At TimkenSteel, we embrace our role as responsible stewards of the environment. Our environmental practices are based in an ISO 14001 Environmental Management System (EMS). This approach encourages a proactive approach to innovation, collaboration and stakeholder engagement in our environmental programs.
Our environmental efforts are focused on maintaining clean air, water and land, and complying with environmental rules and regulations by integrating material efficiency and conservation of energy and natural resources into our operations. We continue to seek opportunities to reduce the amount of waste we generate, increase recycling, and reduce energy consumption and emissions.
2030 Environmental Goals
Building on our proud legacy of environmental stewardship, we have committed to the following 2030 goals, compared with a 2018 baseline:
- 40% absolute reduction in combined Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions – compared with a baseline of 1,118,875 metric tons CO2e1
- 30% absolute reduction in total energy consumption (direct and indirect) – compared with a baseline of 10,545,937 gigajoules2
- 35% absolute reduction in fresh water withdrawn – compared with a baseline of 6,631,000 cubic meters
- 10% reduction in waste-to-landfill intensity – compared with a baseline of 10.1 pounds waste-to-landfill per ton of steel produced
These targets are supported by projects across the company’s manufacturing, manufactured components, supply chain and corporate operations, and are aligned with regional, national and international environmental priorities established by organizations such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and the Paris Climate Accords. Beyond our 2030 goals, TimkenSteel aspires to achieve carbon neutrality.
We selected 2018 as the baseline year as it aligns with the baseline used in the company’s inaugural Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) disclosure, which was published in April 2021.
Environmental Management Practices
Past and ongoing efforts around energy conservation, scrap metal sourcing and handling, and water management and reuse have positioned TimkenSteel as an environmental leader. Our current efforts include:
- Operational Efficiency: We produce 100 percent of our steel from primarily recycled scrap metal, and continuously invest in improving the efficiency of our electric arc furnace (EAF) operations.
- Recycling: In 2020, 802,278 tons of 100 percent recycled scrap were delivered to our melt shops. In addition, since 2015, we have reclaimed and recycled approximately 2.6 billion pounds of slag, a byproduct of steelmaking that has value to end markets such as agriculture and construction. From 2016 to 2020, we kept over 5,500 tons of rubber out of landfills through an industry-leading, Ohio EPA-approved industrial tire recycling program that utilizes spent tires in our steelmaking process.
- Reducing Energy Consumption and Emissions: Using recycled steel saves enough energy to power as many as 150,000 households annually. The company’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are less than half the World Steel Association’s industry average. Ongoing projects continue to improve the energy efficiency and cleanliness of our scrap handling and steelmaking operations.
- Water Conservation: We track all water usage in our U.S. steelmaking and processing facilities and have achieved annual decreases in water consumption. In 2020, TimkenSteel received an Encouraging Environmental Excellence Award from Ohio EPA for metals reclamation at our water treatment plant, where we capture and recycle 2 million pounds of iron annually.
12018 baseline based on: Scope 1 greenhouse gas emissions of 471,722 metric tons CO2e; Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions of 697,153 metric tons CO2e.
22018 baseline based on: Direct energy consumption of 6,385,122 gigajoules; Indirect energy consumption of 4,160,815 gigajoules.
The company’s 2030 targets are based on an absolute or total reduction in the amount of greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption and fresh water withdrawn. In contrast, the company’s waste-to-landfill target is based on an intensity or percentage reduction of waste-to-landfill per ton of steel shipped. All 2030 targets are based on the company’s operating assets as of 2018 and do not account for any future inorganic growth or other expansion of its facilities or operating assets, for which an adjustment to the absolute reduction may be required. The company selected 2018 as the baseline year as it aligns with the baseline used in the company’s Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) disclosure.
TimkenSteel maintained ISO 14001(1) Certifications for all of its domestic facilities which produce or
process steel.
TimkenSteel completed its 4th consecutive year of consuming less raw water than the prior year.
TimkenSteel’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions are consistently less than the industry average.(2)
1.1 million tons of recycled scrap were melted in TimkenSteel’s electric arc furnaces in 2021.