Industry Comparison

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Current language: English (2023)

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  • Waste Management Waste Management industry entities collect, store, dispose of, recycle or treat various forms of waste from residential, commercial and industrial clients. Types of waste include municipal solid waste, hazardous waste, recyclable materials, and compostable or organic materials. Major entities commonly are integrated vertically, providing a range of services from waste collection to landfilling and recycling, while others provide specialised services such as treating medical and industrial waste. Waste-to-energy operations are a distinct industry segment. Some industry players also provide environmental engineering and consulting services, mostly to large industrial clients.
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  • Iron & Steel Producers The Iron & Steel Producers industry primarily consists of entities producing iron and steel in mills and foundries. The steel producers segment produces iron and steel products from its own mills. These products include flat-rolled sheets, tin plates, pipes, tubes, and products made of stainless steel, titanium and high alloy steels. Iron and steel foundries, which cast various products, typically purchase iron and steel from other entities. The industry also includes metal service centres and other metal merchant wholesalers, which distribute, import or export ferrous products. Though entities are developing alternative processes, steel production primarily relies on two primary methods: the basic oxygen furnace (BOF), which uses iron ore as an input, and the electric arc furnace (EAF), which uses scrap steel. Many entities in the industry operate on an international scale. Note: With a few exceptions, most entities do not mine their own ore to manufacture steel and iron products. There exists a separate standard for the Metals & Mining (EM-MM) industry.
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Relevant Issues for both Industries (9 of 26)

Why are some issues greyed out? The SASB Standards vary by industry based on the different sustainability-related risks and opportunities within an industry. The issues in grey were not identified during the standard-setting process as the most likely to be useful to investors, so they are not included in the Standard. Over time, as the ISSB continues to receive market feedback, some issues may be added or removed from the Standard. Each company determines which sustainability-related risks and opportunities are relevant to its business. The Standard is designed for the typical company in an industry, but individual companies may choose to report on different sustainability-related risks and opportunities based on their unique business model.

Disclosure Topics

What is the relationship between General Issue Category and Disclosure Topics? The General Issue Category is an industry-agnostic version of the Disclosure Topics that appear in each SASB Standard. Disclosure topics represent the industry-specific impacts of General Issue Categories. The industry-specific Disclosure Topics ensure each SASB Standard is tailored to the industry, while the General Issue Categories enable comparability across industries. For example, Health & Nutrition is a disclosure topic in the Non-Alcoholic Beverages industry, representing an industry-specific measure of the general issue of Customer Welfare. The issue of Customer Welfare, however, manifests as the Counterfeit Drugs disclosure topic in the Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals industry.
  • Waste Management Remove
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    • GHG Emissions The category addresses direct (Scope 1) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that a company generates through its operations. This includes GHG emissions from stationary (e.g., factories, power plants) and mobile sources (e.g., trucks, delivery vehicles, planes), whether a result of combustion of fuel or non-combusted direct releases during activities such as natural resource extraction, power generation, land use, or biogenic processes. The category further includes management of regulatory risks, environmental compliance, and reputational risks and opportunities, as they related to direct GHG emissions. The seven GHGs covered under the Kyoto Protocol are included within the category—carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3).
      • Greenhouse Gas Emissions Landfills are a significant anthropogenic contributor to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions because they generate methane. As a result, regulators frequently require entities to limit landfill gas emissions. Entities can reduce these emissions through a variety of control technologies that require significant capital investments such as landfill gas collection efficiency improvements, control devices and increased methane oxidisation. Entities can capture and combust methane using a flare, an engine or a turbine to reduce the overall toxicity and potency of raw emissions dramatically. Landfill gas capture is particularly important for owners and operators of large landfills that have been the focus of regulation. Entities that operate in the waste-to-energy industry segment may reduce waste lifecycle emissions through decreased future emissions from landfills and displaced energy generation, but they face increased Scope 1 emissions from waste-to-energy facilities operations. Overall, GHG emissions pose regulatory risks for the industry, with potential effects on operational costs and capital expenditures. Entities also may generate revenue through the sale of natural gas and energy from waste-to-energy facilities, as well as reduce fuel purchases by using processed landfill gas to power operations. Performance on this issue may affect an entity’s ability to secure new permits or renew existing ones, which can affect revenue.
      • Fleet Fuel Management Many entities in the Waste Management industry own and operate large vehicle fleets for waste collection and transfer. The fuel consumption of vehicle fleets is a significant industry cost, both in terms of operating expenses and associated capital expenditures. Fossil fuel consumption can contribute to environmental impacts, including climate change and pollution. These environmental impacts may affect waste management entities through increased regulatory exposure and reduced competitiveness of new contract proposals. Hedging fuel purchases is a common tool used to manage fleet-fuel risks; however, increasingly, waste management entities are upgrading to more fuel-efficient fleets or switching to natural gas vehicles. A cleaner-burning fleet also may be perceived favourably by communities living near waste management facilities with heavy traffic.
    • Air Quality The category addresses management of air quality impacts resulting from stationary (e.g., factories, power plants) and mobile sources (e.g., trucks, delivery vehicles, planes) as well as industrial emissions. Relevant airborne pollutants include, but are not limited to, oxides of nitrogen (NOx), oxides of sulfur (SOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), heavy metals, particulate matter, and chlorofluorocarbons. The category does not include GHG emissions, which are addressed in a separate category.
      • Air Quality Air pollution is the presence of air contaminants in such quantities and duration that they may be injurious to humans, animals, plants or property. It also includes contaminants that interfere with enjoyment of life or property. Therefore, odours and toxic gases, such as those emitted from landfills, landfill fires, waste incinerators and waste treatment plants, are considered air pollution. The financial consequences from excessive air emissions vary depending on the specific location of operations and the prevailing air emissions regulations, but they may include capital expenditures, increased operating costs, fines, and lawsuits from affected communities. Human health impacts and financial consequences of poor air quality management may be exacerbated by the proximity of waste management facilities to communities. Active management of air pollutants and odours—through technological and process improvements—therefore may mitigate regulatory exposure and associated future compliance costs from increasingly stringent air quality regulations, help entities secure and maintain permits, and protect their licence to operate.
    • Energy Management The category addresses environmental impacts associated with energy consumption. It addresses the company’s management of energy in manufacturing and/or for provision of products and services derived from utility providers (grid energy) not owned or controlled by the company. More specifically, it includes management of energy efficiency and intensity, energy mix, as well as grid reliance. Upstream (e.g., suppliers) and downstream (e.g., product use) energy use is not included in the scope.
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    • Water & Wastewater Management The category addresses a company’s water use, water consumption, wastewater generation, and other impacts of operations on water resources, which may be influenced by regional differences in the availability and quality of and competition for water resources. More specifically, it addresses management strategies including, but not limited to, water efficiency, intensity, and recycling. Lastly, the category also addresses management of wastewater treatment and discharge, including groundwater and aquifer pollution.
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    • Waste & Hazardous Materials Management The category addresses environmental issues associated with hazardous and non-hazardous waste generated by companies. It addresses a company’s management of solid wastes in manufacturing, agriculture, and other industrial processes. It covers treatment, handling, storage, disposal, and regulatory compliance. The category does not cover emissions to air or wastewater nor does it cover waste from end-of-life of products, which are addressed in separate categories.
      • Management of Leachate & Hazardous Waste Entities operating landfills must manage and reduce the risks of potential ecological impacts, including those caused by leachate and hazardous waste. Poor management of landfills and other disposal sites may contaminate soil, groundwater and nearby water bodies. To mitigate environmental and health risks to local communities, entities must effectively contain and manage leachate, as well as hazardous waste. Entities unable to manage these risks may suffer regulatory penalties, lose brand value, impair future business prospects and face lawsuits.
    • Labour Practices The category addresses the company’s ability to uphold commonly accepted labour standards in the workplace, including compliance with labour laws and internationally accepted norms and standards. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring basic human rights related to child labour, forced or bonded labour, exploitative labour, fair wages and overtime pay, and other basic workers’ rights. It also includes minimum wage policies and provision of benefits, which may influence how a workforce is attracted, retained, and motivated. The category further addresses a company’s relationship with organized labour and freedom of association.
      • Labour Practices Organised labour is important in the Waste Management industry. Covering many workers, collective bargaining agreements protect workers’ rights and establish wages. Waste management entities may be vulnerable to strikes, shutdowns and delays if labour concerns are managed ineffectively. Proper management of, and communication around, labour issues such as worker pay and working conditions may prevent conflicts with workers that may result in extended strikes, which can slow or stop operations and create reputational risk. Waste management entities need a long-term perspective on managing workers—including their pay and benefits—in a way that protects workers’ rights and enhances productivity while ensuring the financial sustainability of an entity’s operations.
    • Employee Health & Safety The category addresses a company’s ability to create and maintain a safe and healthy workplace environment that is free of injuries, fatalities, and illness (both chronic and acute). It is traditionally accomplished through implementing safety management plans, developing training requirements for employees and contractors, and conducting regular audits of their own practices as well as those of their subcontractors. The category further captures how companies ensure physical and mental health of workforce through technology, training, corporate culture, regulatory compliance, monitoring and testing, and personal protective equipment.
      • Workforce Health & Safety The industry’s hazardous working conditions make safety a critical issue for waste management operations, and accidents can have a significant impact on workers. The Waste Management industry has higher fatality rates than most industries. Fatalities and other injuries are caused primarily by transportation incidents, contact with hazardous objects and equipment, and exposure to harmful substances. Additionally, temporary workers may be at increased risk because of a lack of training or industry experience. Poor health and safety records may result in fines and penalties, increased regulatory compliance costs and more stringent oversight. Waste management entities must ensure facilities and vehicles are operated with the highest safety standards and that the number of injuries and accidents is minimised through a strong safety culture. Entities that develop proactive safety management plans and training requirements for employees and contractors, including conducting regular audits, may improve workforce safety and minimise the chance of safety-related financial repercussions.
    • Business Model Resilience The category addresses an industry’s capacity to manage risks and opportunities associated with incorporating social, environmental, and political transitions into long-term business model planning. This includes responsiveness to the transition to a low-carbon and climate-constrained economy, as well as growth and creation of new markets among unserved and underserved socio-economic populations. The category highlights industries in which evolving environmental and social realities may challenge companies to fundamentally adapt or may put their business models at risk.
      • Recycling & Resource Recovery Recycling, reuse, composting and incineration are general methods of diverting waste from landfills. Landfill diversion can mitigate some of the environmental impacts of landfills and reduce the need for landfill expansion. Additionally, waste management entities play a critical role in the circular economy by separating and recovering reusable materials such as paper, glass, metal, organic materials and electronic waste. New regulations, customer demand and the increasing costs of extracting virgin materials are encouraging the development of a circular economy. As a result, waste management entities are facing a decrease in landfilled waste and an expanding recycling market. Cradle-to-cradle approaches initiated by other industries may fail if the recovery and recycling infrastructure or technologies do not exist. Entities that provide recycling and other resource recovery services will address changing consumer needs better, thereby positioning themselves for revenue growth while playing a critical role in reducing the environmental impact of the wider economy.
    • Supply Chain Management The category addresses management of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks within a company’s supply chain. It addresses issues associated with environmental and social externalities created by suppliers through their operational activities. Such issues include, but are not limited to, environmental responsibility, human rights, labour practices, and ethics and corruption. Management may involve screening, selection, monitoring, and engagement with suppliers on their environmental and social impacts. The category does not address the impacts of external factors – such as climate change and other environmental and social factors – on suppliers’ operations and/or on the availability and pricing of key resources, which is covered in a separate category.
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  • Iron & Steel Producers Remove
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    • GHG Emissions The category addresses direct (Scope 1) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that a company generates through its operations. This includes GHG emissions from stationary (e.g., factories, power plants) and mobile sources (e.g., trucks, delivery vehicles, planes), whether a result of combustion of fuel or non-combusted direct releases during activities such as natural resource extraction, power generation, land use, or biogenic processes. The category further includes management of regulatory risks, environmental compliance, and reputational risks and opportunities, as they related to direct GHG emissions. The seven GHGs covered under the Kyoto Protocol are included within the category—carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3).
      • Greenhouse Gas Emissions Iron and steel production generates significant direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, primarily carbon dioxide and methane, from production processes and on-site fuel combustion. Although technological improvements have reduced the GHG emissions per tonne of steel produced, steel production remains carbon-intensive compared to other industries. Regulatory efforts to reduce GHG emissions in response to the risks posed by climate change may result in additional regulatory compliance costs and risks for iron and steel entities because of climate change mitigation policies. Entities can achieve operational efficiencies through the cost-effective reduction of GHG emissions. Capturing such efficiencies can mitigate the potential financial effects of increased fuel costs from regulations that limit—or put a price on—GHG emissions.
    • Air Quality The category addresses management of air quality impacts resulting from stationary (e.g., factories, power plants) and mobile sources (e.g., trucks, delivery vehicles, planes) as well as industrial emissions. Relevant airborne pollutants include, but are not limited to, oxides of nitrogen (NOx), oxides of sulfur (SOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), heavy metals, particulate matter, and chlorofluorocarbons. The category does not include GHG emissions, which are addressed in a separate category.
      • Air Quality Iron and steel production typically generates criteria air pollutants, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants, which can have significant localised public health impacts. Of particular concern are sulphur oxides, nitrogen dioxide, lead, carbon monoxide and manganese, as well as particles such as soot and dust, released during production. Technological innovation and continuous improvements in steel-making processes have reduced air pollutants significantly from the Iron & Steel Producers industry. However, air pollutants remain a concern because of increased regulatory and public concern about air pollution, as well as expansion of steel production in emerging markets. In emerging markets, regulatory efforts to curb air pollution may constrain iron and steel production. Active management of facility emissions through industry best practices implementation across global operations can facilitate the transition to sustainable steel production, reducing costs and potentially enhancing operational efficiency.
    • Energy Management The category addresses environmental impacts associated with energy consumption. It addresses the company’s management of energy in manufacturing and/or for provision of products and services derived from utility providers (grid energy) not owned or controlled by the company. More specifically, it includes management of energy efficiency and intensity, energy mix, as well as grid reliance. Upstream (e.g., suppliers) and downstream (e.g., product use) energy use is not included in the scope.
      • Energy Management The production of steel requires significant energy, sourced primarily from the direct fossil fuel combustion as well as energy purchased from the grid. Energy-intense production has implications for climate change, and electricity purchases from the grid can result in indirect Scope 2 emissions. The choice between various production processes—electric arc furnaces and integrated basic oxygen furnaces—can influence whether an entity uses fossil fuels or purchases electricity. This decision, together with the choice between using coal versus natural gas or on-site versus grid-sourced electricity, may influence both the costs and reliability of energy supply. Affordable, easily accessible and reliable energy is an important industry competitive factor. Energy costs account for a substantial portion of iron and steel manufacturing costs. How an iron and steel entity manages its energy efficiency, its reliance on various types of energy and associated sustainability risks, and its ability to access alternative sources of energy can influence its profitability.
    • Water & Wastewater Management The category addresses a company’s water use, water consumption, wastewater generation, and other impacts of operations on water resources, which may be influenced by regional differences in the availability and quality of and competition for water resources. More specifically, it addresses management strategies including, but not limited to, water efficiency, intensity, and recycling. Lastly, the category also addresses management of wastewater treatment and discharge, including groundwater and aquifer pollution.
      • Water Management Steel production requires substantial volumes of water. Entities face increasing operational, regulatory and reputational risks associated with water scarcity, costs of water acquisition, regulations on effluents or amount of water used, and competition with local communities and other industries for limited water resources. These risks are particularly likely to affect regions where water is scarce, resulting in water availability constraints and price volatility. Entities unable to secure a stable water supply could face production disruptions, while rising water prices could directly increase production costs. Consequently, entities adopting technologies and processes to decrease reduce water consumption may reduce operating risks and costs by mitigating the operational impacts of regulatory changes, water supply shortages and community-related disruptions.
    • Waste & Hazardous Materials Management The category addresses environmental issues associated with hazardous and non-hazardous waste generated by companies. It addresses a company’s management of solid wastes in manufacturing, agriculture, and other industrial processes. It covers treatment, handling, storage, disposal, and regulatory compliance. The category does not cover emissions to air or wastewater nor does it cover waste from end-of-life of products, which are addressed in separate categories.
      • Waste Management Although waste reclamation rates in steel production are high, the industry generates significant quantities of hazardous wastes. Slag, dusts and sludges constitute the three main industry waste types. These by-products often are recycled internally or sold to other industries. However, process wastes such as electric arc furnace dust, which may be regulated as a hazardous material because of its heavy metal content, can have significant environmental and human health impacts, present a regulatory risk, and result in additional operating costs for entities. Risks related to the long-term impacts of waste disposal may result in significant costs, including those associated with monitoring and managing contaminated off-site disposal properties, for which jurisdictional authorities may hold iron and steel producers responsible for remediation and restoration activities. Entities that reduce waste streams, hazardous waste streams in particular, and recycle or sell non-hazardous by-products, could mitigate regulatory risks and reduce costs while increasing revenues.
    • Labour Practices The category addresses the company’s ability to uphold commonly accepted labour standards in the workplace, including compliance with labour laws and internationally accepted norms and standards. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring basic human rights related to child labour, forced or bonded labour, exploitative labour, fair wages and overtime pay, and other basic workers’ rights. It also includes minimum wage policies and provision of benefits, which may influence how a workforce is attracted, retained, and motivated. The category further addresses a company’s relationship with organized labour and freedom of association.
      None
    • Employee Health & Safety The category addresses a company’s ability to create and maintain a safe and healthy workplace environment that is free of injuries, fatalities, and illness (both chronic and acute). It is traditionally accomplished through implementing safety management plans, developing training requirements for employees and contractors, and conducting regular audits of their own practices as well as those of their subcontractors. The category further captures how companies ensure physical and mental health of workforce through technology, training, corporate culture, regulatory compliance, monitoring and testing, and personal protective equipment.
      • Workforce Health & Safety Iron and steel production processes can present significant risks to employees and contractors working in iron and steel plants. Given the high temperatures and heavy machinery involved, worker injuries and fatalities are a matter of serious concern to iron and steel producers. Given the hazardous work environment, the industry has relatively high fatality rates requiring a strong safety culture and comprehensive health and safety policies. Although accident rates in the industry are in decline, worker injuries and fatalities can result in regulatory penalties, negative publicity, low worker morale and productivity, and increased healthcare and compensation costs.
    • Business Model Resilience The category addresses an industry’s capacity to manage risks and opportunities associated with incorporating social, environmental, and political transitions into long-term business model planning. This includes responsiveness to the transition to a low-carbon and climate-constrained economy, as well as growth and creation of new markets among unserved and underserved socio-economic populations. The category highlights industries in which evolving environmental and social realities may challenge companies to fundamentally adapt or may put their business models at risk.
      None
    • Supply Chain Management The category addresses management of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks within a company’s supply chain. It addresses issues associated with environmental and social externalities created by suppliers through their operational activities. Such issues include, but are not limited to, environmental responsibility, human rights, labour practices, and ethics and corruption. Management may involve screening, selection, monitoring, and engagement with suppliers on their environmental and social impacts. The category does not address the impacts of external factors – such as climate change and other environmental and social factors – on suppliers’ operations and/or on the availability and pricing of key resources, which is covered in a separate category.
      • Supply Chain Management Iron ore and coal are critical raw material inputs to the steel production process. Iron ore mining and coal production are resource-intensive processes. Mineral extraction often has substantial environmental and social impacts adversely affecting local communities, workers and ecosystems. Community protests, legal or regulatory action, or increased regulatory compliance costs or penalties can disrupt mining operations. Iron and steel entities could face supply disruptions as a result, or in some cases, also may be subject to regulatory penalties associated with the environmental or social impact of the mining entity supplier. Minimising such risks through appropriate supplier screening, monitoring and engagement, iron and steel producers may manage their direct critical raw materials suppliers proactively to ensure they are not engaged in illegal or otherwise environmentally or socially damaging practices.

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