All North American Sims Limited sites to operate on 100% renewable electricity by 22 April. Since 1970, Earth Day has been celebrated globally each year on 22 April as a way to raise awareness about environmental issues and to encourage all to take action to protect our planet. Over the years, Earth Day has grown into a global movement with people and organisations from all over the world coming together to celebrate and protect the earth.

2023 Theme: “Invest in Our Planet”

This year, the theme for Earth Day is “Invest in Our Planet” which highlights the importance of dedicating our time, resources, and energy to solving climate change and other environmental issues by minimising our environmental impact.

At Sims Limited, we operate with the purpose to “create a world without waste to preserve our planet” so minimising our impact on the environment is part of our daily practice. This year, however, we wanted to acknowledge and celebrate Earth Day 2023 by demonstrating a couple of ways we’re taking our efforts to invest in our planet, to another level.

Sims Limited Sites in North America Operating on 100% Renewable Electricity

Last year, we announced our accelerated plans to use renewable energy and become carbon neutral – one of which was a target to use 100 percent renewable electricity by 2025. Today, we proudly share our progress towards that goal as we confirm all Sims Metal, Sims Lifecycle Services, and Richmond Steel Recycling operations will be matched with certified renewable electricity.

“We’ve been steadily working towards our 2025 goal of 100 percent renewable electricity,” stated Blaise Porter, Sims Limited’s group director of sustainability and social responsibility. “Our sites in Chicago have used renewable electricity for some time and our facilities in New Jersey, including our largest site at Jersey City, made the switch in 2022. With our most recent transaction for Green e-certified electricity consumption at all North American sites, all Sims Metal, Sims Lifecycle Services and Richmond Steel Recycling operations will be matched with certified renewable electricity.”

Wondering how this works? Certified renewable energy schemes match the electricity Sims Limited consumes from the grid on an annual basis, with electricity produced from North American renewable sources – such as wind and solar farms. Sims Limited can claim market-based Scope 2 electricity emissions as zero*, as the company moves to be a global net-zero emissions business by 2050. Sims Metal has also invested in on-site solar panels as part of achieving this goal.

Sims Metal’s circular economy operations in North America uses more than 100,000MWh of electricity each year, the equivalent of around 9,000 homes. Using 100 percent renewable electricity in all North American operations will reduce our emissions by more than 27,000 tonnes compared to FY20 levels. Porter explains, “You’d need to switch more than a million light globes to LEDs to get that same reduction.”

“Moving to renewable electricity is a critical part of our decarbonisation plans, especially as we move towards more electric equipment in our yards,” stated Porter. “North America now joins all Sims Limited sites in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, India and Europe in supporting 100 percent renewable electricity”.

Sims Limited Incorporates Nature & Biodiversity Policy

At Sims Limited, sustainability is at the heart of what we do which is why naturally, it was an easy decision to incorporate a nature and biodiversity policy into the business. This policy demonstrates our commitment to sustainability excellence and articulates our commitments which are incorporated into our day-to-day business operations.

While there is still much work to be done to preserve our planet, Earth Day provides an opportunity for people to come together and take action. Whether it’s through participating in a local clean-up event, reducing your carbon footprint, or supporting a conservation organization, there are countless ways to get involved in supporting a sustainable future for generations to come.

Learn more about sustainability at Sims Limited.

*Using the market-based reporting methodology as per the GHG Protocol’s Scope 2 Standards.