Responsible Steel stresses importance of voluntary sustainability standards

The report outlines how voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) can help deliver fair and inclusive transitions as heavy industries move to decarbonise. It is claimed to be the first report of its kind, jointly authored by VSSs from the mining and steel sectors.

The report also claims to demonstrate how collaboration across the supply chain provides the necessary understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by both sectors to achieve a truly just transition for mining and steel.

Driving just transitions in the mining & steel sectors: The role of voluntary sustainability standards introduces nine key principles and five recommendations to help VSSs integrate just transition into their frameworks, it is claimed.

The report claims that despite commitment at both government and corporate levels to just transition principles, implementation remains slow and inconsistent. Mining, it is claimed, is responsible for up to 10% of global energy-related emissions.

Annie Heaton, CEO of Responsible Steel, commented, “Decarbonisation is one of the most pressing global issues we face today. But if we ignore its social impacts, we risk serious unintended consequences. With around six million people employed in steel and another 20 million in mining—plus millions more in supply chains and communities that depend on these industries—industry must work together with workers, communities and governments to consider how to plan the transition to benefit people as well as the planet.”

Stakeholders involved in the project—including industry leaders, supply chain actors, academia, governments, trade unions, civil society organisations, local communities, and indigenous groups—emphasised that these transitions must not only be fast, but fair, putting justice at the heart of industrial change.

IRMA executive director Aimee Boulanger observed, "This research shows that for voluntary standards to succeed, they must be structured to improve justice and inclusivity as they decarbonise and protect the environment."

Key findings from the report included:

• Justice at the centre: Stakeholders recognised the urgent need to decarbonise but stressed that justice must guide transition planning.

• Inclusive process: The specific definition of “Just Transition” is highly contested, with varying interpretations. Engaging stakeholders is key to effectively defining the transition scope, identifying social impacts, and shaping mitigation actions.

• Restorative justice challenges: Addressing restorative justice remains complex, requiring deeper collaboration among governments, companies, VSSs, and historically impacted communities.

• Flexibility: Just transitions will differ across contexts and sectors. Principles must remain adaptable to be effective.

Funded by the ISEAL Innovations Fund with support from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), the report draws on international principles from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the UN Working Group on Human Rights, academic justice theory, interviews with 35 stakeholders, and two in-person workshops held in Brussels and Johannesburg.

According to the report’s publishers, this work highlights the unique role VSSs can play in providing practical frameworks for implementation, accountability, and verification, setting a clear reference point for steel and mining companies to plan transitions in a way that is equitable and fair.

Both ResponsibleSteel and IRMA say they will continue to engage with stakeholders to discuss the best way to integrate just transition principles into their respective systems.