Gateway to the Australasian Steel and Metals Industry
Gateway to the Australasian Steel and Metals Industry
Market Commentary by: Steel Sustainability Australia (SSA)*
In today´s world, ‘sustainability’ makes good business sense. It provides a framework for corporate accountability, enhances operational efficiency and enables companies to monitor, report and minimise their environmental impact. So, what is sustainability? For business, it refers to practices and strategies that aim to balance economic success with environmental, social and governance (ESG) responsibilities. In Australia and many international jurisdictions, steel and other hard-to-abate industries are now focused on decarbonisation, along with measurement and continuous improvement to ESG elements. Environmental product declarations (EPDs) are the common ‘go to’ framework for environmental measurement of steel. With consistent international standards including chain of custody and carbon measurement in steel production still in development, the local Australian steel industry is getting on with enhancing steel sustainability outcomes by working diligently and investing heavily in a wide range of short- to longer-term carbon reduction programs; while researching and developing plans for new low-carbon steelmaking technologies.
Demand for sustainable materials in the built environment is driven not only by government, but also by the private sector as leading companies aim to achieve their own corporate sustainability targets. In the Australian steel industry, it is important to know which participants in the supply chain are providing products to end users that meet minimum sustainability standards. This is where the Australian Steel Institute´s compliance scheme, Steel Sustainability Australia (SSA), comes into play. It helps businesses to meet their own sustainability obligations, which in turn aids their customers in complying with any mandatory reporting requirements, such as Scope 3 emissions. SSA provides a clear pathway for steel businesses to be responsible, transparent and sustainable. Launched in January 2023, SSA was developed in conjunction with the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) and key steel industry stakeholders to produce a program specifically tailored for businesses throughout the steel supply chain. Certification is open to steel suppliers and manufacturers, to fabricators, roll formers, reinforcing processors and more. To ensure that SSA certified steel suppliers source responsible steel feedstock, the program also verifies raw steel manufacturing mills producing semi-finished products.
SSA certification is achievable at four levels enabling wide participation and allowing all steel sectors and companies to showcase their commitment to sustainability. Assessment of compliance is against clearly-defined, best-practice environmental, social and governance indicators. As an independent third-party certification program, SSA provides certainty to the construction sector that SSA certified steel suppliers have the capability to supply responsible, ethical and sustainable steel products to the built environment. SSA is also a recognised initiative under the GBCA’s Responsible Products Framework. Certification to each SSA level has corresponding responsible product values (RPVs) that meet the requirements of the 4 Green Star responsible products credits under the ‘responsible’ category in the Green Star buildings rating tool.
* This market commentary was authored by Melinda Coles, the Sustainability Scheme Manager at SSA. For more information, she can be contacted via email ssa@steel.org.au, or mobile 0487 953 270 or go to www.steelsustainability.com.au
For more than 70 years, Steel & Tube has been building New Zealand from the ground up. Sustainability is one of our strategic goals, ensuring positive outcomes for our business, our communities, our people and our planet. Our environmental commitment is evident through various initiatives aimed at reducing emissions. These include: installing energy submetering at relevant Steel & Tube sites to identify energy efficiency; and we are close to rolling out an employee ride-to-work benefit scheme. We are proud that our Roofing and ComFlor products are EcoChoice certified, reflecting our dedication to sustainable practices. We support our customers with their green star applications. Their wins are our wins. We continue to engage with our supply chain to support low-carbon operations and the development of low-carbon products.
Our dedication to sustainability is demonstrated through our active membership in the Sustainable Business Council and the Sustainable Steel Council. We are a gold certification member of the Sustainable Steel Council and our group sustainability manager is a board member. We prioritise the safety, health and wellbeing of our people. Our Te Ao Māori Strategy Group, Kaapuia, has strong support within the business and is dedicated to fostering partnerships and Kaitiakitanga (environmental guardianship) from within. At Steel & Tube, sustainability is not just a goal but a core value that drives our actions and decisions, ensuring we contribute positively to the environment and society.
We are New Zealand´s premier heavy engineering company with a suite of skills covering engineering design, foundry, heat treatment, machining, fabrication, plus fitting and painting. Established in 1868, A & G Price has a history spanning three centuries and has played a pivotal role in the development of the Asia Pacific region. We are now the supplier of choice for manufacturers from around the world. If you’re thinking green manufacture, A & G Price is ahead of the game with one of the largest hybrid solar electric systems in New Zealand, producing 315kw per hour of solar electricity and 286kw of battery storage to complement our power usage. This aligns with our environmental focus of reducing our carbon footprint while fulfilling current objectives, which include: not using fossil fuels for our melting furnaces or heat treatment ovens; closed loop furnace cooling and heat treatment quench systems; castings manufactured from 99% recycled scrap steel; reclaiming 90% of the sand needed for foundry moulds; entire plant running on renewable energy.
Whether it’s a single- or mass-produced casting, fabrication, machined component or refurbishment of your favourite piece of machinery, talk with our team and let us help you on your way to becoming carbon neutral by using our solar power and recycling systems to manufacture your next piece of equipment. Ph +64 (0)7 8686060 Email: sales@agprice.co.nz Website: www.agprice.co.nz
Sanwa is an import trading company which, as an office-based business, does not itself undertake any manufacturing. We sub-contract out all import services to shipping companies, customs agents and trucking companies. Accordingly, Sanwa´s operations are not the typical target of those looking to drive down carbon emissions and increase sustainability. Having said that, we understand that we cannot expect our manufacturing supply base, shipping companies and trucking companies to be the only ones making sacrifices. Our business is therefore changing the way it operates. Indeed, Sanwa has committed to obtaining international certification under ISO 14001 for Environmental Management Systems and ISO 4500 for Occupational Health and Safety. This will require yearly audits of our systems and performance to ensure that minimum performance and targets are being met. In addition, we encourage all our manufacturing supply partners to obtain EPDs and pursue certification under the most relevant sustainability certification schemes for their industry. This may be under the international Responsible Steel Certification or the CARES/ACRS Sustainable Construction Steel scheme and/or the Responsible Sourcing of Construction Products. Sanwa recognises that doing business is no longer simply a case of looking only at the financial risks and rewards of any particular deal. Nowadays, it is equally important to take a broader view of all the short- and long-term consequences of how a product gets to market. Phone: (02) 93624088.
