February 2023
The challenge
The Australian Steel Institute (ASI) wanted to revise its Environmental Sustainability Charter (ESC) to help its members meet the growing sustainability demands of the building and construction industry.
The ASI asked thinkstep-anz to help develop a certification programme that:
- Identifies principles for sourcing and producing steel products responsibly
- Assists steel suppliers in adopting these principles in their operations
- Provides a pathway for accrediting downstream businesses associated with fabricating and processing steel and related services
- Maximises what steel contributes to a sustainable society through transparent, responsible procurement of materials and managing the impacts of producing steel
We can help your business get certified – get in touch with us
About ASI
The ASI represents Australia’s entire steel supply chain from the manufacturing mills right through to end users in building and construction, heavy engineering and manufacturing. The organisation supports the Australian steel industry and provides industry leadership focusing on economic, environmental and social sustainability. As an industry association, they know what their members need to move towards more sustainable practices.
About Australia’s green building requirements
The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) recently included more stringent compliance requirements for building products in its Green Star Buildings rating tool. The GBCA also developed a Responsible Products Framework to transform the entire building supply chain and encourage the industry to use more responsible, healthy and low-carbon products that are part of a circular economy.
Learn more about this work in our webinar
What we did
Together with the ASI, we developed the ESC’s successor, the new Steel Sustainability Australia (SSA) certification programme. Based on the principles of the GBCA’s Responsible Products Framework, the programme rewards steel suppliers that have a lower environmental impact, are transparent, respect human rights, are taking action to reduce carbon emissions and pursue circular solutions.
Step one – Reviewing and developing requirements
We reviewed the ESC against existing steel standards and the GBCA’s draft Responsible Products Framework. Together with the ASI we then developed requirements that are aligned with the Green Star rating system and considered the opportunities and challenges the steel industry will face in the next decade.
Step two – Engaging with stakeholders
The ASI involved stakeholders at every step of developing the SSA programme. We ran workshops with industry stakeholders to brief them about the programme and learn about their needs and views.
Step three – Refining the criteria
Working closely with the ASI and the GBCA, we continued to develop and refine the requirements of the SSA programme. We then worked out the certification levels to meet the steel supply chain’s needs and to provide a clear path to continue to make their operations more sustainable. We applied stakeholder feedback to ensure the criteria encourage best practice while still being practical and achievable for the industry.
Step four – Submitting the draft SSA to be recognised
The ASI submitted the draft SSA to the GBCA to be recognised under the Responsible Products Framework. This means that products and materials certified under the SSA programme can help Green Star projects achieve points in the Green Star Buildings rating tool. The ASI then undertook a final round of public consultation to ensure stakeholders had the opportunity to review and comment. The ASI continued consulting with the GBCA until the final sign-off and the programme was launched in January 2023.
How we are supporting the ASI to help the Australian steel industry to succeed sustainably
Creating compliance options
The ASI is working to make Australia’s steel supply chain more sustainable by verifying upstream producers and certifying downstream suppliers. The SSA certification programme provides a mechanism to do this.
The SSA certification programme assesses sustainable practices throughout the steel supply chain from crude steel manufacturing to finished steel products.
The programme is designed for all downstream steelwork fabricators, reinforcing processors, roll formers, steel product manufacturers and contractors that can demonstrate their commitment to improving sustainability through their in-house processing of steel.
More sales to Green Star projects
Businesses that achieve certification will have more opportunities to market their products for use in Green Star-rated buildings. The tiered certification model allows steel businesses to achieve "Good Practice" or "Best Practice" recognition under GBCA's Responsible Products Framework.
Increasing market share
The nationwide industry certification programme will encourage steel businesses to comply. This will lead to increased uptake of certified and responsibly sourced and processed steel in the Australian construction market.
Clear path to being more sustainable
The SSA certification programme reassures architects, engineers and procurement professionals that the steel suppliers they select are complying with the best practice ESG sustainability indicators.