Climate Change Data

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Integrity, ethics, and compliance
• Safety, health, and wellness
• Diversity, inclusion, and cultural awareness
• Community engagement and partnerships
• Environmental performance and protection

Environmental Achievements

• Avoided 4.2 million metric tons of CO2 emissions in fiscal year 2018 (equivalent to taking more than 907,000 cars off the road for one year)
• Saved 10 million gigajoules of energy
• Saved 7.4 million cubic meters of water
• Conserved 10 million cubic meters of landfill space
• Reduced carbon emissions, energy consumption, water usage, and process waste generated on a normalized (per unit) basis year-over-year.
• Recycled approximately 88% of ferrous fines and solids from steel manufacturing.
• Beneficially used approximately 95% of shredder residue as alternative daily cover for landfills.

Social Achievements

• Named a World’s Most Ethical Company for the fourth consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute.
• 76% of facilities experienced zero lost time due to injuries in Fiscal Year 2018.
• Launched a formal Diversity and Inclusion Program in 2017.
• Appointed a Chief Diversity Officer in 2018.
• Rolled out a cultural awareness campaign in 2018.
• Collected over $120,000 to aid employees and their families in the aftermath of disasters in Fiscal Year 2018.
• Over $250,000 Pick-n-Pull food bank donations in Fiscal Year 2018

Governance Achievements

• Established a sustainability governance structure with a Chief Sustainability Officer reporting directly to the CEO.
• Created a Sustainability Leadership Group.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Improving safety performance across all facilities (while 76% were recordable-free in 2018, the goal is 100%).

Mitigation Strategies

• Implementing injury prevention programs and expanding the Critical 6 Program.
• Developing and offering new training programs (ProTread driver training, fire prevention training).

Supply Chain Management

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI Standards

Third-party Assurance: Trucost (AA1000AS (2008) Type 2 moderate-level assurance)

Awards & Recognition

• World’s Most Ethical Company (four consecutive years)
• Scrap Company of the Year (three times)
• 2020 Women on Boards Winning “W” Company (seven times)

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Environmental Management
• Employee Safety
• Talent Recruitment & Retention
• Employee Training & Development
• Local Community Relations
• Carbon Neutrality
• Employee Satisfaction
• Climate Change Management
• Ethics
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Environmental Achievements

• Maintained 100% net carbon-free electricity use across operations for the second consecutive year
• Reduced Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions from recycling operations by 24% versus 2019 baseline
• Launched GRN Steel™, a line of net zero carbon emissions steel products
• Deployed an ISO 14001:2015 certified Environmental Management System (EMS) at six locations, representing 23% of the workforce

Social Achievements

• Achieved second-best safety performance in company history with 90% of facilities free of lost time injuries
• Certified as a Great Place to Work® for the second consecutive year
• Named one of the 2022 World’s Most Ethical Companies® for the eighth consecutive year
• Launched The Invitational, a company-wide wellness challenge
• Increased participation in retirement benefits program by 15%

Governance Achievements

• Added a new independent director to the Board who serves as Chief Sustainability Officer at a leading global environmental consulting and engineering services provider
• Sustainability is integrated into corporate governance and organizational structure

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Labor shortages and pandemic fatigue impacting safety performance
• Increased water use needs with implementation of enhanced systems
• Achieving 100% ISO certification across all facilities by 2026

Mitigation Strategies

• Creative ways to cultivate quality employee relationships and leading by example to demonstrate a capacity for continued resilience
• Investments in stormwater management and water recycling capabilities
• Phased approach to ISO certification, starting with six locations

Supply Chain Management

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Extreme weather events

Transition Risks

• Regulatory changes

Opportunities

• Development of energy-efficient products and services

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI, SASB, CDP

Certifications: ISO 14001:2015

Third-party Assurance: S&P Global Sustainable1

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• GRN Steel™

Awards & Recognition

• Corporate Knights 2022 Global 100 Index (ranked 15th)
• Newsweek’s list of America’s Most Responsible Companies (third consecutive year)
• BELA Emeritus award for VP & Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Environmental Management
• Employee Safety
• Talent Recruitment & Retention
• Employee Training & Development
• Local Community Relations
• Carbon Neutrality
• Employee Satisfaction
• Climate Change Management
• Ethics
• Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Environmental Achievements

• Surpassed emissions reduction goal of 25% (vs. 2019 baseline) by achieving a 27% reduction in absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions from recycling operations.
• Maintained 100% net carbon-free electricity across operations for the third consecutive year.
• Recycled more than 4.7 million metric tons of ferrous and nonferrous metals, avoiding approximately 5.4 million metric tons of CO2e emissions.

Social Achievements

• Named a Great Place to Work® for the third consecutive year.
• Named one of the 2023 World’s Most Ethical Companies® for the ninth consecutive year.
• Nearly 90% of facilities were free of any lost time injuries, and there were zero serious injuries or fatalities.

Governance Achievements

• Launched an Executive Steering Committee for Sustainability (ESC) to further incorporate Sustainability into strategy and operations.
• 100% Independence among the non-management directors serving on the Board.
• 50% Board Diversity among the non-management independent directors.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Economic headwinds and geopolitical instability.
• Increased total case incident rate (TCIR) in fiscal 2023.
• Managing risks associated with extracting and transporting batteries from EVs.

Mitigation Strategies

• Developed solutions for customers and suppliers to reduce environmental impact.
• Prioritized actions to accurately quantify and responsibly manage impacts on the environment (e.g., investing in emissions control systems).
• Developed best management practices for handling EV batteries, including specialized PPE and equipment.

Supply Chain Management

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Extreme weather events

Transition Risks

• Regulatory changes

Opportunities

• Development of energy-efficient products and services; global focus on decarbonization.

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI, SASB

Certifications: ISO 14001 (28% of facilities)

Third-party Assurance: S&P Global Market Intelligence (AA1000AS Type 2 moderate-level assurance)

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• GRN Steel™ (net-zero carbon emissions steel)

Awards & Recognition

• #1 on Corporate Knights’ 2023 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World
• TIME100 Most Influential Companies of 2023
• Military Friendly® Employer with Gold distinction

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Environmental Management
• Employee Safety
• Talent Recruitment & Retention
• Employee Training & Development
• Local Community Relations
• Carbon Neutrality
• Employee Satisfaction
• Climate Change Management
• Ethics
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Environmental Achievements

• 30% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions at recycling operations against 2019 baseline
• 100% net carbon-free electricity use across recycling operations
• Expanded ISO-certified Environmental Management System to 50% of facilities

Social Achievements

• 87% of facilities free of lost-time injuries
• Zero fatalities
• 16% year-over-year reduction in total case incident rates across operations
• Achieved certification as a Great Place to Work® for the fourth consecutive year

Governance Achievements

• Recognized for the 10th consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute as one of the 2024 World’s Most Ethical Companies

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Supply chain disruptions
• Inflation
• Rising interest rates
• Increased attention to ESG matters
• Climate change
• Labor shortages or increased labor costs

Mitigation Strategies

• Investments in advanced metals recovery technologies ($135 million since 2019)
• Investments in fleet and facility efficiency upgrades ($80 million since 2019)
• Investments in emissions control systems ($91 million)
• Investments in water-related projects ($59 million since 2019)
• Implementation of an ISO certified environmental management system
• Increased use of alternative fuels (over 680,000 gallons of renewable diesel)

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: Not disclosed

Responsible Procurement

• Supplier Code of Conduct

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Extreme weather events

Transition Risks

• Regulatory changes
• Market shifts

Opportunities

• Development of energy-efficient products

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI, SASB

Certifications: ISO 14001

Third-party Assurance: Apex Companies, LLC

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• Not disclosed

Not disclosed

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• GRN Steel™ (net-zero carbon emissions steel)

Awards & Recognition

• World’s Most Ethical Companies®
• Great Place to Work®