THE REAL CO$T OF STEEL

The report by the Fair Steel Coalition examines the systemic environmental and human rights abuses linked to ArcelorMittal and Ternium. It identifies 'sacrifice zones' where marginalized communities of color face severe pollution and health risks. The document details case studies of land dispossession in Liberia, air and water contamination in South Africa and Brazil, and a pattern of violence and enforced disappearances of environmental defenders in Mexico. It concludes that corporate sustainability policies are superficial and calls for mandatory due diligence, a just transition in steel production, and accountability for human rights violations.

• Steel production by ArcelorMittal and Ternium has created 'sacrifice zones' where Black, Brown, Indigenous, and tribal populations suffer disproportionate environmental impacts and chronic neglect of health and safety protections.
• In Mexico, environmental defenders facing the companies' interests have been subjected to a pattern of violence, including the murder and disappearance of leaders such as Higinio Trinidad de la Cruz, Antonio Díaz Valencia, and Ricardo Lagunes Gasca.
• ArcelorMittal's Vanderbijlpark plant in South Africa's Vaal Triangle emits hydrogen sulphide levels exceeding national air quality standards, contributing to the area being known as one of the most polluted places on earth.
• Ternium's integrated steel plant in Santa Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, is responsible for more than 50% of the city's global greenhouse gas emissions.
• In Liberia, ArcelorMittal's Western Range Project is accused of destroying land, forests, and water, and dispossessing tribal communities of their livelihoods without free, prior, and informed consent.
• Corporate sustainability and human rights policies of ArcelorMittal and Ternium are described as superficial and lacking effective grievance mechanisms, particularly in conflict zones.
• Ternium's decarbonization strategy in Brazil relies on replacing coal with charcoal from monoculture eucalyptus plantations, which the report argues is a greenwashing strategy that may devastate forests and rural communities.
• ArcelorMittal South Africa is identified as the country's third worst greenhouse gas emitter, with a 2030 reduction target of 25% that is significantly lower than the 35% target applied in Europe.
• The report highlights a 'culture of impunity' where corporate and governmental misconduct is shielded, leaving affected communities without legal remedies.
• In the Vaal Triangle, a longitudinal study from 2014 showed a 58% increase in doctor-diagnosed asthma in 10-year-old children between 1990 and 2010.

APA

Paredes, H. (n.d.). THE REAL CO$T OF STEEL. Centre for Environmental Rights. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/The-real-cost-of-steel-report.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Paredes, Heriberto. THE REAL CO$T OF STEEL. Centre for Environmental Rights, n.d. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/The-real-cost-of-steel-report.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Paredes |first1=Heriberto |title=THE REAL CO$T OF STEEL |publisher=Centre for Environmental Rights |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/The-real-cost-of-steel-report.pdf?x21779 |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{paredesndreal, author = {Paredes, Heriberto}, title = {{THE REAL CO\$T OF STEEL}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/The-real-cost-of-steel-report.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }