SUSTAINABILITY

SETTING NEW STANDARDS
RESPONSIBLESTEEL™

U. S. Steel sets new gold standard for North America steel by achieving Big River Steel site certification from ResponsibleSteel™.

ResponsibleSteel™ is the industry’s first global multi-stakeholder standard and certification initiative. U. S. Steel is proud to be the first North America steel producer to join ResponsibleSteel and the first steel producer in North America to receive ResponsibleSteel’s site certification for our Big River Steel facility.

As an innovative steel producer, Big River Steel is setting a new gold standard for North America. Customers want rigorous standards that have been independently verified to help them achieve their own sustainability goals, and ResponsibleSteel provides the common platform for producers and buyers to meet those targets.

ResponsibleSteel site certification requires each site to meet the 13 principles that make up the ResponsibleSteel Standard and cover the pillars of Environmental, Social and Governance standards. An independent third-party assessor must audit processes against rigorous standards, and ResponsibleSteel’s independent Assurance Panel must approve of the findings, before ResponsibleSteel awards certification.

As responsible steel production techniques and high ethical standards increase in importance to stakeholders, this certification under ResponsibleSteel demonstrates a commitment to keep raising the bar on providing high grades of steel more sustainably.

RESPONSIBLESTEEL PRINCIPLES™

There are 13 principles in the ResponsibleSteel Standard designed to support the
responsible sourcing and production of steel. It covers a range of sustainability issues
including emissions, pollution, responsible sourcing, human rights, labor standards, and more.


PRINCIPLE 1

Corporate Leadership

ResponsibleSteel certified sites are led responsibly.


PRINCIPLE 2

Social, Environmental and
Governance Management Systems

ResponsibleSteel certified sites have an effective management system in place to achieve the social, environmental and governance objectives to which they are committed.


PRINCIPLE 3

Responsible Sourcing

ResponsibleSteel certified sites increasingly source input materials from suppliers that are working to improve their environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance and address ESG risks.


PRINCIPLE 4

Decommissioning and Closure

ResponsibleSteel certified sites minimize the adverse social, economic and environmental impacts of full or partial site decommissioning and closure.


PRINCIPLE 5

Occupational Health and Safety

ResponsibleSteel certified sites protect the health and safety of workers.


PRINCIPLE 6

Labor Rights

ResponsibleSteel certified sites respect the rights of workers and support worker well-being.


PRINCIPLE 7

Human Rights

ResponsibleSteel certified sites respect human rights wherever they operate, irrespective of their size or structure.


PRINCIPLE 8

Stakeholder Engagement and Communication

ResponsibleSteel certified sites engage effectively with stakeholders, report openly on issues of importance to stakeholders, and remediate adverse impacts they have caused or contributed to.


PRINCIPLE 9

Local Communities

ResponsibleSteel certified sites respect the rights and interests of local communities, avoid and minimize adverse impact and support community well-being.


PRINCIPLE 10

Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The corporate owners of ResponsibleSteel certified sites are committed to the global goals of the Paris Agreement, and both certified sites and their corporate owners are taking the actions needed to demonstrate this commitment.


PRINCIPLE 11

Noise, Emissions, Effluents and Waste

ResponsibleSteel certified sites prevent and reduce emissions and effluents that have adverse effects on communities or the environment, manage waste according to the waste management hierarchy and take account of the full life cycle impacts of waste management options.


PRINCIPLE 12

Water Stewardship

ResponsibleSteel certified sites demonstrate good water stewardship.


PRINCIPLE 13

Biodiversity

ResponsibleSteel certified sites protect and conserve biodiversity.

RESPONSIBLESTEEL™ DATA HUB

Find a library of resources relating to our
ResponsibleSteel™ commitment here.

BROWSE LIBRARY