Environmental Stewardship

Why It Matters

CMC recognizes the risks that climate change poses to our business, our people and our communities. We are committed to reducing our own environmental impact and that of the industries that use our products, as demonstrated by the Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) that many of our products have obtained. We embed sustainability into our recycling and manufacturing processes by investing in innovative technologies, allowing us to minimize the use of natural resources while maximizing performance. We are a founding member of the Global Steel Climate Council (GSCC), which is focused on reducing the GHG emissions of steel manufacturers by promoting a transparent standard for carbon emissions intensity reporting, enabling customers to make informed purchasing decisions.

Our Approach

CMC’s environmental strategy is aimed at reducing the energy usage of our mills, which is the main source of our Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions.

In addition to energy usage, our strategy addresses other environmental issues across our operations, including waste management and water usage at our facilities.

We invest in advanced equipment and innovative technologies to continuously improve the efficiency of our manufacturing processes and other parts of our operations. The electric arc furnace (EAF) technology we utilize at our mini mills and micro mills uses 82% less energy and results in 64% fewer GHG emissions per unit produced compared to the Blast Furnace/Basic Oxygen Furnace (BF/BOF) process used by traditional integrated steel producers. We also strive to reduce GHG emissions by purchasing a greater percentage of renewable electricity and partnering with our utilities to help green their grids.

The goals and initiatives of our environmental strategy are based on the climate-related risks and opportunities identified in a climate risk assessment (CRA) that was completed in 2023. The CRA, led by a third party and aligned with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), assessed both physical and transition risks over short-, medium- and long-term timeframes. As part of the CRA, we also identified stakeholder expectations regarding climate risk disclosure, including evolving sustainability reporting requirements of the state of California and the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).

Focus on Sustainable Practices

Amid rapidly changing stakeholder expectations, we must heighten our focus on sustainable business practices. CMC continues to invest in advanced processes and technologies that minimize our environmental footprint and use of natural resources while maximizing performance, reducing business risks and building trust with our customers.