Western Port environment

BlueScope’s team at Western Port recognises the importance of the surrounding environment.

Upholding environmental standards

Western Port prides itself on creating, implementing and upholding environmental standards that are in line with internationally recognised certifications, State government licences, and local environment specific programs.

Western Port Site achieves 

ResponsibleSteel™ certification

This certification is a result of the hard work and dedication demonstrated by the site’s leadership and all of the site’s workers. The Western Port site has committed to a 30% reduction in emissions intensity by 2030 and has worked diligently to minimise its impact on the surrounding environment. The site has proven particularly strong in engaging and supporting local communities through Community Liaison Committee meetings and local projects. This second site certification for BlueScope represents real progress in the company’s sustainability journey and is a vital step towards the sourcing of responsibly produced steel products by the construction industry in Australia

Man inspecting sheet metal roll in facility

Western Port is certified to several standards including ISO14001 and ISO9001

In consultation and collaboration with EPA Victoria, BlueScope Western Port operates under an environment protection licence as governed by the Environmental Protection Act 2017.

The Western Port site also manages an important Site Water Stewardship Plan, developed in conjunction with the Western Port Biosphere and Water Stewardship Australia. This Plan sets out the catchment and site challenges on the property as well as the objectives and actions to deal with these challenges.

Water Stewardship for healthy waterways

As Water Stewards, we are committed to sustainable site water management, as well as contributing to broader efforts within our catchment, and our region.

Western Port Water Stewardship Project waterway

The Western Port Water Stewardship Project uses the Water Stewardship International Water Stewardship Standard as a tool for businesses and land managers that use water to address the shared and site-specific challenges of the catchment.

Intended to achieve four outcomes:

  1. Sustainable water balance (the quantity of water available)
  2. Good water quality
  3. Healthy ecosystems
  4. Good water governance.

Progress and challenges are discussed at the bi-annual Community Liaison Committee.

Financial Year 2024 water use

DescriptionValue
Fresh Water Intensity275 (kL/day)
Recycled Water635 (kL/day)
Total910 (kl/day)

BlueScope’s commitment to biodiversity

Biodiversity encompasses all living things, from human beings to micro-organisms and the habitats in which they live, and it also includes genetic material within individual species.

There are three main goals established under the Convention of Biological Diversity, these are the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits from the use of genetic resources.

Internal metal stairwell

BlueScope recognises that we have both an impact to and a dependence on biodiversity, through our business operations and use of ecosystem services.

BlueScope is committed to several mitigation measures including:

  • Avoiding impact to Biodiversity by including this consideration in the design of new or modifications to existing operations
  • Minimise impacts by substituting existing decisions or activities with alternatives that are designed to reduce or limit the undesirable impacts of a proposed activity on biodiversity
  • Rehabilitate or restore the affected environment
  • Offset the biodiversity impact by implementing measures to compensate for affected biodiversity values. The compensatory measure may include a combination of direct offsets or other compensatory measures.

Our Western Port site operates within a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, which is an intergovernmental scientific program that aims to provide a scientific basis for the improvement of relationships between people and their environments.

In 1982, a large portion of Western Port was designated as a wetland of international importance under the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as a Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar Convention). The BlueScope site is situated adjacent to the boundary of this Ramsar site.

We are critically dependent on resilient ecosystems. The loss of or reduction in the quality of our planet’s biodiversity will not only impact on our operations, but will also have an impact on our communities, our shareholders and our people.

Transitioning to low carbon operations

Our goal is for NET ZERO Green House Gas emissions by 2050. BlueScope at Western Port and the global BlueScope footprint will play a meaningful role in transitioning our operations to a low carbon economy.

Emissions performance 

Western Port GHG emissions FY2024

 

DescriptionValue
Scope 1 emissions107,644 tonnes CO2-e
Scope 2 emissions152,477 tonnes CO2-e
Total site related GHG emissions260,121 tonnes CO2-e
Product dispatched881,755 tonnes CO2-e / tonne steel
Intensity0.295 tonnes CO2-e / tonne steel

Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions are estimated as per the requirements of the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Scheme (NGERS)