Environmental management guarantees continuous improvement

As of 2001, ArcelorMittal Gent has had an environmental management system in place that fully meets the requirements of the international ISO 14001 standard.

By the late 1990s, we had executed the ‘easiest’ environmental optimisations and as of then it became increasingly difficult to continue to improve. That is why we implemented the environmental management system. It forced us to go about our environmental management in a structural manner, starting with the identification of our environmental priorities.

At the base of our environmental caring system lays a thorough knowledge of the different environmental aspects and risks deriving from our activities, products and services. By launching procedures and guidelines and by informing and guiding our employees, where needed, we are able to keep our environmental impact to a minimum.

If an environmental incident does occur, we analyse it, learn from it and take the appropriate actions so that no such incident will take place twice.

The implementation of the environmental caring system also led to our employees becoming more involved in the environmental care. Every production division is, when it comes down to environmental issues, responsible for its own activities and it is important that every employee plays his/her role in this.

Our environmental caring system is audited yearly by an external independent company. The audit checks if we live up to all the quota set and if we keep on improving ourselves on a environmental level. The ISO 14001 certificat offers the warranty to all our external stakeholders, for instance neighbours, surrounding companies, governments, suppliers and customers, that ‘sustainable working’ is not just a hollow phrase for us.