Steel is in the spotlight today as we're classified as one of the 'hard-to-abate' sectors. It's a really exciting time for the industry. We've never had so much attention before, nor as many people wanting to help the industry reach the targets we're setting for ourselves to become a low-carbon or carbon-neutral industry.
It's not just about carbon
But CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions are only part of our story. Yes, we need to significantly reduce our carbon emissions to rapidly reduce the devastating impact that we are all having on the climate. But sustainability is a lot bigger than this. We need to look at a lot more – how we can contribute to the circular economy, how we can reduce our demand for raw materials, use less water, reduce our impact on biodiversity and contribute positively to local flora and fauna.
And it's not all about the environmental impact we have either. Looking into our supply chains, taking responsibility for where our raw materials come from, what are the social impacts caused by the need to make steel, and where we can work together with local communities to increase the positive impact we can have on society. There is still an increasing need for steel, particularly in developing countries, and we need to make sure that the industry can develop accordingly.
And there are also the many benefits of using steel in product applications – new steels are lighter and stronger than before, products can be designed to be reused or remanufactured way before they need to be recycled.
Sjálfbærni er óaðskiljanlegur hluti af rekstri hvers fyrirtækis. Siðferðileg og samfélagslega ábyrg fyrirtæki þurfa að geta sýnt hagsmunaaðilum sínum hvernig þau standa sig og hvert þau eru að stefna með tilliti til margra þátta umhverfis-, félags- og efnahagsstjórnar.
Að efla iðnaðinn
As such, the launch of our new Sustainability Charter is a proud moment for world steel and its members. As Head of Sustainability, I'm thrilled to see the work we've done with our member representatives to develop a Charter that better reflects the issues facing the industry today, and the issues that the steel companies are dealing with in each and every part of the world.
Sáttmálinn hefur verið uppfærður á grundvelli mikilvægiskönnunar sem gerð var meðal bæði innri og ytri hagsmunaaðila í greininni, þar á meðal viðskiptavina, frjálsra félagasamtaka og fjárfesta. Sáttmálinn endurspeglar því vaxandi viðskiptaumhverfi og aukna sjálfbærnivitund greinarinnar og vilja til að vinna að hærri stöðlum.
Sýnum skuldbindingu okkar
Þrátt fyrir að við birtum fyrsta sáttmálann okkar um sjálfbæra þróun árið 2009, þá er þetta í fyrsta skipti sem við biðjum félagsmenn okkar að sýna að þeir séu virkir að vinna á 20 mismunandi sviðum, sem öll falla undir eina af níu nýskilgreindum sjálfbærnireglum okkar: loftslagsaðgerðir, hringlaga hagkerfið, umhverfisvernd, öryggi og heilsa, fólkið okkar, sveitarfélög, ábyrgar virðiskeðjur, siðferðileg og gagnsæ rekstur og nýsköpun og velmegun.
Those members who show that they are participating in each of worldsteel's sustainability programs and have standards or programs in place within their organizations that cover the 20 criteria, will be recognized as a Charter Members for a 3-year period.
Any of our members, new or existing, can apply to be a Charter Member at any point in time as our aim is to get as many of our members aligned with our principles as possible. And it's not just about the steel producers. Our national and regional steel association members are also able to sign up to the Charter, by demonstrating that they are also aligned with our nine principles, within the work they do in their local context.
Samræma og auka sjálfbærniskilríki okkar
Við munum halda áfram að vinna með meðlimum okkar til að tala einni rödd á heimsvísu og efla starfið sem við erum að gera. Ég nota tækifærið og þakka félagsmönnum okkar fyrir mikilvæga framlag þeirra á þessu æ spennandi og vaxandi sviði.
Sjálfbært stál fyrir sjálfbæran heim.
