Steel is 100% recyclable, in an endless cycle, without losing any of its properties.
Present in the lives of all Brazilians, in various situations, steel represents strength, creativity, renewal and endurance. The strength of our steel is not only in its structure, but also in the relationships we nurture with our stakeholders and in the our environmental, social, and economic impact on the country.
Gerdau has a Sustainability Policy and an Environmental Management System that reinforce its commitment to creating value for its stakeholders and are in line with regulatory guidelines and best global practices. These guidelines are broken down by all the company’s operations, detailing responsibilities and procedures to be followed.
- Environment
- Social Action
We only exist if the planet exists!
We found a way to build a more sustainable future. The ESG agenda is seen as a crucial factor for our business and considered in our plans and day-to-day decision making – the enviromental component carries great weight in our industrial activities.
Environmental strategy
The environment is a relevant topic in the company’s long-term strategy, risk management and resource allocation. For this reason, we have clear guidelines and policies on the subject, as well as a series of initiatives aimed at the sustainable development of our businesses. Learn more about some of these initiatives below.
Empower people who build a better future
We are aware of our role in the development of the regions where we are present, therefore, throughout our history we have developed a series of initiatives focused on the transformation of communities. Our social action strategy is based on three areas: housing, entrepreneurship education and recycling, as we believe that decent housing, knowledge for personal and professional development and care for the environment are requirements that will lead us to a better society in the future
We understand the importance of climate change and its socio-environmental impact on the world, mainly caused by the emission of tonnes of greenhouse gases (GHG) by the industrial sector, which is why our sustainability strategy includes reducing these emissions.
We work on technological improvements that ensure energy efficiency, conservation of natural resources, waste minimization and reducted greenhouse gas intensity, in blast furnaces, melt shops, rolling mills and logistics.
We currently have one of the lowest averages in the steel industry, 0.860 tCO2e/tonnes of steel produced (2022), approximately half of the global average for the sector.
We are the largest recycler of ferrous scrap in Latin America. Around 71% of all the steel produced by us uses as raw material scrap recycled from two sources: domestic waste and industrial waste.
The use of recyclable raw materials in the steel production process brings many benefits and reflects the company’s commitment to sustainable development. By using scrap, Gerdau reduces the demand for natural resources and energy consumption and minimizes gas emissions, in addition to reducing the amount of material deposited in landfills and inappropriate locations.
Gerdau puts in great efforts to develop of technological routes that allow the reuse of waste and co-products in its own plants or for other production purposes. These developments generate not only environmental benefits, but also financial ones, increasing the use of the co-product generated, preserving natural resources, saving energy, reducing or eliminating the need to dispose of materials in landfills and generating revenue from certain destinations/applications.
Water management is part of Gerdau’s strategy, as water is a vital input for the company’s operations, making it essential to reduce water consumption and maximize water reuse throughout the value chain. The company continuously invests in efficient water recirculation programs, that allow it to reuse 97.6% of the water used in production, contributing to reducing new water whithdrawal ,the volume of wastewater and the environmental impact of wastewater disposal on its operations.
Our energy matrix includes renewable and non-renewable sources, with 15% of renewable energy used in our global production processes.
Gerdau Next’s investments in renewable energy and important announcements in clean energy projects, such as the construction of two solar parks, one in Texas, in the United States, and the other in Brazil, in Minas Gerais, reaffirm our commitment to offering more products and services aligned with our quest to shape the future with a more renewable and responsible energy matrix, in addition to contributing to the energy self-sufficiency of our operations.
Gerdau is the world’s largest charcoal producer and currently has approximately 250,000 hectares of forests (planted and native vegetation), which extend over 24 municipalities in Minas Gerais. Of this total, around 91,000 hectares are earmarked for biodiversity conservation, which is important for maintaining the environmental and biological stability of planted areas.
We believe that entrepreneurship plays a key role in social transformation to build a fairer society. It is a lever to empower people and shape a better future. Therefore, in Gerdau’s social responsibility actions, we have devoted significant efforts to initiatives aimed at entrepreneurship education.
Development of initiatives aimed at promoting entrepreneurship in the search for solutions to housing challenges. We believe that working in partnership is the way forward; therefore, we form partnerships with companies and social organizations focused on housing.
The relationship with people involved in the recycling chain is specially important for Gerdau. Despite technological advances, scrap collection is still very dependent on people, both those who are in large companies that seek more circularity, transparency and ease in the destination of their scrap and those whose livelihood depends on scrap collection and sale through small businesses and cooperatives. All these players are important for recycling and we believe in long-lasting partnerships with them.
