We assure responsibility towards society and our environment. Our corporate culture stands for long-term partnerships and reliability on many levels. As early as the product development stage, we pay attention to the ecological footprint and the greatest possible sustainability of our products. This is how we guarantee Performance in Sustainability.
voestalpine pursues 12 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals from the United Nations Declaration. Learn more about voestalpine's Corporate Responsibility Report.
| 2030 | CO2 reduction: Scope 1-2 -55% |
| 2035 | CO2 net neutrality Scope 1-2 |
| 2050 | CO2 net neutrality Scope 1-3 (greentec steel) |
An ambitious goal requires ambitious planning. To be able to achieve the goal of CO2 neutrality, we have developed a comprehensive overall program based on the 4 pillars of production, applications, end-of-life and further:
Save energy
Increase material efficiency
Produce green energy
Use green energy
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Sustainable Operation |
Reduction of CO2 emissions through steel with lower carbon footprint, continuous efficiency improvement through higher yield and quality, optimization of energy consumption and switch to green energy sources, certified monitoring of our own CO2 emissions. |
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Sustainable Resources |
Use of 100% climate friendly electricity (own hydropower plants, photovoltaics, re-use of process gas), use of waste heat for building heating, conversion of our processes to green energy sources, circular economy |
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Sustainable Management |
Optimization of complete value chains together with customers to achieve industrial end products with the lowest possible CO2 footprint; high-strength products for overall weight reduction of steel through structural or material lightweight design. |
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Sustainable Organization |
Sustainable relationships with our customers (all forms of cooperation) and with our employees (training, working environment), anchoring the concept of sustainability throughout the team and promoting sustainable mobility solutions. |
Green energy is a key prerequisite for CO₂-neutral wire production.
A sustainable production process in the wire industry requires, among other things, emission-free transport concepts and the use of 100 percent climate friendly electricity at the Austrian production sites in addition to active supply chain management that continuously monitors the social and environmental impact of suppliers' activities.
Steel is sustainably recyclable. At the end of its product life cycle, it is returned to the production cycle as scrap. In addition, we use packaging that is suitable for recycling.
Sustainable thinking requires creativity, knowledge and mindfulness. With this in mind, we have set ourselves the goal of embedding sustainable thinking in our organization. For example, specially trained energy scouts uncover energy-saving potential, and we promote sustainable mobility solutions in the context of business trips and when traveling to and from work.
In addition to reducing emissions from our own production process, we optimize the entire value chain and our products applications.
In the interests of sustainability, voestalpine pays particular attention to ecological requirements such as long service life, resource conservation, and the best possible reusability and recyclability when developing new products and processes. In line with our forward-looking Life Cycle Assessment concept, voestalpine considers the entire value chain.
The goal is to keep the impact on people and the environment, or the "ecological footprint," as small as possible: not least against the backdrop that steel, as one of the most environmentally friendly materials that is 100% recyclable, can also prove this every day.
With greentec steel, we are converting our production processes to CO2 neutrality - while maintaining the same high quality and durability. The steel in our products is also going green.
2.4 billion in environmental expenditure in 10 years, reduction of CO2 emissions by around 20% per ton of steel since 1990 - that is the balance of our efforts. The potential for CO2 savings in steel production has been exhausted. New technologies are needed to achieve further significant CO2 reductions. To this end, voestalpine has developed an ambitious step-by-step plan up to 2050.
In the first phase up to 2027, the gradual switchover from coal-based blast furnace technology to the green electricity-based electric steel route will take place. To this end, one electric arc furnace will be built at each of the Linz and Donawitz sites. The exact start of implementation still depends on the clarification of open subsidy issues. With this conversion, the Group will achieve CO2 savings of 3-4 million tons CO2/year - equivalent to around 30%.
This so-called hybrid route guarantees the highest product quality.
But that is not all. The use of green hydrogen will play a central role in the final transformation.
The external review of our actions is a matter of course for us:
EcoVadis is a leading provider of sustainability ratings worldwide. The respective supply chain is assessed in terms of the environment, labor practices, human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement. The criteria used are based on internationally recognized sustainability standards and practices.
Gold is the second highest rating awarded by EcoVadis and shows that voestalpine Wire Technology, with its production sites in St. Peter/Freienstein and Bruck an der Mur, is among the top 5% of all companies assessed.
Compliance is the expression of a philosophy. The core aspect of compliance is not just acting in accordance with legal principles, it goes much further. The focus of compliance activities is primarily to protect free competition and prevent corruption. The group directives adopted for the purpose thus set down the rules for dealing with business agents and consultants, the acceptance and offering of gifts and sponsorship. voestalpine has set down very clear and demanding standards in that regard. In that way, the company signals to customers, suppliers and shareholders that employees of the voestalpine Group are reliable, fair and open partners.
Responsibility towards society – our own corporate social responsibility – is something that voestalpine actively practises by supporting social, cultural and educational initiatives in a wide variety of ways. When selecting the projects to support, careful attention is given to ensuring that they match the company's principles and create a sustainable benefit for society.
Develop with us, test with us, increase your cost efficiency and reduce your carbon footprint - thanks to premium wire solutions that enable fewer process steps and optimized processing times. From 2027, our greentec steel will set new standards. Join us on this journey and let us develop customized solutions for you together.
