Transition of ESC to SSA

Transition of ESC to SSA

SSA has superseded the ASI ESC

History of the ESC

In 2010 the Australian Steel Institute (ASI) in conjunction with the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) developed the Environmental Sustainability Charter (ESC) to identify and assess environmentally sustainable steelwork suppliers against industry best practice in steel processing. It was designed for steelwork fabricators to demonstrate continual improvement in the environmental management of their steel processing operations. An ESC-certified steel supplier attributes 1 credit point towards a Green Star project under GBCA's Green Star Design and As Built rating which has now been superseded by the Green Star Buildings rating. 

Revision of the ESC to SSA  

The ESC, which has been operating for over 10 years has been superseded by the Steel Sustainability Australia (SSA) certification program.

The revision to the SSA program aims to: 

  • Respond to the increasing demand for more sustainable, and responsibly sourced materials in the construction industry  
  • Meet current and future expectations of multi-dimensional sustainability (ESG) requirements across the broader steel supply chain and support participating steel suppliers with a program that demonstrates compliance to this  
  • Align with the Responsible Products Framework underpinning GBCA's Green Star Buildings rating, allowing recognition of more Green Star Credit points 


Transition of ESC Certification to SSA Certification

Steel Sustainability Australia (SSA) supersedes the ASI Environmental Sustainability Charter (ESC) so specifications for, or references to the ESC in contracts or procurement documentation should be updated to the Steel Sustainability Australia (SSA) certification program.

New applications for ESC certification ceased from December 2022 and applications to the SSA certification program are now open (January 2023). 

Existing ESC certifications held are valid until 30 June 2023. From 1 July 2023, all existing ESC certification holders will be required to be certified to the Steel Sustainability Australia (SSA) certification program. 

Any Green Star projects submitted under the former Design and As Built rating tool will qualify for 1 Green Star Credit point by using an ESC/SSA certified supplier. Contact the GBCA for further information on Green Star.  

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