SIJ Group’s road to ResponsibleSteel certification

SIJ Group achieved ResponsibleSteel Core Site Certification in 2024 for its SIJ Acroni and SIJ Metal Ravne sites, recognising the company’s long-standing commitment to responsible steel production.

The group’s circular-economy approach—using around 78% scrap as metallic input—made certification a natural step forward, providing a structured ESG framework that strengthened existing practices across governance, safety, community engagement and decarbonisation.

During the audit process, SIJ addressed key challenges such as occupational health and safety, implementing corrective actions and enhanced monitoring. The company has set ambitious climate targets, including a 51% reduction in Scope 1 emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050. Certification also reinforced transparency with local communities and improved alignment with international sustainability expectations.

Achieving ResponsibleSteel certification has enhanced SIJ Group’s credibility, enabled access to sustainable finance opportunities and laid the foundation for continuous improvement across its operations.

Working towards ResponsibleSteel certification provided a structured roadmap for our sustainability efforts. It gives you a compass. We made the decision early on that relevant Principles of the ResponsibleSteel Standard would be applied across the whole Group, not just the sites that are certified. - Tadeja Primožič Merkač, Director of Quality, Sustainability and Corporate Management, SIJ Group