The world's largest steel company ArcelorMittal has launched its corporate responsibility report for 2013. Entitled Steel: stakeholder value at every stage, it highlights the company's 'areas of impact' across the board in terms of CSR and shows how the company is responding 'with actions that create value for our stakeholders', according to chairman and CEO Lakshmi Mittal.
The report, claims the company, aims to show how ArcelorMittal is creating value at every stage of the steelmaking process from extracting raw materials and cutting dust emissions through to improving workforce safety. It also demonstrates how the company is creating low-carbon solutions for two key steel markets – automotive and construction – and looks at how ArcelorMittal is recycling steel and avoiding 40Mt of CO2 emissions in the process.
Key highlights from the report include a 74% reduction in lost time injury frequency over the past six years following the merger between Mittal Steel and Arcelor; an investment of $60 million to develop the skills and careers of its workforce; and the development of a range of sustainability-oriented technologies, including a lightweight car door designed to achieve a 27% weight reduction.
The report discusses the company's 19% reduction in dust emissions since 2010 and how the company invested in 588 local community projects in 2013.
Yesterday, the company's 200,000 plus employees celebrated Health and Safety Day, an annual event for the past eight years that has always focused on safety issues. This year the theme was occupational safety based on the fact that when accidents do occur, 60% arise from contractors and the remaining 40% from ArcelorMittal staff.
The company's group management board member responsible for health and safety, Gonzalo Urquijo, said that ArcelorMittal wanted to be the safest steel and mining company in the world and added that the company hopes to make 'enormous progress' in 2014.