ArcelorMittal Dofasco is the first ArcelorMittal site to be certified in North America by ResponsibleSteel™, the industry’s first global multi-stakeholder standard and certification initiative.

The audits are designed to verify that a steel site’s activities meet a set of rigorously defined requirements, which auditors validate not only on the basis of received documents but also via a number of interviews with internal and external stakeholders. They take into account a broad range of social and environmental criteria split into 12 principles, including corporate leadership, social, environmental and governance management systems, occupational health and safety, stakeholder engagement and communication, climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, noise, emissions effluents and waste and water stewardship and biodiversity, among others.

Commenting on the certification, Ron Bedard, ArcelorMittal Dofasco President and CEO said: “Earning this ResponsibleSteel™ certification is a commitment to all our stakeholders. Increasingly, our customers have expectations that the materials they work with are produced by sites that respect the highest social and environmental standards. Similarly, our employees, suppliers, governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community partners and members have the same expectations around responsibility, transparency and accountability. Our certification is a big first step and from here we will look to drive continuous improvement.”

Annie Heaton, CEO of ResponsibleSteel™ commented: “Becoming the first steel site in Canada and the second in North America to achieve certification against the ResponsibleSteel™ International Standard is an enormous milestone. Having been founded over a century ago, this site has a long history within the community. This certification is a real testament to the dedication of the site’s workers and leadership, and their willingness to invest in a responsible future. Today, ArcelorMittal Dofasco produces over 100 different grades and around 4.5 million tons of steel and has taken the initial steps to become the first site in North America to transition from coal to DRI by 2028, reducing emissions by around 3 million tonnes. Alongside this, the site has used the ResponsibleSteel™ standard to strengthen its management systems and environmental action plans.  We look forward to working with Dofasco as it progresses on all fronts in the years to come.”

ArcelorMittal was the first steelmaker in the world to certify sites and, with the addition of ArcelorMittal Dofasco, has earned 14 certifications to the ResponsibleSteel™ standard, for 37 sites, since 2021.

See the public audit summary here.