Sustainably produced steel with validated climate targets

The report is divided into a foreword, a report on sustainability topics, and an appendix. The main section covers eight topics: climate, environment, health and safety, employees, social responsibility, compliance, human rights, and sustainability in the supply chain. Each chapter follows the same structure—approach, performance, risks, and goals—which allows for comparisons across topics and years.

The SBTi-validated targets form the backbone of the climate chapter and are presented as ring charts across three areas of the value chain. The path to achieving these targets is outlined in a roadmap from 2021 to 2030, featuring the following levers: circular and biogenic materials, low-carbon electricity, renewable energy, electrification, and efficiency. The progress made during the reporting year includes: the first electric forging furnace in Sorel, Canada; the conversion of a rolling mill furnace to hybrid operation in Ugine, France; trials with oxygen-enriched combustion as part of the HYDREAMS project; and the expansion of the Product Carbon Footprint from Emmenbrücke to other production sites.

The scenario analysis assesses physical risks along climate pathways - ranging from heat and drought to heavy rainfall and water scarcity - by location and time horizon. Ring symbols show the extent of impact at a glance, while the accompanying table summarizes risk, impact, time horizon, and measures. The dual materiality analysis was updated in 2025 and organizes the topics in a matrix based on impact and financial relevance.

Steel is infinitely recyclable, and that is exactly what the graphic “Closing loops – from waste to value” illustrates in the form of a Möbius strip: 92 percent recycled metals in procurement, 100 percent production using electric arc furnaces, 17 production sites, approximately 1.3 million metric tons of scrap metal recycled, over 20 percent of transport by rail, 61 sales and service centers, and a CO₂ footprint reduced by up to 85 percent during use. The environmental goals for 2030 are as follows: a 7 percent reduction in energy consumption per metric ton of crude steel, a 5 percentage point increase in the proportion of recycled material in stainless steel, and a 7 percent reduction in water withdrawal from surface and groundwater.

The report opens with the year’s highlights: three awards - the EcoVadis Platinum Medal, which ranks the Swiss Steel Group among the top 1 percent of evaluated companies; the top “A” rating in the CDP Climate Rating for the second consecutive year among approximately 22,100 evaluated companies; and the Schaeffler Supplier Award 2025 in the Sustainability category. The social and governance sections use the same tools, such as pie charts showing the workforce structure by gender and age, trend charts on accident rates, and a breakdown of value creation.

The 16:9 landscape format fills the screen without zooming or scrolling. A navigation bar runs along every page and shows the reader’s current location on two levels, supplemented by a menu for jumping directly to any chapter. Tables of contents, cross-references, and further reading are linked. Orange, used as the sole accent color, guides the reader through subheadings, graphics, and navigation, while black-and-white photographs from the production process separate the chapters from one another.

• Content and Design Concept for the Report
• Development of Charts and Data Visualizations
• Design
• Production