ResponsibleSteel™ certification services
DNV offers ResponsibleSteel™ certification to help steelmakers meet global ESG expectations, ensure traceability, and verify sustainability in steel production.
Challenges in the steel industry
Steel plays a critical role in infrastructure, mobility, and industry, but it is also one of the most carbon-intensive materials in the global economy. As demand for sustainable materials rises, the pressure is mounting on the steel sector to decarbonize operations, ensure ethical sourcing, and demonstrate alignment with ESG principles. Governments, buyers, and end users increasingly expect verified sustainability performance across the value chain. In this context, third-party certification frameworks like ResponsibleSteel™ are becoming vital tools to enhance transparency, credibility, and market access.
How our certification services support you
ResponsibleSteel™ is the first global multi-stakeholder certification initiative for the steel industry. It sets standards and certification pathways for responsibly sourced and produced steel, focusing on key sustainability topics including climate change, environmental impact, human rights, stakeholder engagement, and responsible sourcing.
The standard is built around 13 principles, covering:
- Corporate Leadership
- Social, Environmental, and Governance Management Systems
- Responsible Sourcing of Input Materials
- Decommissioning & Closure
- Occupational Health & Safety
- Labour Rights
- Human Rights
- Stakeholder Engagement & Communications
- Local Communities
- Climate Change & Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- Noise, Emissions, Effluents & Waste
- Water Stewardship
- Biodiversity
As an independent third-party body, DNV provides certification services to companies seeking ResponsibleSteel™ site certification, helping ensure that steel production and sourcing meet the program’s stringent requirements.
Our services include:
- Gap assessments and readiness reviews.
- Full audits based on the ResponsibleSteel™ Standard.
- On-site and remote assessments.
- Stakeholder engagement verification.
- Reporting and continual improvement tracking.
Certification can be a powerful differentiator for steel producers, fabricators, and users alike and offers assurance to buyers, regulators, and investors that ESG principles are embedded in steel supply chains.
ResponsibleSteel™ is also developing additional requirements related to responsible sourcing of input materials and greenhouse gas emissions. Certification against these new requirements will only be possible for sites already certified to the core ResponsibleSteel™ Standard.
Where sites are certified to other standards (e.g., ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001), overlapping requirements can be integrated into the ResponsibleSteel™ certification process, streamlining audits and reporting.
