Raw materials

THE BEST STEEL FOR ALL OF US IS ETHICALLY AND QUALITATIVELY SOUND

It is important to us at voestalpine that our products make a positive contribution to people and the environment. That's why we work with suppliers we can trust 100%, and we only buy materials that we know will meet our standards.

We don't rely on a gut feeling, but we carefully examine every link in our supply chain on a regular basis.

CLEAR MINDSET, CLEAR GOAL

When it comes to sustainability, everyone at voestalpine and our suppliers work together. This is important for our purchasing employees who know how important it is in their processes and where the no-goes are.

We invest a lot of time and money in raising awareness by providing comprehensive training. The same applies to the careful selection of suppliers.

And it pays off: Sustainably sourced raw materials for our steelmaking processes are worth it to us. We rely on proven procurement processes and count on sustainable economic parameters to make sure that we always choose the best market option.

OUR SUPPLIERS ARE JUST AS GREEN AS WE ARE

You can't choose your relatives, but you can certainly choose your suppliers: All of our suppliers are subjected to a rigorous selection process and must prove that they meet our very demanding ecological and social standards. Annual on-site inspections for each category of raw materials (i.e. ore, coal/coke) are mandatory to ensure that our corporate responsibility guidelines are being followed. This also helps us meet the goals we have pledged to fulfill as part of our certification by the non-profit "ResponsibleSteel".

We make no exceptions and ensure that our products are of the highest quality in every respect.

WE HAVE ZERO TOLERANCE FOR CONFLICT MINERALS

Conflicts are a part of our everyday lives, but they have no place in the area of purchasing. At voestalpine, we categorically reject conflict minerals such as tantalum, tungsten, tin or gold mined in critical regions. The raw materials for our steel production come exclusively from responsible sources. To keep it that way, we demand continual and full supplier compliance with every applicable law and requirement along the entire supply chain. We demand full transparency.

THINK GLOBALLY, BUY LOCALLY

We are from Austria, and our beautiful country has a lot to offer. Innovative companies, for example. 72% of the material and service suppliers to our Austrian companies are based in Austria. This is good for our domestic economy as well as for the environment because it shortens transport routes and fosters the creation of added value. We place strict conditions on the extraction and logistics of raw materials that are not available in our region of the world.

CHILD LABOR OR FORCED LABOR? CERTAINLY NOT!

The green future belongs to our children, and we are working hard to make sure that is exactly what they get. They should be able to play in the grass, throw balls and enjoy their free time. They should certainly not be forced to work. We clearly reject any form of child labor. The same applies to any form of forced and compulsory labor.

It’s actually a shame that we should have to mention this at all.

CERTIFICATE WITH SIGNIFICANCE

It's nice when what you do is seen favorably by an independent party: The non-profit organization "ResponsibleSteel" has now officially certified our headquarters in Linz as a sustainable production site. Not many companies can say that about themselves. We have met 200 different criteria, including the responsible sourcing of raw materials as well as the way our company deals with employee and human rights.