Areas of activity

Automotive

WorldAutoSteel provides global research and information on automotive steel applications to maintain steel as the automotive material of choice.

In 2020, WorldAutoSteel announced the beginning of the Steel E-Motive programme, a new vehicle engineering initiative to demonstrate advanced steel architectures for future mobility. Ultimately, the programme aims to develop virtual vehicle concepts as roadmaps for affordable, safe, mass and environmentally efficient Mobility as a Service (MaaS) vehicles.

Climate change and environment

Climate change is the biggest issue for the steel industry in the 21st century. The steel industry is committed to continuing to reduce the footprint from its operations and the use of its products.

worldsteel fully support the aims of the Paris Agreement. Our new policy paper stresses the need for a range of solutions to achieve the required CO2 emissions reduction.

worldsteel’s members meet regularly to exchange information on environmental performance and regulatory developments.

Communications

Under the direction of the Communications Committee (COMMCO), worldsteel produces global reputation studies, stakeholder mappings, and key message proof points to create and amplify the industry’s key messages.

The audiences for these messages include industry employees, industry customers and suppliers, international organisations such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the International Energy Agency, the OECD Steel Committee and others, financial and general media, and the general public. We manage a wide range of digital social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Weibo, and WeChat.

Construction

construcsteel is the steel construction market development programme of worldsteel which aims to position steel as the material of choice.

Marketing and research-focused, constructsteel targets industry topics requested by members for members, assisting global efforts in becoming local opportunities. In 2021, the following dedicated working groups have been established: steel bridges, modular construction, composite construction, life cycle assessment (LCA) and zero energy buildings (ZEB).

Education and training

steeluniversity is the learning and training programme of worldsteel.

The programme delivers education and training to current and future employees of steel companies and related businesses. Learning is delivered online via the steeluniversity website, integration into organisational learning management systems, and in person. steelTalks is a monthly lecture series on topics of interest to the global steel community.

Life cycle assessment (LCA)

LCA is an approach that considers the potential environmental impacts of products at all stages of manufacture, product use and end-of-life.

worldsteel collects worldwide life cycle inventory data for steel products, which is then used in LCA studies. worldsteel is the most authoritative source of LCA information for steel.

Raw materials

Supply of raw materials is one of the key issues facing the industry. worldsteel manages projects which look at the availability of steelmaking materials such as iron ore, metallurgical coal, and scrap. worldsteel is also looking into long-term energy availability.

Safety and health

worldsteel delivers a comprehensive safety and health programme to support its members in controlling and reducing risks thus achieving our goal of an injury-free and healthy global steel industry.

Every year worldsteel organises a Safety and Health recognition programme for its members.

Steel market analysis and megatrends

worldsteel is recognised worldwide as the source of information on steel market trends and statistics.

The association publishes authoritative production statistics each month. Information on future trends can be found in the Short Range Outlook for steel demand (April and October). In 2021, the association launched a new subscription service available via the worldsteel.org bookshop.

Throug a recently initiated programme focusing on megatrends, worldsteel aims to acquire a deeper understanding of megatrends and how they will shape the global socio-economic landscape and the future of the worldwide steel industry.

Sustainability

Sustainability reporting at a global level is one of the major efforts that the steel industry undertakes through worldsteel to manage its environmental, social and economic performance, demonstrate its commitment to sustainability, and enhance transparency. worldsteel also manages projects that address the sustainability of steel in product applications in a range of market sectors. 

Steel Sustainability Champions is a programme aiming to set higher sustainability standards for the steel industry. From 2021, a more purpose-driven and action-oriented worldsteel Sustainability Charter aims at further reaffirming member companies’ commitment to sustainability.

Technology

Modern steelmaking relies on advanced technologies. worldsteel plays an important role in benchmarking best practice, helping its members improve their businesses. Representatives from member companies meet regularly to exchange information on technological, manufacturing and operational performance.

A worldsteel programme named step up achieves CO2 emission reduction through process efficiency, supported by worldsteel’s benchmarking systems covering yield, reliability, energy and CO2 intensity. Together these systems facilitate analysis and the development of improvement plans.