Climate Change Data

Swiss Steel Holding AG

Climate Impact & Sustainability Data (2023)

Reporting Period: 2023

Environmental Metrics

Total Carbon Emissions:448 kt CO2e (2023)
Scope 1 Emissions:162 kt CO2e (2023)
Scope 2 Emissions:174 kt CO2e (2023)
Scope 3 Emissions:112 kt CO2e (2023)
Renewable Energy Share:Not disclosed
Total Energy Consumption:3721 GWh (2023)
Water Consumption:25.2 million m3 (2023)
Waste Generated:168 kt (2023) recovered, 187 kt (2023) disposed
Carbon Intensity:Not disclosed

ESG Focus Areas

  • Climate & Environment
  • Health and Safety
  • Our People
  • Social Responsibility
  • Compliance
  • Human Rights
  • Sustainability in the Supply Chain

Environmental Achievements

  • Reduced carbon footprint of products well below the industry average
  • Improved CDP Climate Change score to a B rating
  • Obtained limited assurance of emissions inventory by DNV
  • Reduced annual natural gas consumption by approximately 4 GWh or 750 t of CO2 emissions (Sorel forge press replacement)
  • Further energy savings of approximately 7 GWh or 1300 t of CO2 emissions (Sorel forge press replacement)
  • Savings of 1500 MWh per year in energy consumption for heating (Emmenbrücke)
  • Decreased energy consumption by approximately 2.3 GWh per year (Ugine LED lighting conversion)
  • Annual CO2 savings of approximately 350 t (Hagen forklift fleet conversion)
  • Reduced diesel consumption by 33% or approximately 40,000 liters each year (Emmenbrücke slag pot carrier)
  • CO2 reduction of approximately 300 t per year (Imphy annealing furnace conversion)

Social Achievements

  • Revised Code of Conduct to align with recent legal requirements in Europe
  • Ugitech prioritized gender equality through a new agreement and engaged in events
  • Launched a new talent management program, “SSG Talent Pool”, with 46 employees from nine countries
  • Average of 35.3 training hours per employee in 2023
  • Donated the equivalent of over CHF 40,000 to more than 20 charity associations
  • Contributed CHF 10,000 to the ETH student initiative “Swissloop”

Governance Achievements

  • Implemented a new Compliance program in 2021
  • Updated policies to align with new regulations
  • Increased visibility of local compliance officers
  • Launched a new anti-corruption policy with a specific focus on gifts, hospitality, sponsorship and donations
  • Implemented a register for all sponsorships and donations

Climate Goals & Targets

Long-term Goals:
  • Achieve net-zero emissions by 2038
Medium-term Goals:
  • Reduce GHG emissions by 23% per tonne of hot-formed steel by 2030
  • Reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions outside the steel core boundary by 42% by 2030
  • Reduce Scope 3.1 and 3.3 emissions outside the core boundary by 25% by 2030
Short-term Goals:
  • Create corporate environmental policy by 2024
  • Reduce energy consumption per tonne crude steel to 2.00 MWh/t by 2030
  • Reduce freshwater withdrawals by 7% by 2030
  • Increase recycled content in stainless steel to 83% by 2030

Environmental Challenges

  • Managing the reputation of the heavy industry
  • Navigating political framework conditions and emerging regulatory requirements for sustainability reporting
  • Advocating for comparable green steel standards
  • Improving health and safety performance
  • Uncontrolled emissions in case of extraordinary events
  • Floods as a material physical climate risk
  • Lixiviation of potentially harmful contents from slag
  • Lead emissions from free-cutting steels
  • Contamination of input materials
Mitigation Strategies
  • Extensive safety precautions and emergency response plans
  • Measures taken at Emmenbrücke and Hagen to prevent flood recurrence
  • Monitoring and additional measures to limit lixiviation from slag
  • Developing a new slag treatment method to decrease chromium lixiviation (Fos-sur-Mer)
  • Limiting lead content of steel grades to max. 0.35%
  • Unique alloying process for lead in Emmenbrücke melt shop
  • Use of detectors to avoid radioactive materials in input materials
  • Technological conversion of furnaces and procurement of renewable energy
  • Energy efficiency improvements

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: Not disclosed

Responsible Procurement
  • Supplier Code of Conduct
  • Group due diligence tool
  • Supplier questionnaire for high-risk suppliers

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks
  • Floods
  • Droughts
Transition Risks
  • Changing markets
  • Additional need for CAPEX
Opportunities
  • Higher demand for Green Steel
  • Attracting funds for green investments
  • Increased attractiveness as an employer

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI

Certifications: ISO 14001, ISO 50001, ISO 45001

Third-party Assurance: DNV

UN Sustainable Development Goals

  • Goal 7
  • Goal 8
  • Goal 9
  • Goal 12
  • Goal 13
  • Goal 17

See page 50 for details

Sustainable Products & Innovation

  • Green Steel portfolio
  • Bainitic steel (HSX130, Thermodur, Bainidur)
  • Top700 reinforcing steel

Awards & Recognition

  • German Sustainability Award
  • Silver medal from EcoVadis
  • Ugitech received the label “Best Trainee Experience” for the third year in a row