ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steelmaker, on May 11 issued its corporate responsibility report for the 2009 financial year, “Our Progress Toward Safe Sustainable Steel”.
Published to coincide with the company’s annual general meeting at its Luxembourg headquarters, this report demonstrates continued progress against ArcelorMittal’s goal of delivering safe, sustainable steel, despite the challenges posed by the most severe economic downturn in recent memory.
Key highlights of this year’s corporate responsibility report include a significant improvement in the company’s safety record. ArcelorMittal’s Group Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate fell to 1.9 per million hours worked in 2009, representing a 24 percent improvement on the 2008 figure. The Group’s target for 2010 is to continue to reduce its accident rate by a further 20 percent.
Other key corporate responsibility highlights for 2009 included the following:
- Invested US$235 million in research and development. With 15 major R&D centres, ArcelorMittal possesses a capability for innovation that is unmatched in the global steel industry
- Reaffirmed commitment to secure an 8 percent reduction in CO2 emissions by 2020, against a 2007 baseline – equivalent to a 170-kilogram reduction per tonne of steel produced
- Encouraging professional development – 278,000 hours of online learning supported by the ArcelorMittal University in 2009
- The ArcelorMittal Foundation celebrated its 2nd International Volunteer Work Day, with over 8,500 employees participating at 75 sites around the world
“There is no doubt that 2009 represented one of the most challenging years on record, not only for the steel industry but across the business world,” said Lakshmi N. Mittal, chairman and CEO, ArcelorMittal. “Despite this dramatic backdrop, which had inevitable repercussions for our global operations, I hope this latest report underlines the fact that our commitment to corporate responsibility remained unwavering. In particular, I would like to draw attention to our significant improvement in the overwhelmingly important area of safety, a positive trend we are determined to build upon in 2010.”
ArcelorMittal is determined to push the boundaries of steel, not only in terms of technical innovation and production, but also driving industry best-practice in terms of social development, environmental policy and transparent governance. Selected international highlights of these social commitments during 2009 and 2010 included the following projects:
- China: The ArcelorMittal Foundation donated US$1.54 million to assist with the reconstruction of Xinhuamen Primary School following the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, creating a new steel-framed facility that offers a much higher degree of earthquake protection
- Liberia: ArcelorMittal formalised its support for the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), having been an active participant in this pioneering corporate transparency project since May 2007
- South Africa: ArcelorMittal South Africa, the ArcelorMittal Foundation and the South African Department of Education signed an agreement to build 10 new schools using innovative steel-framed construction techniques
- United States: ArcelorMittal joined the Sustain Our Great Lakes coalition – an innovative, public-private partnership designed to protect the crucial ecosystems of the Great Lakes region, which contain 20 percent of the world’s fresh water
- Haiti: Through the ArcelorMittal Foundation, the Company made a donation of 1 million USD to help the relief efforts in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, following the earthquake that struck the island on Tuesday 12 January
“As the world’s largest steelmaker, we consider it our responsibility as a business to drive best-practice in sustainable steel – not only from an environmental perspective but also in the equally important areas of social development and employee welfare,” said Gonzalo Urquijo, member of ArcelorMittal’s group management board and responsible for corporate responsibility. “With operations in 60 countries, ensuring a truly consistent level of performance across this international footprint is always going to be a challenge – but it is a challenge we can overcome through a shared commitment not only to innovation in steel production, but also to the vital considerations of corporate responsibility.”
The 2009 corporate responsibility report, “Our Progress Toward Safe Sustainable Steel”, focuses on the four key pillars of ArcelorMittal’s corporate responsibility strategy: Investing in people; Making steel more sustainable; Enriching communities; and Transparent Governance. The full report can be accessed at: www.arcelormittal.com> Corporate Responsibility
About ArcelorMittal
ArcelorMittal is the world's leading steel company, with operations in more than 60 countries. ArcelorMittal is the leader in all major global steel markets, including automotive, construction, household appliances and packaging, with leading R&D and technology, as well as sizeable captive supplies of raw materials and outstanding distribution networks. With an industrial presence in over 20 countries spanning four continents, the Company covers all of the key steel markets, from emerging to mature.
