Sustainability

Producing Cleaner Steel for a Sustainable Future

Our Sustainability Report for 2021

As the largest flat-rolled steel and iron ore pellet producer in North America, Cleveland-Cliffs makes a vital contribution to modern society. We recognize that all aspects of steelmaking, from the extraction and processing of the earth's mineral resources to the manufacture and finishing of steel, to sourcing prime scrap to create a closed-loop steel recycling program, must be accomplished in a responsible manner that minimizes impacts on the environment and creates value for our stakeholders and society. Environmental stewardship is an essential element of our sustainable business strategy and is at the heart of our efforts to earn and maintain our social license to operate.

We seek to create value by implementing ESG (environment, social, governance) strategies that enhance this license to operate, improve safety and environmental performance, and reduce operating costs. Embedding these fundamentals into our business not only helps achieve environmental and social sustainability goals but helps ensure that we remain economically viable in a highly competitive industry. Through this approach, we look forward to generating opportunities for future generations.

Read Our 2021 Sustainability Report

Commitment to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

One of the most important issues impacting our planet is climate change. The American steel industry is already among the cleanest and most energy-efficient in the world. With Cleveland-Cliffs’ expanded footprint, we recognize our increased role to address climate change impacts.

We plan to achieve our GHG emissions reduction goal by focusing on actionable, commercially viable technologies and solutions while supporting research for breakthrough technologies for the primary iron and steel sector. Over the last several years, from design, construction and commissioning of our Toledo Direct Reduction plant to major energy efficiency upgrades and the acquisition of our FPT prime scrap processing facilities, we invested nearly $2 billion to advance sustainable, low-carbon intensity steelmaking. We continue to make progress on our goal to reduce company-wide GHG emissions 25% by 2030 from 2017 levels. Success of using hot briquetted iron (HBI) in our furnaces to reduce coke rate; enhance productivity and quality; and stretch hot metal production, coupled with increased consumption of prime scrap, led to an overall reduction in carbon intensity per ton in 2021.

View our Climate Commitment Plan

Spotlight

Aligning to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for the long-term sustainability of our planet and its people. The core of this Agenda are 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs call for the widespread mobilization of governments, businesses and civil society to address an array of global challenges, including climate change, clean water, food shortages, inequality and poverty. Cleveland-Cliffs believes our business activities contribute to achieving progress on several of the SDGs.

Through alignment with the following SDGs and their respective targets, Cliffs seeks to demonstrate our commitment to sustainability and to drive meaningful impact toward achieving the SDGs.

More About Our Alignment with UN SDGs

Environment

Strategically Reducing Our Impact on the Environment

Cleveland-Cliffs actively manages and minimizes our impacts on the environment. We strive for compliance and push for continuous improvement with regard to air, water, waste and biodiversity. As a vertically integrated iron and steel producer, we continually look for ways to more sustainably source and consume raw materials. Most importantly, Cliffs understands that we must be a good steward of the environment in order to be a leader in our industry and sustain our business in the long term.

Social

Connecting with Our Communities

Cliffs takes very seriously our responsibility to be a good neighbor to our local communities. We work with local organizations to achieve common goals, and we listen and respond to the concerns of community members. Through our charitable foundation and our employee giving, we generously support local and regional nonprofit and community-focused organizations with shared values.

Governance

Acting with Integrity

Cleveland-Cliffs is dedicated to strong governance practices and ethical business dealings, and values the importance of compliance. Our executive leadership team is forward thinking and continuously working for the next generation. From our Board of Directors to the plant floor, we are committed to acting with integrity every day.

Our Products

Steel: A Sustainable Material

Steel is the preferred material for a sustainable society as it can be continually recycled into new products. At Cleveland-Cliffs, 100% of our steel contains recycled steel scrap. With our FPT prime scrap processing facilities, we have the ability to buy back scrap directly from our flat-rolled automotive and other customers to create recycling partnerships. Use of prime scrap allows us to optimize productivity at our existing EAFs and BOFs and furthers our commitment to low-carbon intensity steelmaking with a clean materials mix.