Respecting human rights across our value chain
As a global leader in sustainable stainless steel, Outokumpu acknowledges its responsibility to respect and advance human rights across its operations and value chain. With over 8,000 professionals in more than 20 countries, our impact extends from our own chrome mine and ferrochrome production in Finland to stainless steel production facilities in Finland, Sweden, Germany, the US, and Mexico, and through our global raw material supply chains.
We are committed to respecting the rights and upholding the dignity of everyone impacted by our activities - whether directly or through our business relationships. This includes contributing to the economic and social well-being of the local communities where we operate and throughout our supply chains.
Outokumpu conducts its business with integrity and in alignment with internationally recognized human rights standards, including the UN International Bill on Human Rights and the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. Our human rights commitments are reflected in several publicly available company policies, which can be accessed in the download section below.
The CEO holds the highest level of oversight and accountability for human rights at Outokumpu. Our Group Sustainability and Procurement teams collaborate closely to embed human rights due diligence across the organization in a balanced and integrated way. Read more about the due diligence governance structure in our Sustainability Statement.
Knowing and addressing our impacts on people and planet
At Outokumpu, sustainability due diligence means identifying and addressing potential and actual impacts on people and the planet across our own operations and value chain. Our integrated approach covers both human rights and environmental risks and is aligned with international standards such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. This process is ongoing and includes clear policies, impact assessments, risk mitigation, grievance mechanisms, and readiness to provide remedy.
Sustainability due diligence is integral to Outokumpu’s sustainability strategy: it protects people and the planet while reinforcing our competitive advantage in a market where responsible sourcing and transparency matter more than ever. By proactively managing these impacts, we not only uphold our responsibility to respect human rights and protect the environment but also strengthen trust with stakeholders, safeguard our license to operate, and ensure compliance with evolving regulations. Effective due diligence reduces also operational and reputational risks, enhances supply chain resilience, and supports long-term value creation.
Our key focus areas in human rights due diligence
Based on our impact assessment, we have identified priority areas where we can make the most meaningful difference in respecting human rights. These areas reflect where our operations and value chain have the greatest potential to affect people and communities.
Key focus areas
Responsible sourcing in the upstream value chain
We maintain a strong focus on our upstream supply chain, where human rights and environmental risks are often most significant. By working closely with suppliers, conducting due diligence, and driving improvements, we aim to show leadership in mitigating impacts and promoting responsible practices across the metals value chain.
People at our sites beyond own workforce
We recognize that individuals working at our sites - such as those employed by partner companies - may face specific risks. Our goal is to ensure fair treatment and safe working conditions for everyone on our premises. This includes strengthening processes that uphold human and labor rights and ensuring alignment with our standards.
Strengthening our own operations
We continue to address the most critical human rights issues within our own operations, such as health, safety, and fair working conditions. Our HR and Safety teams play a central role in identifying and managing these risks through established policies, training, and monitoring. Building on this strong foundation, we are committed to ongoing improvements that respect the rights of all people connected to our business.
Identifying and addressing our impacts on people
Outokumpu began its human rights journey with the first impact assessment in 2021, working closely with internal stakeholders to identify the most significant human rights risks. These findings laid the foundation for our human rights due diligence approach. In 2024, we conducted a comprehensive assessment of our own operations and updated our analysis of salient human rights and environmental impacts across the supply chain. Based on these insights, we continue addressing the most significant risks and impacts, taking concrete actions, and measuring progress to ensure continuous improvement and alignment with international due diligence standards and regulatory requirements. We report on progress in our annual Sustainability Statement.
Our salient human rights impacts
The following salient human rights impacts reflect both Outokumpu’s own operations and our upstream value chain. They have been prioritized based on their severity, scale, and likelihood. Given the nature of the stainless steel industry and the complexity of our global supply chains, we may affect people and communities in multiple ways.
- Occupational health & safety
- Freedom of association & collective bargaining
- Adequate living income and wage
- Gender equality & equal pay
- Reasonable working hours
- Discrimination & harassment
- Migrant workers
- Adverse impacts on biodiversity including deforestation, impacts on water, air, and soil, and its impacts on communities
Our broader human rights commitments
In addition to addressing our most salient human rights impacts, Outokumpu is committed to a broader set of principles that guide our actions globally. These commitments reflect internationally recognized human rights standards and cover areas where our operations and relationships may influence people and communities. They ensure that we act responsibly, protect vulnerable groups, and uphold fundamental rights across all aspects of our business
- Respect for internationally recognized human rights – covering civil, political, economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights, and ensuring access to effective grievance mechanisms and remedies for those affected.
- Protection of vulnerable groups – including children, women, migrant workers, persons with disabilities, local communities, indigenous peoples, and other minorities.
- Zero tolerance for modern slavery – condemning all forms of forced or bonded labor, human trafficking, and debt bondage.
- Prevention of child labor – actively ensuring that child labor does not occur in our own operations or supply chains.
- Respect for community and indigenous people’s rights – minimizing adverse impacts on local communities and indigenous peoples and contributing positively to their well-being and development.
- Avoiding contribution to conflict or instability – ensuring that any security arrangements respect human rights.
- Right to privacy and data protection – safeguarding personal data and respecting privacy in all business practices.
- Recognition of human rights defenders – acknowledging their role and condemning any retaliation or harm against them.
Engaging with stakeholders and affected communities
Meaningful dialogue with stakeholders is central to our human rights due diligence.
Outokumpu operates within the global metals value chain, with production sites and suppliers across multiple regions. Through our own operations and supply chains, we have both direct and indirect impacts on communities at local, national, and global levels. To understand these impacts and address them, we regularly engage with internal and external stakeholders.
Our production sites are often located in smaller communities, where Outokumpu is among the few major private-sector employers and plays an important role in local society. We maintain open communication with local authorities, community representatives, schools, universities, NGOs, and local businesses to listen and respond to community concerns. In addition, we contribute to economic and social well-being through taxes, funding, and support initiatives such as sponsorships and school partnerships.
The availability of the raw materials we need is geographically determined, which means sourcing from regions where human rights and environmental risks may exist. Beyond our own operations, we actively seek input from stakeholders near our suppliers’ locations – particularly those who may be directly affected by their activities. This includes local communities, NGOs, and other relevant organizations. Through these interactions, we aim to identify potential impacts early and work collaboratively to minimize risks and strengthen positive outcomes.
Raising concerns through grievance mechanisms
As part of our human rights due diligence, Outokumpu provides channels for stakeholders to raise concerns. Grievance mechanisms are essential for identifying and addressing our potential or actual human rights impacts early. We continuously develop these mechanisms to ensure they are accessible and effective for the wide range of internal and external stakeholders who may have concerns related to our own operations or broader value chain.
We encourage anyone - employees, business partners, or external stakeholders - to report concerns about potential or actual human rights impacts related to our operations, products or services.
How to Report a Concern
SpeakUp Channel: An independent, confidential whistleblowing platform available in multiple languages via our website. Reports can be submitted anonymously, subject to local laws.
Direct Contacts: Concerns can also be raised directly to our VP Sustainability, Head of Human Rights, or Head of Supplier Sustainability. Contact details are available on our website.
Providing and enabling remedy
Remedy is a key element of Outokumpu’s human rights due diligence. It means taking action when adverse impacts on people or the environment occur due to our operations or value chain. Providing remedy involves addressing impacts we have caused or contributed to, while enabling remedy means supporting remediation when impacts are linked to us through business relationships.
Remedy matters because it restores dignity and trust for the affected stakeholders and demonstrates our commitment to responsible business conduct. It also helps us to prevent recurrence of these occurred impacts and reduce related legal and reputational risks.
Remedies can take many forms depending on the impact - such as apologies, compensation, rehabilitation, corrective actions, or policy changes - and must be proportionate, rights-compatible, and responsive to the harm experienced. We continue to strengthen our processes to ensure effective and meaningful remedy across our operations and value chain.