NS BlueScope CEO highlights decade of sustainable steel efforts

At a seminar on sustainable development in industrial parks held on November 14 at Phu My 3 Industrial Park in Ho Chi Minh City, jointly organised by VIR, the Vietnam Industrial Real Estate Association, Thanh Binh Phu My Corporation, and NS BlueScope Vietnam, Lam To Trinh, vice president of Product & Segment Development at NS BlueScope Vietnam, shared insights from the company’s long-term ESG journey.

Lam To Trinh, vice president Product & Segment Development, NS BlueScope Vietnam

A key milestone in this journey came when NS BlueScope Vietnam became the first steel company in the country to earn the international ResponsibleSteel certification. The certification, based on 13 criteria, sets an ESG benchmark specifically for the steel industry, which is traditionally energy-intensive and high in emissions.

“The most common question we receive is whether the steel industry can truly pursue ESG. The answer is absolutely yes. Some goals, such as net-zero, cannot be achieved overnight, but with a practical roadmap, businesses can move forward in a serious and meaningful way,” Trinh said.

According to Trinh, the ESG journey is aligned with BlueScope Group’s overarching goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

In Vietnam, the company has announced its roadmap to 2030, which includes reducing emission intensity by 12 per cent for steelmaking operations and 30 per cent for other manufacturing activities.

These targets are not just commitments on paper. At the company’s factory in Phu My 1 Industrial Park, its green transformation began in 2013 with small steps, such as switching from traditional lighting to LED, optimising production processes, automating operations, and reducing the use of gas, water, and materials. Thanks to these efforts, NS BlueScope Vietnam has reduced more than four million kg of CO₂ between 2010 and 2022.

The real-world impact of ESG investments at NS BlueScope Vietnam’s Phu My 1 factory surprised many attendees at the seminar.

For example, solvent waste at the factory reaches about 33 tonnes each year. NS BlueScope Vietnam has been able to recycle 3.5 tonnes, helping reduce both procurement costs and hazardous waste treatment costs.

Similarly, instead of sending leftover paint to external treatment units, the company has researched ways to recycle it into road marking and fence paint, saving around VND500 million ($19,200) and reducing 6.7 tonnes of CO₂ annually.

In water resource management, the company has installed three rainwater-harvesting tanks with a total capacity of 1,200 cubic metres, helping recover more than 5,000 cubic metre of water each year, equivalent to VND64 million ($2,460) in savings.

There are also many small, often overlooked areas where the NS BlueScope Vietnam team has actively sought solutions to control, manage, and minimise environmental impacts.

“Many of our initiatives show that ESG does not necessarily require massive initial investments,” Trinh noted.

Moreover, NS BlueScope Vietnam joined Vietnam’s green building market early, starting in 2010.

According to Trinh, the company was the materials' supplier for the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified building in Vietnam and is now one of the top providers of sustainable roofing and walling solutions.

Moving beyond offering green products to customers, NS BlueScope Vietnam decided to invest in making both its Phu My 1 factory and its corporate office LEED Gold certified, the US green building standard.

Achieving such certification is not easy, especially for older buildings, as it requires comprehensive upgrades to electrical, water, and ventilation systems.

“If you want to build green, the best time is to start from the beginning. The longer you wait, the more costly and time-consuming it becomes,” Trinh added.

NS BlueScope Vietnam is the first steel company in Vietnam to obtain the international ResponsibleSteel certification

In July, BlueScope also completed Environmental Product Declaration certification, a product environmental declaration that increases transparency on carbon emissions, now a mandatory requirement in many green building projects.

Trinh recalled that as early as 1993, BlueScope required all trucks to comply with proper loading limits, even though, at the time, the requirement surprised many partners.

“But 20 years later, when the regulation on proper truck loading became widely applied, it proved that NS BlueScope Vietnam was on the right track. Today, while many steel suppliers have to raise transport costs due to the new regulation, NS BlueScope Vietnam does not, creating a significant advantage in both cost and brand reputation,” she shared.

NS BlueScope Vietnam prioritises a responsible supply chain based on five elements: business ethics, labour and human rights, safety, environment, and community.

Since 2019, the company has assessed and trained its suppliers, and boasts its supplier selection standards will be fully applied by the end of the year. Many suppliers have already committed to reducing carbon emissions alongside NS BlueScope Vietnam.

“ESG is not something businesses reluctantly comply with. It is a clear competitive advantage. By reducing emissions, saving energy, and optimising operating costs, businesses create both economic value and trust, among customers, suppliers, and the broader community,” Trinh added.

NS BlueScope Vietnam a torch-bearer of responsible steel production As the first steel company in Vietnam to receive the ResponsibleSteelTM certification, NS BlueScope Vietnam aims to become the torch-bearer for this global standard, spreading responsible steel throughout the domestic steel manufacturing community.

NS BlueScope Vietnam publishes Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) NS BlueScope Vietnam has announced on publishing its Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), providing transparent data on the environmental impact of its products.

Building Vietnam’s green industrial future: materials, mindset, and resource efficiency Industrial real estate is becoming a testing ground for sustainability. From low-carbon building materials and energy-efficient designs to smart water management, a comprehensive green ecosystem will define the country's next phase of industrial development, one built to last, attract foreign direct investment (FDI), and minimise environmental impacts.