Product sustainability

ArcelorMittal has been recognised by CDP for its leadership on corporate transparency and action on climate change from among over 8000 companies worldwide who were scored on their 2019 disclosures. ArcelorMittal scored an A- in the 2019 CDP Climate Change Assessment, an improvement from a C in 2017, which means the company has now reached leadership level.

Among the top 11%

This puts ArcelorMittal among the top 11% of companies within our industry and compares favourably against the Global average of C, the Europe regional average of C, and the Metal smelting, refining, & forming sector average of C.

Our portfolio of low-emissions technologies to reduce carbon emissions

Designed to harness the competitive spirit of business to raise ambition and spur action on corporate climate action, CDP scores thousands of companies that disclose climate data through its platform each year at the request of their corporate customers and investors.

The positive score reflects CDP’s assessment of ArcelorMittal’s ambition to significantly reduce its carbon footprint by 2050, our disclosure of climate related financial risks and opportunities, and our work on a broad portfolio of low-emissions technologies designed to reduce carbon emissions, including:

• Carbalyst – captures waste gases from the blast furnace and biologically converts it into bio-ethanol. The €120m launch project at ArcelorMittal Ghent is expected to be completed in 2020.
• IGAR – captures waste CO2 from the blast furnace and converts it into a synthetic gas that can be reinjected into the blast furnace in place of fossil fuels to reduce iron ore. An industrial pilot of this technology is being developed at ArcelorMittal Dunkirk in France.
• Torero – €40m investment to convert waste wood into bio-coal to displace the fossil fuel coal currently injected into the blast furnace. Our first large scale demonstration plant in ArcelorMittal Ghent is expected to be in operation by the end of 2020.
• Reducing iron ore with hydrogen – €65m investment at Hamburg site to increase the use of hydrogen for the direct reduction of iron ore.
• Carbon capture and storage – integrating breakthrough technologies to bring down the costs of capturing, purifying, and liquifying CO2 from waste gases. Construction of a carbon capture and storage pilot project, 3D, will begin at ArcelorMittal Dunkirk in 2020 and will be able to capture 0.5 metric tons of CO2 an hour from steelmaking gases by 2021.
• Steligence® solutions to aid the design and delivery of low carbon buildings.
• S-in motion® range of solutions to reduce the weight of (electric) cars and trucks without compromising on strength and our iCARe® specialist steels for electric motors.

"On the road to reaching our net zero target"

Alan Knight, Corporate Responsibility General Manager at ArcelorMittal, says: “To receive an A- from CDP is a strong validation of the work we have underway to address the risks of climate change and decarbonising the steel industry. With the investments we’re making in new technologies and ground-breaking innovations, we are on the road to reaching our net zero target by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement.”

The full list of companies that were assessed, as well as other publicly available climate change scores, are available on CDP’s website at: CDP scores

Text: ArcelorMittal Corporate Communications
Image: ArcelorMittal

Just like gold, steel can be endlessly recycled. A great example of this can be found in Kraków, Poland.

Tomorrow without smog

ArcelorMittal Poland recycled the steel from old stoves sent in by residents, producing 350 bicycle racks from the scrapped steel for the city. Residents who gave up their old, polluting stoves received a bonus from the company and contributed to 'Tomorrow without smog,' a programme for cleaner air in Kraków.

Not only will the environment benefit from the old stoves being replaced, but the aim is also to encourage cycling in Kraków further benefiting air quality in the city.

A great initiative from our Polish colleagues!

Text: ArcelorMittal Europe Communications, Constructalia
Images: ArcelorMittal Europe
Video: ArcelorMittal

World Expo will take place from 20 October 2020 to 10 April 2021 in Dubai, UAE. Called Expo 2020 Dubai, it will be the first World Expo ever hosted in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia (MEASA) region. Expo 2020 Dubai is expected to attract 25 million visitors, and 190 nations have already confirmed their participation including Luxembourg with a 2100 m2 pavilion built with ArcelorMittal Europe – Long Products’ steel.

Steel from Belval and Differdange

ArcelorMittal was selected to supply the steel products for the construction of the building’s structure. The 170 tonnes of hot rolled structural steel shapes from the IPE and HE European size series were made in the Luxembourg mills of Belval and Differdange - in electric arc furnaces fed with recycled scrap as raw material. This is today’s most energy and resource preserving production route. As a natural key advantage of steel, the structural components were designed with mechanically fastened connections. At no extra cost, this solution allows for the economical disassembling, transportation, and reassembling of the pavilion for its next-use life.

A breathtaking design inspired by its nation

The pavilion is inspired by its nation: small and ambitious, intriguing and reassuring, and above all generous and open. The overall theme is ‘Opportunity,’ reflecting the country’s history, its present, and its future. The overall shape of the pavilion resembles a Möbius loop, where the twisting of a ribbon yields one single surface with no beginning and no end expressing infinity and, in particular, symbolising the circular economy. The face of the ribbon transiently serves as floor, wall, and ceiling thereby allowing a multifaceted scenography from the starting point to the top floor.

The visitors’ experience begins in the entrance area. As a kind of red carpet, a wide ramp between the inside and the outside skin of the building invites you on a journey of discovery via a gently sloped path to the next floor. It enthrals the visitors as they merge with the pavilion’s exhibition, which in a natural an interactive way displays a series of visuals featuring the country and its people.

The ground floor mainly accommodates the gift shop, restaurant, and the visitor’s ramp to the first floor. The first level hosts a multi-functional area for receptions and conferences, as well as the ramp guiding visitors without interruption towards the top. The second floor, the highest point, is dedicated to an exhibition of Luxembourg’s space economy.

To reach the earth again, a visitor has three options: taking the stairs or the lift are the conventional options, but a slide winding through the picturesque green patio is the fun one.

Key facts

• Typology: Exhibition pavilion
• Size: 2100 m2
• Investor: Luxembourg Government
• Architect: Metaform
• Consulting engineer: AuCARRE
• Engineer of record: WME Global
• General contractor: Nüssli Adunic
• Main contractor: Al Ahmadiah
• Steel fabricator: Iron Steel Makers Industries

Text: ArcelorMittal Europe Communications, Constructalia
Images: Metaform

The relationship between steel and skyscrapers has been ongoing for over one hundred years, and this affiliation is growing ever stronger. In the 1930s, steel facilitated the boom of high-rise construction, while high strength steel ushered in its resurgence in the 1970s. Thanks to its affordability and durability, steel has always been the material of choice for the design and construction of tall buildings’ principal structural systems.

The current times bring with them a growing concern for sustainable development, including contradictory notions on the affordability, safety, and environmental impact of steel. This has resulted in some misperceptions about the role of steel in high-rise construction. In response to this, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) and ArcelorMittal partnered together on a research paper entitled ‘Steel and Skyscrapers: A Productive History and a Sustainable Future’ in order to illustrate the recent developments in the partnership between steel and skyscrapers that make it a strong, sustainable choice for high-rise construction.

Overview

This research paper delves into the sustainability of steel while examining its impact on the life cycle analysis of a building with an overall aim to broaden innovation in design via an analysis of new ideas for the creation of sustainable, cost-effective, and optimised buildings for the future.

This paper provides a summary of the latest innovations in specifications with a special focus on high strength steel that can result in a reduced amount of steel being required for a building’s construction. The paper presents design methods that can streamline fabrication and erection for a reduction of energy usage during construction in addition to evaluation ideologies, such as standardising floor area, that increase operational efficiency and reduce negative environmental impact.

Findings

“Sustainable development is not a fixed state of harmony, but rather a process of change in which the exploitation of resources, the direction of investments, the orientation of technological development, and institutional change are made consistent with future as well as present needs” (WCED 1987). As our global knowledge and understanding deepens, it is clear that we all must band together to discern innovative and sustainable methods that will allow for greater economic and social development with the minimisation of environmental damage taking its vital place at the core of these methodologies.

In the same way that tall buildings revolutionised the urban environment, steel has been, and will continue to be, revolutionary and transformational in terms of the correlation between tall buildings and sustainable development. It is the responsibility of those involved in the design and construction process to incorporate the advice of the experts, innovations, and highly sustainable building products in such a way that we will reduce our carbon footprint for future generations.

Text: Constructalia
Research paper: Shelley Finnigan (Global Technical Sales Engineer, Head of Technical Sales & Marketing, Americas, ArcelorMittal), Dario Trabucco (CTBUH Research Manager, Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat), Jean-Claude Gerardy (Head of Export, Sections and Merchant Bars, ArcelorMittal), Nicoleta Popa (Head of Global R&D Construction Applications, Infrastructures and Long Products, ArcelorMittal)

ArcelorMittal Europe – Long Products is certified under the BRE Environmental & Sustainability Standard BES 6001, a responsible sourcing certification for the UK construction market demonstrating the division’s commitment to sustainable sourcing.

This covers the entire portfolio of ArcelorMittal Europe – Long Products including angles, channels, merchant bars, rails, sections, sheet piles, rebar, construction bar, and wire.

Developed by the UK-registered research organisation BRE (Building Research Establishment), the BES 6001 standard requires manufacturers for the construction industry to prove that their products are made with responsibly sourced materials. A process of third-party, independent assessment covering organisational governance, supply chain management, and various environmental and social aspects is used to verify that manufacturers meet the required criteria. Manufacturers must also demonstrate the sustainable operations of their raw material suppliers.

Download the certificate in our Document library!

ArcelorMittal has recently announced plans to roll out a new sustainability programme across Europe, aiming to secure ResponsibleSteel™ site certification for all of its ArcelorMittal Europe - Flat Products sites. The 12-month programme will enable each site to prove that our production processes meet rigorously defined standards across a broad range of social, environmental, and governmental criteria.

ResponsibleSteel™ standard and certification: "The heart of how we do business"

ResponsibleSteel™ is the industry’s first global multi-stakeholder standard and certification initiative dedicated to defining and promoting responsible practice, aimed at improving:

• Climate change and greenhouse gas emissions
• Water stewardship and biodiversity
• Human rights & labour rights
• Community relations and business integrity

The standard is based on 12 principles with a variety of criteria and underlying requirements. To be awarded with ResponsibleSteel™ certification, each site will undergo a rigorous third-party audit with an independent Certification Committee making the final certification decision.

Geert Van Poelvoorde, CEO ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products, says: “Responsible production techniques and high ethical and business standards have become increasingly important to our customers and consumers. It’s at the heart of how we do business, giving our customers the reassurance that we meet their sustainability expectations by meeting carbon, environmental and social standards at every stage of productions. Given the strong investments we have already making towards low carbon and environmental standards across our sites, I’m confident that we should secure certification in each of our Flat Products sites within the timeframe.”

The next steps

The first wave of auditing includes sites in Belgium, Germany, Spain, and France with others to follow. After the initial phase, further ArcelorMittal sites around the world will be part of the programme.

In 2020, ResponsibleSteel™ will launch a standard for the certification of steel products, which will include stringent requirements for raw material supply chains. ArcelorMittal will continue to play an active role in developing this aspect of the programme.

Steel is the world’s most widely used material and those who use it in the transport, automotive, infrastructure, packaging, construction, energy, and white goods sectors have a growing expectation that the materials they work with are responsibly sourced and produced. ResponsibleSteel™, which is the world’s first’s responsible sourcing certification scheme for steel, aims to meet these expectations.

Text: ArcelorMittal
Images: © ResponsibleSteel™
ResponsibleSteel™ standard: © ResponsibleSteel™