of the ResponsibleSteel International Production Standard is picking up pace. Launched in late 2024 with a scoping consultation, the revision process is now reaching an inflection point: we have been consolidating input from the various Working Groups and other stakeholders’ feedback into a first draft for public consultation.

Below, we reflect on who ourstakeholders are, why their engagement matters, and how different perspectives can help drive the future of responsible steel production.

Why stakeholder engagement matters

Revising an international standard affects not only steel producers and workers, but also other businesses in the value chain, communities, auditors, civil society organisations, and governments — and more — worldwide. This requires a process that is transparent, credible, and robust.

The steel industry is under growing pressure to decarbonise, strengthen human rights protections, and improve transparency across supply chains. A credible sustainability standard must reflect not only technical expertise and best practice, but also the realities faced by those implementing, auditing, and impacted by the standard.

That is why stakeholder engagement sits at the heart of the revision process, ensuring that the Production Standard is informed by a diversity of perspectives, grounded in real-world experience, and trusted by not only steelmakers but industry stakeholders more widely.

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Mapping stakeholders across the steel ecosystem

As part of our standard revision work, we identified a broad range of stakeholders who are either directly or indirectly affected by the Production Standard and its revision.

Groups most directly affected are ResponsibleSteel value chain members and certificate holders, certification bodies, and recognised standard-setting schemes, as they directly implement, assess, or depend on the Production Standard.

These stakeholders provide practical insight into how requirements function on the ground, including challenges related to auditing, implementation, and operational feasibility.

More widely, ResponsibleSteel seeks input from members across all stakeholder groups, including:

·       civil society organisations and NGOs,

·       industry representatives,

·       governments,

·       scientists and academics, and

·       communities affected by steel production.

We also welcome perspectives from non-member organisations, including companies across the steel value chain, whose experience and expertise help strengthen the revision process.

Each group brings different expectations and priorities to the process — from scientific rigour and legal alignment to labour rights, environmental integrity, and local community impacts.

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Creating multiple channels for participation

Recognising that stakeholders engage in different ways, we have developed a multi-channel communications and engagement strategy.

Engagement spans channels like in-person and online meetings, webinars, Working Groups, Technical Advisory Groups (TAGs), member reference groups, member newsletters, targeted outreach, social media, and public consultations.

This layered approach helps ensure that both highly engaged technical participants and broader stakeholder audiences can contribute meaningfully to the revision process.

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From awareness to active participation

The revision process has progressed through several stages, from raising awareness and sharing information, to convening Working Groups, member reference groups and Technical Advisory Groups to explore key technical and social topics in greater depth. Throughout, ResponsibleSteel has sought to create meaningful opportunities for stakeholders to engage with and inform the development of the revised Production Standard.

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The public consultation: a milestone for stakeholder engagement

One of the most important milestones for stakeholder engagement in the revision of the ResponsibleSteel International Production Standard will be the public consultation, expected to launch in late-Q3 2026.

While Working Groups and Technical Advisory Groups provide dedicated forums for technical discussion and expert input, the consultation opens the process to a much broader audience. It creates an opportunity for anyone with an interest in responsible steel production, from steelmakers and downstream manufacturers to civil society organisations, researchers, governments, workers, and affected communities, to have their voice heard.

This stage is about more than simply inviting comments. It is an opportunity to hear directly from stakeholders about their real-world experiences, identify issues that may not have emerged during technical discussions, and understand how the proposed revisions could affect different parts of the steel value chain. By bringing together a wide range of perspectives, the consultation helps strengthen both the quality of the Production Standard and confidence in the process used to develop it.

The consultation will be supported by webinars, outreach activities, newsletters, and detailed consultation materials designed to help stakeholders understand the proposed changes and provide informed feedback. Every submission will be reviewed and considered part of the revision process, helping to shape the final version of the Production Standard. ResponsibleSteel will share further details on how to participate in the coming weeks and months.

Learn more about the standard revision process here.

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Steel is essential to modern economies, underpinning everything from buildings and transport to energy infrastructure and manufacturing. Yet the sector is also responsible for around 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, making its decarbonisation a critical component of achieving global climate goals.

Today, ResponsibleSteel has published a new report, Global Steel Decarbonisation: From complexity to coherence, examining how fragmented policy frameworks are creating barriers to the transition to low-emission steelmaking.

Across the world, governments are introducing policies designed to reduce emissions from steel production while maintaining competitiveness, supporting jobs and strengthening industrial capacity. While these objectives are often aligned in principle, they are increasingly being pursued through separate and sometimes incompatible policy frameworks.

The result is a growing patchwork of regulations, reporting requirements, emissions methodologies and product classifications that can increase complexity for producers, create uncertainty for investors and make it more difficult for markets to recognise and reward genuine decarbonisation progress.

As Annie Heaton, CEO of ResponsibleSteel, explains:

“Right now, policy fragmentation is slowing down the very transition it is meant to accelerate. Greater alignment is entirely achievable, and essential, if we are to unlock investment and deliver steel decarbonisation at the pace required.”

A global review of steel decarbonisation policy

The report provides a global review of steel decarbonisation policy, with a particular focus on the European Union and India, two of the world's largest steel producers and consumer markets.

It examines the expanding mix of policies shaping the transition, including trade measures, sustainable finance frameworks, public procurement requirements, green steel labelling initiatives and ESG-related regulations.

While policy activity is accelerating in both regions, the report finds that many frameworks are built on different foundations. Diverging definitions of low-emission steel, inconsistent emissions accounting methodologies and varying approaches to recycled steel content can create friction across markets and weaken investment signals.

From complexity to coherence

The report argues that governments do not need to start from scratch. Instead, greater policy coherence can be achieved through stronger alignment between existing standards, certification systems and data requirements.

To support this, the report identifies a number of practical actions that policymakers can take:

• Establish more consistent approaches to measuring and reporting steel emissions.
• Reduce duplicated reporting requirements through greater recognition of independently verified data across jurisdictions.
• Develop common approaches to accounting for recycled and primary steel content, including the use of scrap-variable metrics.
• Strengthen traceability through credible chain-of-custody systems across steel supply chains.
• Better integrate environmental, social and governance considerations into steel decarbonisation policy frameworks.

Together, these measures can help create more transparent and competitive markets for low-emission steel, reward producers making genuine progress on decarbonisation and support the investment needed to accelerate the transition.

Download the report

Global Steel Decarbonisation: From complexity to coherence explores these challenges and opportunities in greater detail, providing practical recommendations for policymakers, industry stakeholders and investors seeking to support the transition to low-emission steel.

Download the report

ResponsibleSteel has announced that its flagship global Forum will take place in Abu Dhabi, UAE, from 16–18 March 2027, bringing together more than 400 leaders from across the iron and steel value chain to accelerate progress towards responsibly produced, low-emission steel.

Hosted with the support of Lead Sponsor EMSTEEL, the ResponsibleSteel Forum 2027 will provide a global platform for collaboration, bringing together stakeholders from across the steel value chain. The Forum will focus on tackling real-world challenges, advancing practical solutions and accelerating the actions needed to scale responsible, low-emission steel production, while strengthening the policy, investment and market frameworks that will enable the industry's transition.

The multi-day programme will feature keynote discussions, plenary sessions, practical working sessions, targeted roundtables and networking opportunities designed to encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing. Participants will include steelmakers, raw material suppliers, downstream buyers from sectors including automotive, construction and energy, alongside policymakers, financial institutions, trade unions and civil society organisations. Together, they will explore the challenges facing the sector and identify practical solutions that can help accelerate progress while recognising leadership and innovation across the industry.

The MENA region is becoming increasingly important to the global steel transition, and the ResponsibleSteel Forum 2027 will reflect that momentum by bringing the global steel community to Abu Dhabi. With access to renewable energy, emerging hydrogen capabilities and strong industrial ambition, the region is well positioned to play a leading role in the shift towards near-zero steel. The Forum will also serve as an important bridge between COP31 and COP32, helping shape the steel sector's contribution to international climate discussions.

The Forum will be global in scope, bringing together participants from a broad and diverse range of countries and regions. It reflects the international nature of the iron and steel value chain and the shared need for credible standards, enabling policy, investment and stronger market signals to support the transition to responsible steel production.

The programme will focus on moving from ambition to implementation, including:

• Advancing credible standards and certification for responsible steel

• Scaling near-zero emissions iron and steel production

• Strengthening demand signals and green procurement

• Unlocking finance and investment for transition technologies

• Ensuring a just and inclusive transition across the value chain

Further details on the programme and speakers will be announced in due course.

ResponsibleSteel CEO Annie Heaton said the Forum comes at a pivotal moment for the industry, as the global transition continues to reshape steel production and the role of clean energy infrastructure becomes increasingly important.

"At a time when the global context continues to shift, we are acutely aware of the importance of clean energy infrastructure and the growing role of sunbelt economies in enabling the transition to low emission iron and steel. Against that backdrop, the ResponsibleSteel Forum 2027 will bring together leaders from across the value chain for what promises to be a timely global conversation on the future of responsible steel. By convening this multistakeholder community in the UAE, we aim to turn shared ambition into coordinated and coherent action and accelerate progress towards a more responsible, low-emission industry."

ResponsibleSteel Chair Gerry Tidd said the Forum reflects the organisation's founding belief that lasting progress depends on collaboration across the steel value chain and between a broad range of stakeholders.

"ResponsibleSteel was founded more than a decade ago, on the belief that real sustainability in steel requires collective action by multi-stakeholders. At a time of rapid technological and economic challenge for the sector, ResponsibleSteel plans to host the ResponsibleSteel Forum 2027 where we bring all our members and stakeholders together to address the near- and long-term future of sustainable steel.

The Forum 2027 will be held in the MENA region and hosted by leading steelmaker, EMSTEEL. The Forum will convene a worldwide collection of leaders from across our dynamic industry. It's a Forum not to be missed."

For EMSTEEL, hosting the Forum marks an important milestone for both the company and the wider region. Group CEO Eng. Saeed Ghumran Al Remeithi said the event reflects Abu Dhabi's growing role as an international centre for industrial transformation while providing an opportunity for stakeholders to align around practical solutions for the future of steel.

"Hosting the ResponsibleSteel Forum in Abu Dhabi for the first time in the MENA region is a strategic milestone for EMSTEEL, the UAE, and the global steel industry. It reflects Abu Dhabi's growing role as an international centre for industrial transformation and climate-focused dialogue, while reinforcing EMSTEEL's leadership in advancing responsible steel production. As decarbonisation continues to reshape operating models, investment decisions, and long-term competitiveness, this Forum will provide a critical platform to align global stakeholders around practical solutions that support a more resilient and sustainable steel sector."

Join us in Abu Dhabi

Registration will open soon. If you'd like to receive updates and be among the first to hear when registration opens, register your interest below.

Register Your Interest Here

Sponsorship opportunities

A range of sponsorship opportunities is available for organisations looking to showcase their leadership and engage with an international audience of industry decision-makers.

If you're interested in sponsoring the ResponsibleSteel Forum 2027, please contact alobo@responsiblesteel.org

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‍By Annie Heaton, CEO, ResponsibleSteel

Last week, we brought together stakeholders from across the steel value chain in London to mark ten years of ResponsibleSteel. Held during London Climate Action Week, it was an opportunity to reflect on progress and look ahead to the challenges shaping the industry’s future.

It’s remarkable to think how far we’ve come since the first ideas began to form in the Australian Steel Stewardship Forum, culminating in the registration of ResponsibleSteel in 2016.

In 2019, we launched the ResponsibleSteel International Production Standard, with site audits beginning the following year. We now have over 150 members and 90 certified sites, covering more than 270,000 workers.

What began as an ambitious vision - to create a global multi-stakeholder system that certifies what good looks like for steel - has grown into a truly respected movement in every continent.

We can be immensely proud of what ResponsibleSteel has achieved over the past decade. Yet, we know the steel industry operates in a complex and often volatile environment and we cannot afford to be complacent, as our Chair Gerry Tidd reflected at the reception last week.

A strategy for the future

Anniversaries are also a moment to reassess. To remain effective, we must continue to evolve. Investment is slowing, uncertainty is rising, and the pace of decarbonisation is under pressure. These challenges make the need for trusted standards, credible measurement, and effective collaboration more, not less, important.

Over the past year, we have worked with our Board and our members to develop a new strategy to advance our mission. Our work will focus on three priorities:

1.  First, catalysing leadership in responsibly produced iron as well as steel – driving progress across the full value chain from raw material extraction through to finished steel,

2.  Second, enabling a level playing field for steelmakers on GHG, via alignment and interoperability to enable a coherent trading system across the industry,

3.  Third, helping to shape markets in which responsibly produced, low-emissions steel can thrive via public and private sector policy to drive demand and finance for responsible decarbonisation.

Central to this is working with our multi-stakeholder community to ensure our standards and assurance systems remain practical, credible and relevant.

With this strategy in mind, I want to share a few examples of how this strategy will be translated into action in the first year.

The first will be the introduction of our Accelerator Groups initiative - focused, collaborative groups bringing together stakeholders from across the value chain to address shared challenges, remove barriers to progress, and accelerate action. Initial Accelerators will focus on automotive value chains and transition finance.

Secondly, we have long recognised the importance of bringing China into the emerging global market for low-emissions steel. Building on our considerable progress since COP31 with the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA) on interoperable GHG measurement rules, alongside our work with LESS, our next focus is advancing interoperable verification, assurance, and GHG claims to support a trusted global market for low-emissions iron and steel.

Finally, we know that our stakeholders value opportunities to come together in person to exchange ideas, strengthen relationships, and build momentum for change. With that in mind, we are excited to be planning a major in-person event for early next year – keep an eye out for an announcement imminently.

We will, of course, be sharing more details on our strategy and these innovations in the weeks and months ahead.

Ten years ago, ResponsibleSteel began as an ambitious idea. Today, it is a global organisation helping to drive responsible production across one of the world's most important industries. As we celebrate this milestone, we remain focused on building a steel industry that is more responsible, resilient and sustainable.

Last year marked a decade since the signing of the Paris Agreement and six years since the launch of the ResponsibleSteel Production Standard. In that time, expectations on climate action have shifted dramatically. Global emissions continue to rise, and the 1.5°C warming threshold is now projected to be breached by 2034. To remain on a 1.5°C pathway, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicates that global CO₂ emissions must fall by 45% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. Yet progress in the steel sector is lagging. According to the Mission Possible Partnership’s Global Project Tracker, only 9% of the required operational or committed near-zero steelmaking capacity was in place by the end of 2024.

Against a backdrop of rising global emissions and growing awareness of the consequences of inaction, ResponsibleSteel is undertaking a timely and necessary revision of its climate-related requirements, specifically criteria 10.1 (corporate commitment to the Paris Agreement), 10.2 (corporate climate-related financial disclosure), 10.5 (site-level emissions targets and planning), and 10.7.1 (GHG disclosure and reporting).

A collaborative revision process

From October to January, ResponsibleSteel convened five Working Group (WG) and Technical Advisory Group (TAG) meetings, bringing together 23 representatives from 15 member organisations across certification bodies, civil society, steelmakers, and the wider steel value chain.

As a participant from SteelWatch noted during the process, “Having a diverse group of members involved in the revision process of the standard helps to achieve a balance between what steelmakers deem feasible and where the standard needs to set the bar to trigger ambitious action. ResponsibleSteel has done well navigating and drawing on different perspectives, turning them into concrete proposals that can be submitted for the next steps of the revision process.”

Three guiding principles framed these discussions:

• Ambition: ensuring alignment with global climate goals and science-based pathways
• Feasibility: recognising real-world constraints, particularly in the near term
• Simplicity: avoiding unnecessary complexity while improving clarity and accountability

A key theme that emerged was the foundational importance of credible transition plans that move beyond aspiration and, at the same time, are grounded in realistic assumptions about technology readiness, capital investment cycles, and enabling conditions. As noted by SteelWatch, “Aligning corporate- and site-level requirements is essential in ensuring that top-level corporate ambition and targets translate into actual investment decisions today, and subsequent material transformation and emissions reductions on the ground.”

Moving beyond outdated decarbonisation roadmaps

Under the current Production Standard, certified sites must demonstrate that they have a decarbonisation roadmap aligned with an existing model. However, the WG and TAG agreed that many of these models have not been updated in recent years and no longer reflect technological, economic, or policy realities. As a result, they risk undermining rather than strengthening transition planning. The revised approach moves away from a prescriptive reliance on external models and instead proposes to introduce an explicit requirement for a climate transition plan at the corporate and site level.

A participant from EMSTEEL, a ResponsibleSteel member and certified site, commented, “Revising the ResponsibleSteel Standard is an important step in strengthening the steel sector’s collective transition journey. The process provides members with a valuable opportunity to contribute practical insights, share operational experience, and help shape a standard that is both ambitious and implementable. ResponsibleSteel has done an excellent job in creating an inclusive and transparent revision process, encouraging constructive dialogue among members and ensuring diverse industry perspectives are reflected in the development of a stronger and more credible framework.”

What’s proposed to change in the Production Standard?

The proposed revisions strengthen and connect key elements of Principle 10, with a clearer and more coherent architecture across corporate and site levels.

Key improvements include:

• Quantitative, time-bound emissions reduction targets, covering Scope 1 and 2 emissions and material Scope 3 emissions
• Stronger links between corporate- and site-level planning, ensuring that corporate ambition translates into real investment decisions and on-the-ground transformation
• Improved intensity-based disclosures to support comparability, directly aligned with ResponsibleSteel’s broader harmonisation work
• Alignment with leading frameworks, such as IFRS S2 (International Financial Reporting Standards), while retaining flexibility for different regional and operating contexts
• Clearer guardrails for credibility, moving beyond temperature labels alone

There was strong agreement across the WG that clearer wording and guidance are essential to support consistent interpretation and implementation by sites and auditors alike.

Connecting the dots between the Production Standard’s criteria

One of the most important outcomes of the revision process so far has been a clearer set of connections between criteria that, while related, have not previously been well integrated.

In the current Production Standard:

• Corporate transition planning (10.1) is weakly connected to climate-related financial disclosures (10.2)
• Site-level transition planning (10.5) is not sufficiently aligned with corporate-level strategies
• Public GHG emissions disclosure requirements (10.7.1) are limited, focusing mainly on a site’s medium-term reduction target

The proposed changes aim to address these gaps by:

• Requiring climate transition plans to include climate-related financial risks and opportunities, including dependencies that may impose structural barriers, planned changes to business models and strategy;
• Aligning corporate- and site-level planning approaches to reduce carbon leakage risks and ensure consistency across operating boundaries; and
• Strengthening public disclosure requirements to better support accountability, comparability, and progress tracking over time.

Flexibility, credibility, and the reality of steelmaking

The WG and TAG discussions also surfaced a shared understanding of the structural barriers currently slowing decarbonisation in the steel industry. These include:

• Limited technology maturity at scale
• Supply chain and infrastructure constraints
• Energy availability and cost
• Inconsistent or insufficient policy support
• Weak demand signals for low-emission steel
• Trade and competitiveness pressures

Given the long investment timelines and asset lifetimes involved, feasibility in the near term is particularly critical. As such, there was strong support for a flexible, disclosure-driven approach that pairs quantitative targets with qualitative indicators of progress, allowing ResponsibleSteel to uphold high ambition and transparency while recognising that steelmakers cannot address systemic barriers alone.

As ResponsibleSteel’s Decarbonisation Analyst, Melav Salih observed, “A robust climate transition plan must embed decarbonisation within broader strategic and financial planning. It needs to recognise that steelmakers’ transition pathways are shaped by long-lived assets, billion-dollar investment decisions, and dependencies on an ecosystem of change that includes energy systems, infrastructure, policy, and markets.”

Looking ahead

As the Paris Agreement enters its second decade, and as legal, financial, and societal expectations on climate accountability intensify, ResponsibleSteel’s role as a credible, independent standard for the steel industry has never been more important.

By strengthening climate transition planning across corporate strategy, site-level action, financial disclosure, and public reporting, revisions to the Production Standard aim to support steelmakers in navigating this transition transparently and at pace.

Together with parallel work on harmonisation and disclosure alignment, the revisions to climate transition planning requirements represent a critical step toward turning climate commitments into credible, comparable, and feasible transition pathways for the global steel industry.

Learn more about the revision of ResponsibleSteel’s International Production Standard here.

As policymakers, businesses, and investors set their sights on rapid industry decarbonisation, less attention has so far been paid to the workers and communities most impacted by the transition.

Last month, ResponsibleSteel released a first-of-its-kind report with the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) outlining key principles to support a just transition for the steel and mining sectors. The report follows a year-long project funded by the ISEAL Innovations Fund with support from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs.

ResponsibleSteel’s Director of Programmes, Amy Jackson, outlines why it’s vital that industry decarbonisation is not only fast but fair, and how this latest report could influence the ongoing revision of the ResponsibleSteel International Production Standard.

Why does a just transition matter?

Mining and steel are responsible for a significant share of global energy-related emissions, up to 10% from mining and likewise around 10% from steel. So, there’s no question: decarbonising these sectors is absolutely essential to reaching global climate goals. But what’s often overlooked is the human impact of this transition. We know the shift will be profound, but we’re only beginning to understand what it will look like in practice.

If we don’t take deliberate action, the workers and communities most affected by these transitions risk being left behind. Globally, steel employs around six million people, mining around 20 million, and millions more rely on these industries indirectly.

A just transition ensures that the benefits of industrial transformation are shared. This includes opportunities for safer jobs, new skills, economic diversification, and improved access to clean energy infrastructure and other low-emission goods and services. It also means embracing more equitable benefit‑sharing approaches, including co‑ownership and equity models, so that affected communities can participate meaningfully in the value created by the transition.  

What prompted ResponsibleSteel and IRMA to look more closely at just transition issues in steel and mining?

New technologies are opening the door to a cleaner future, but they can also be very disruptive, especially in heavy industries like steel and mining.

Steel production is already beginning to change in some geographies, as blast furnaces close, companies shift toward EAF and DRI technologies, and electric and hydrogen-based routes emerge. These transformations will also require significantly expanded renewable energy capacity and major changes to transport and logistics systems to support new supply chains. Mining is facing changes of a similar scale with the decline of coal and the increasing demand for critical minerals. Together, these developments will reshape the mining and steel supply chains, with major implications for employment patterns and local economies.

There’s growing recognition that heavy industries need to better address human rights, Indigenous rights, and social equity, and to genuinely integrate local knowledge into transition planning and due diligence. Stakeholders are also calling for more inclusive approaches to ensure transitions are fair and collaborative rather than imposed.

This is why ResponsibleSteel and the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) partnered on this project - to take a closer look at the social implications of industrial transitions. We wanted to understand the role voluntary sustainability standards can play in helping companies navigate these shifts in a way that is both responsible and inclusive.

What is the Just Transition Framework?

The Just Transition Framework builds on internationally recognised principles from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, as well as extensive inputs from the published literature on this topic and from stakeholders.

We drew on three key dimensions of justice commonly used in academic theory - procedural, distributive, and restorative justice - and began by mapping 16 existing just transition frameworks from international bodies, industry, advocacy groups, and Indigenous peoples.

This provided the basis for a draft framework, which we then tested and refined through extensive stakeholder engagement. We spoke with workers, unions, supply chain actors, companies, governments, civil society, communities, and Indigenous groups, and brought stakeholders together for workshops in Johannesburg and Brussels.

The final Just Transition Framework brings together these insights into nine principles and 50 core elements, along with five recommendations for VSSs, offering a structured but adaptable foundation for embedding just transition concepts into global sustainability schemes.

Were there any other important findings or points from the framework worth highlighting?

One of the clearest findings that emerged from this work is that transitions are highly context‑specific. The social impacts and opportunities associated with them depend heavily on local conditions, from the economic role a mine or steel site plays in a region, to the availability of alternative jobs, to the presence of strong institutions and community organisations. Understanding this is a critical first step, because it means recognising that there is no one‑size‑fits‑all approach.

Another important insight is that while voluntary sustainability standards have an important role to play, they cannot drive a just transition on their own. Nor can it be directed by steelmakers or mining companies alone. A truly just transition requires collaboration with a much wider group of actors, such as local and national governments, financial institutions, workers and trade unions, communities, and Indigenous peoples. The Framework helps clarify where VSSs can contribute most effectively, but it also emphasises that delivering a fair transition is ultimately a shared responsibility, not something any single organisation or sector can dictate or deliver in isolation.

How will the framework impact ResponsibleSteel’s International Production Standard?

Following the production of the Just Transition Framework, we benchmarked it against the ResponsibleSteel International Production Standard to identify where just transition concepts are already well covered and where there may be gaps.

One of the key findings from this exercise and from our discussions with our Just Transition Working Group is that many just transition elements are already embedded in the Standard, even if they aren’t described using that specific terminology. For example, existing requirements around stakeholder engagement, site decommissioning and closure, labour rights and the development of closure plans all support just transition outcomes.

Where the Framework has added value is by providing a structure for the conversation, which enables discussions around the most important elements for inclusion in the standard, and helps to identify where we could make these expectations more explicit about their application to transitions.

What’s next?

As we move forward with the standard revision, our focus is on making more explicit where requirements will support a just transition, in the standard itself or in supporting guidance. For example, strengthening guidance around due diligence, particularly how sites should identify and address just transition‑related risks and impacts, and clarifying what a robust just transition plan should contain. This might cover identified risks, mitigation actions, and support measures such as worker training or reskilling.

The aim isn’t to introduce major new requirements. Instead, the intention is to build on what’s already there, ensuring the Standard continues to evolve in a way that supports a fair, inclusive, and responsible transition across the steel value chain.

Learn more about the latest report.

Learn more about the Standard revision process and find out how to get involved on our Standard revision webpage.

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.