Safety footwear manufacturer, Steel Blue has released its first Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report, ‘A step in the right direction – Steel Blue’s journey towards achieving our sustainability and social responsibility goals’.

While it is exempt from much of the regulated ESG reporting requirements as an SME and non-listed entity, Steel Blue chooses to proactively identify and report progress against five of the UN’s pillars of sustainability (community, diversity and inclusion, environment, climate, and human rights). By releasing this report, Steel Blue hopes to lead by example and challenge others in its sector to do better, believing we all play a role in improving the societies within which we live and work.

Steel Blue CEO Garry Johnson explains, “Good works in a vacuum will only have so much impact. We understand that we are just one business and while we are taking steps in the right direction, global sustainability requires broad cooperation. The SME sector accounts for nearly half of the workforce meaning we can’t just rely on government and the big end of town to solve the issues we are facing”

“Our hope in putting together and sharing our CSR report is that we can encourage others to take similar steps and even incorporate some of our ideas in their own sustainability plans.”

Steel blue has not shied away from being ambitious. The sustainability and social responsibility goals it plans to achieve by 2025 include:

• giving over A$3 million in donations and support to community organisations and projects;
• reaching a one-third female workforce;
• sourcing all leather exclusively from LWG gold-rated suppliers;
• becoming a carbon-neutral organisation; and
• eliminating any risk of modern slavery within its supply chain.

“These goals aren’t just words, they are measurable. In 2025 our leadership team, our employees, our customers, people in the community and the public more broadly can all hold up our accomplishments and judge them against our promises.”