Aceros Arequipa earns high sustainability ranking

Aceros Arequipa Corp., a Peru-based electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaker, says its effort in and dedication to sustainability has led it to earn one of the highest scores in the steel industry in the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 2022 Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) performance assessment.

Tulio Silgado, general manager of Aceros Arequipa, says it has taken a multiyear effort by staff members to achieve the ranking. “Every year at Aceros Arequipa, after obtaining the results, we carry out a study to close the gaps provided by the assessment,” he says. “This helps us to enhance our performance through continuous improvement. After assessing what these gaps are, we establish action plans with the leaders of the entire corporation and improvements are implemented in the short, medium, and long term. This is a joint effort and commitment.”

S&P has more than 5,300 companies around the world this year, Aceros Arequipa says, 145 of which are in the steel industry. This year, with the 75 points obtained in its S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment, the Peruvian steelmaker says it ranks in the top portion in the global steel industry, along with Hyundai Steel of Korea and Fortescue Metals of Australia.

Aceros Arequipa says sustainability is a priority on its agenda at all levels of the organization, which is why its 2030 strategy is based on ESG guidelines, with the aim of being “at the forefront of international good practices, always considering the current needs of society and the planet.”

The metals producer says its products are 100 percent recyclable, and its EAF technology, powered by hydroelectric energy, allows large amounts of scrap “to be completely reused with a very low carbon footprint.”