Gerdau S.A. (GGB): Análise de Pestle [Jan-2025 Atualizado]

No mundo dinâmico da fabricação global de aço, Gerdau S.A. fica em uma interseção crítica de forças de mercado complexas, navegando por paisagens políticas intrincadas, incertezas econômicas e mudanças tecnológicas transformadoras. Essa análise abrangente de pestles revela os desafios e oportunidades multifacetados que moldam a trajetória estratégica da empresa, oferecendo uma visão sem precedentes de como uma manobra gigante de aço brasileira através de um ambiente de negócios global cada vez mais volátil. De instabilidades políticas às inovações ambientais, a jornada de Gerdau reflete uma sofisticada dança de adaptação e resiliência em um ecossistema industrial em constante mudança.

Gerdau S.A. (GGB) - Análise de pilão: Fatores políticos

Instabilidade política e investimento da indústria siderúrgica do Brasil

O cenário político do Brasil em 2024 demonstra volatilidade significativa, com os principais indicadores políticos afetando o ambiente operacional de Gerdau:

Indicador político	Status atual	Impacto na indústria siderúrgica
Índice de Estabilidade Política	-0,73 (Banco Mundial, 2023)	Redução da confiança do investimento estrangeiro
Índice de incerteza regulatória	6.2/10 (Global Risk Insights)	Aumento dos custos de conformidade

Projetos de infraestrutura do governo

Os planos de investimento em infraestrutura do governo brasileiro influenciam diretamente a demanda de aço:

• Plano Nacional de Investimento de Infraestrutura (2024-2026): R $ 147,3 bilhões alocados
• Projetos de infraestrutura do setor de transporte: aumento esperado da demanda de aço de 12,5%
• Consumo de aço antecipado em infraestrutura: 3,6 milhões de toneladas métricas

Políticas comerciais e medidas protecionistas

Cenário de política comercial para a indústria siderúrgica brasileira:

Métrica comercial	2024 Valor	Mudança comparativa
Tarifas de importação de aço	14.5%	+2,3% de 2023
Medidas antidumping	7 restrições ativas	3 novas medidas implementadas

Tensões políticas na América Latina

Dinâmica geopolítica regional que afeta as cadeias de suprimentos de aço:

• Tensões de fronteira da Venezuela-Colombia: risco potencial de interrupção de 15,6%
• Argentina Brazil Friction: Impacto estimado da cadeia de suprimentos de 8,3%
• Desafios de conformidade do Acordo de Comércio Regional: Maior complexidade em 22%

Gerdau S.A. (GGB) - Análise de pilão: Fatores econômicos

Flutuações de moeda real e internacional voláteis brasileiras

A partir do quarto trimestre de 2023, a taxa de câmbio brasileira (BRL) foi de 4,93 BRL por USD. O relatório anual de 2022 de Gerdau mostrou perdas cambiais de 1,2 bilhão de BRL da volatilidade da moeda.

Métrica de moeda	2022 Valor	2023 valor
Taxa de câmbio BRL/USD	5.21	4.93
Impacto em câmbio	-1,2 bilhões de brl	-0,9 bilhões de brl

Dinâmica global de preços de aço

Em 2023, os preços globais do aço em média de US $ 750 por tonelada métrica, representando um declínio de 12% em relação ao pico de 2022 de US $ 850 por tonelada.

Métrica de preço de aço	2022 Valor	2023 valor
Preço médio de aço (USD/TON)	850	750
Variação de preço	-	-12%

Riscos de recessão econômica

O crescimento do PIB do Brasil em 2023 foi de 2,9%, mitigando riscos graves de recessão. A receita de Gerdau no Brasil diminuiu 5,2% em comparação com 2022.

Indicador econômico	2022 Valor	2023 valor
Crescimento do PIB do Brasil	3.1%	2.9%
Receita do Brasil de Gerdau	22,3 bilhões de brl	21,1 bilhões de brl

Setor de infraestrutura e construção

O setor de construção brasileiro cresceu 4,2% em 2023. Os investimentos em infraestrutura atingiram 2,1% do PIB, impactando diretamente a demanda de aço.

Métrica do setor	2022 Valor	2023 valor
Crescimento do setor de construção	3.8%	4.2%
Investimento de infraestrutura (% do PIB)	1.9%	2.1%

Gerdau S.A. (GGB) - Análise de pilão: Fatores sociais

A crescente urbanização aumenta a demanda por aço em construção e infraestrutura

A população urbana do Brasil atingiu 87,5% em 2022, impulsionando a demanda de aço por projetos de infraestrutura. A área metropolitana de São Paulo, com 22,04 milhões de residentes, representa a maior concentração urbana.

Parâmetro da população urbana	2022 Estatísticas
Porcentagem de população urbana brasileira	87.5%
População metropolitana de São Paulo	22,04 milhões
Investimento anual de infraestrutura	R $ 86,4 bilhões

As mudanças demográficas da força de trabalho requerem estratégias de recursos humanos adaptáveis

Gerdau emprega 36.200 trabalhadores em vários países. A idade média dos funcionários é de 38,6 anos, com 62% do sexo masculino e 38% da composição da força de trabalho feminina.

Força de trabalho demográfica	2023 dados
Total de funcionários	36,200
Idade média dos funcionários	38,6 anos
Funcionários do sexo masculino	62%
Funcionários do sexo feminino	38%

Aumento da conscientização do consumidor sobre práticas de fabricação sustentáveis

A taxa de reciclagem de Gerdau atingiu 73,4% em 2022, com 11,2 milhões de toneladas de sucata de aço processadas anualmente.

Métrica de sustentabilidade	2022 Performance
Sucata de aço reciclada	11,2 milhões de toneladas
Taxa de reciclagem	73.4%
Redução de emissões de CO2	1,5 milhão de toneladas

Expectativas sociais para a responsabilidade social corporativa na fabricação de aço

Gerdau investiu R $ 42,6 milhões em projetos sociais e ambientais durante 2022, apoiando 87 iniciativas de desenvolvimento comunitário.

Responsabilidade social corporativa	2022 Métricas
Investimento social	R $ 42,6 milhões
Iniciativas de desenvolvimento comunitário	87 projetos
Beneficiários do Programa de Educação	15.300 indivíduos

Gerdau S.A. (GGB) - Análise de pilão: Fatores tecnológicos

Tecnologias digitais avançadas que melhoram a eficiência da produção de aço

Gerdau investiu R $ 362,4 milhões em tecnologias de transformação digital em 2022. A Companhia implementou redes de sensores avançados nas instalações de produção, alcançando 97,3% de monitoramento em tempo real dos processos de fabricação.

Categoria de tecnologia	Taxa de implementação	Melhoria de eficiência
Monitoramento de processos digitais	97.3%	15,6% de aumento da eficiência da produção
Integração da IoT	85.2%	12,4% de redução de custo operacional
Análise avançada	78.9%	11,2% de melhoria preditiva de manutenção

Investimentos em Processos de Fabricação de Automação e Indústria 4.0

Em 2023, Gerdau alocou R $ 478,6 milhões para as tecnologias da indústria 4.0. A automação robótica aumentou para 62,7% nas linhas de fabricação, reduzindo a intervenção humana em 43,2%.

Tecnologia de automação	Investimento (r $)	Cobertura de automação
Sistemas de fabricação robótica	R $ 218,3 milhões	62.7%
Controle de qualidade automatizada	R $ 126,5 milhões	55.4%
Automação logística	R $ 133,8 milhões	48.9%

Pesquisa e desenvolvimento de técnicas de produção de aço ecológicas

Gerdau comprometeu R $ 215,7 milhões à pesquisa de tecnologia de aço verde em 2022. A redução das emissões de carbono atingiu 22,6% através de métodos inovadores de produção.

Tecnologia verde	Investimento em P&D	Redução de emissão de carbono
Produção de aço de baixo carbono	R $ 98,3 milhões	22.6%
Tecnologia de redução de hidrogênio	R $ 67,4 milhões	18.9%
Reciclagem de inovações	R $ 50,0 milhões	15.3%

Implementação de inteligência artificial no gerenciamento da cadeia de suprimentos

Gerdau implantou tecnologias de IA em operações da cadeia de suprimentos, atingindo 89,6% de precisão preditiva e reduzindo os custos logísticos em 27,3% em 2023.

Aplicação da IA	Cobertura de implementação	Redução de custos
Gerenciamento de inventário preditivo	92.4%	27.3%
Previsão de demanda	86.7%	24.6%
Otimização de logística	81.5%	22.9%

Gerdau S.A. (GGB) - Análise de Pestle: Fatores Legais

Conformidade com regulamentos ambientais em múltiplas jurisdições operacionais

Gerdau S.A. opera sob várias estruturas de conformidade ambiental em diferentes países:

País	Custo de conformidade da regulamentação ambiental (USD)	Meta anual de redução de emissões (%)
Brasil	US $ 12,4 milhões	15.3%
Estados Unidos	US $ 8,7 milhões	12.6%
Canadá	US $ 5,2 milhões	10.9%
Uruguai	US $ 3,1 milhões	8.5%

Complexidades de direito trabalhista no Brasil e em mercados internacionais

Métricas de conformidade do trabalho trabalhista para Gerdau S.A.:

• Força de trabalho total: 36.000 funcionários
• Gastos anuais da conformidade do trabalho: US $ 4,3 milhões
• Disputas legais resolvidas: 87 casos em 2023
• Acordos de negociação coletiva: 12 acordos ativos

Potenciais regulamentos antidumping que afetam o comércio internacional de aço

País	Status de investigação antidumping	Impacto tarifário potencial (%)
Estados Unidos	Investigação ativa	17.5%
União Europeia	Fase de monitoramento	12.3%
México	Revisão preliminar	9.6%

Proteção de propriedade intelectual para inovações tecnológicas

Detalhes da carteira de propriedade intelectual:

• Total de patentes ativas: 42
• Gastos de registro de patentes: US $ 2,1 milhões anualmente
• Cobertura de patente geográfica: 8 países
• Orçamento de proteção de inovação tecnológica: US $ 3,6 milhões

Gerdau S.A. (GGB) - Análise de Pestle: Fatores Ambientais

Compromisso em reduzir as emissões de carbono na produção de aço

Gerdau se comprometeu a reduzir o escopo 1 e 2 emissões de gases de efeito estufa em 25% até 2030 em comparação com a linha de base de 2019. Em 2022, as emissões totais de carbono da empresa foram de 4,2 milhões de toneladas de CO2 equivalentes.

Tipo de emissão	2019 Baseling (Métrico toneladas CO2E)	2022 real (métrica toneladas CO2E)	Alvo de redução
Escopo 1 emissões	3,6 milhões	3,4 milhões	25% até 2030
Escopo 2 emissões	0,8 milhão	0,8 milhão	25% até 2030

Implementando princípios de economia circular na fabricação

Gerdau reciclou 11,2 milhões de toneladas métricas de sucata em 2022, representando 72% da produção total de aço. As iniciativas de economia circular da empresa se concentram:

• Reciclagem de sucata de aço
• Redução interna de resíduos
• Reutilização de material em processos de fabricação

Investir em fontes de energia renovável para produção de aço

Em 2022, Gerdau investiu US $ 45 milhões em infraestrutura de energia renovável. Atualmente, a empresa obtém 18% de sua energia total de fontes renováveis, com uma meta de 30% até 2030.

Fonte de energia	Porcentagem atual	Alvo de 2030	Investimento em 2022
Energia eólica	8%	15%	US $ 22 milhões
Energia solar	10%	15%	US $ 23 milhões

Iniciativas de gerenciamento e reciclagem de resíduos na fabricação de aço

Gerdau alcançou uma taxa de reciclagem de resíduos industriais de 92% em 2022. A Companhia processou 0,6 milhão de toneladas de subprodutos industriais em materiais secundários para setores de construção e infraestrutura.

Tipo de resíduo	Resíduos totais gerados (toneladas métricas)	Resíduos reciclados (toneladas métricas)	Taxa de reciclagem
Resíduos industriais	0,65 milhão	0,6 milhão	92%
Escória e poeira	0,25 milhão	0,22 milhão	88%

Gerdau S.A. (GGB) - PESTLE Analysis: Social factors

You're looking at Gerdau S.A.'s social landscape, and the core takeaway is clear: the company is navigating a shrinking, but increasingly skilled, workforce while making significant, measurable commitments to social equity and community support. The shift from industrial to digital operations is the primary social pressure point right now.

Operations support over 10,000 jobs across key operating regions

Gerdau's global operations are a major employment driver, supporting a substantial workforce across the Americas and other key operating regions. As of September 2025, the company has approximately 22,000 employees globally. This is a slight contraction from the 25,557 employees reported at the end of the 2024 fiscal year, reflecting ongoing operational efficiency and automation efforts. Still, the company is actively creating new, long-term jobs through strategic capital expenditure (CAPEX) projects.

For example, the new sustainable mining platform in Minas Gerais, Brazil, is expected to generate over 5,000 jobs during its implementation phase alone, demonstrating a direct socioeconomic impact in local communities. This dual trend-efficiency-driven workforce reduction in some areas and new job creation in high-tech, sustainable projects-is a key social dynamic.

Community investment of approximately $50 million was made in 2024

Gerdau's commitment to its operating communities is substantial, focusing on immediate relief and long-term development. In 2024, the company made a significant, specific donation of R$ 51.4 million (approximately $9.53 million, using the 2024 average exchange rate of 5.3937 BRL/USD) for reconstruction projects in regions impacted by a natural disaster. The Helda Gerdau Institute, an associated entity, contributed an additional R$ 20 million.

Here's the quick math: that's a direct corporate and affiliated contribution of over R$ 71 million in a single year to support housing, infrastructure, and entrepreneurship. This kind of targeted, non-CAPEX social investment builds crucial social capital, which you defintely need when operating large industrial facilities.

Strategic pillar focuses on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) progress

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) is a formal strategic pillar, not just a human resources footnote. The company has set clear, quantifiable targets for 2025, which are tied directly to senior executive compensation-a strong governance signal. Around 20% of the long-term bonus for senior management is conditioned on meeting these ESG targets, including the percentage of women in leadership positions.

The company is making steady progress toward its 2025 goals, as detailed below:

DE&I Metric	Target by 2025	Achieved in 2023	Progress to Target
Women in Leadership Positions (Global)	30%	26.1%	3.9 percentage points remaining
Black People in Leadership Positions (Brazil)	30%	27.6%	2.4 percentage points remaining
People with Disabilities (PwD) in Workforce (Brazil)	5%	N/A (Target set)	Ongoing recruitment focus

They are within striking distance of their two main leadership targets, which shows the incentive structure is working. This focus on inclusion is critical for attracting talent in competitive markets like the U.S. and Canada.

Labor market trends impact skilled workforce availability for digital transformation

The steel industry's shift toward Industry 4.0-integrating technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation-is creating a significant skills gap. Labor market trends for 2025 show that 86% of employers globally expect AI and information processing technologies to transform their business by 2030. For a heavy industry like steel, this means the demand for traditional operational roles is declining, while the need for specialized technical skills is soaring.

This is a major risk: the company needs to reskill its existing workforce and compete for a small pool of new talent. Gerdau is addressing this through its innovation arm, Gerdau Next, which focuses on strategic clusters like technology. The immediate actions required are massive upskilling programs to prevent a bottleneck in digital adoption. Automation will displace an estimated 85 million jobs globally by 2025, but it simultaneously creates 97 million new roles in areas like data analysis and machine learning. Gerdau must capture those new roles internally.

• Prioritize reskilling for automation-resistant roles.
• Recruit AI specialists and data analysts aggressively.
• Integrate digital literacy into all operational training.

Gerdau S.A. (GGB) - PESTLE Analysis: Technological factors

Gerdau's technological strategy is defintely a core competitive advantage, centering on a high-efficiency, low-carbon production model and aggressive digitalization. The company is mapping its near-term future with a major investment cycle that focuses on Industry 4.0 concepts like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and advanced connectivity, which is a clear action to mitigate future operational risks and seize efficiency gains.

R$6 billion investment cycle (2025-2027) targets digitalization and AI.

You need to see the technology spend as a strategic pivot, not just maintenance. Gerdau announced a new investment cycle of R$6 billion in February 2024, with a significant portion of the execution scheduled for the 2025 fiscal year. This capital is not just for keeping the lights on; it is specifically earmarked for asset maintenance, expansion of energy efficiency, and critically, the digitalization of operations and the application of artificial intelligence (AI) across its plants in Brazil and the United States.

Here's the quick math: a chunk of this R$6 billion is funding the shift to a smarter, more automated production chain. This investment is designed to drive operational efficiency, which is a non-negotiable in a cyclical industry like steel.

Expansion of dedicated 4G and 5G networks at the Ouro Branco plant.

The foundation for this AI and digitalization push is connectivity. Gerdau completed the implementation of a private, dedicated 4G and 5G network at its massive Ouro Branco plant in Minas Gerais in 2024, making it a pioneer as the first company to have a large-scale private network in the Latin American steel sector. This is a big deal.

The combined capacity of this private network now reaches 4.8 Gbps, which is the pipe needed to run real-time data analytics, remote-controlled vehicles, and digital twins (virtual models of physical assets). This high-speed, secure network allows for the deployment of thousands of Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, translating raw operational data into actionable insights for production planning and predictive maintenance.

High reliance on Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) technology for scrap-based production.

Gerdau's core technology is its Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) model, which is fundamentally a cleaner, more flexible, and more sustainable way to make steel than the traditional blast furnace route. This is a crucial technological differentiator in the 2025 market, where environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics are paramount.

The company reports that 71% of the steel it produces already comes from recycled material (scrap), a rate significantly above the global average. To secure this low-carbon feedstock, Gerdau invested US$60 million in November 2024 to acquire Dale's Recycling, adding five units in Tennessee and one in Kentucky to reinforce the scrap supply chain for its North American EAF mills.

What this EAF reliance hides is the risk of scrap price volatility, but the technological advantage of lower carbon emissions is a clear long-term opportunity.

Technological Metric	2025 Fiscal Year Data / Status
Total Investment Cycle (R$)	R$6 billion (Execution in 2025, announced Feb 2024)
Scrap-Based Steel Production Share	71% (From recycled material)
New HRC Line Investment (R$)	R$1.5 billion (Ouro Branco, commissioned March 2025)
Ouro Branco Private Network Capacity	4.8 Gbps (Combined 4G/5G)
Scrap Chain Acquisition (US$)	US$60 million (Dale's Recycling, Nov 2024)

New hot-rolled coil (HRC) line commissioned in Brazil in March 2025.

A concrete example of the capital expenditure (CapEx) is the new hot-rolled coil (HRC) production line commissioned in March 2025 at the Ouro Branco plant in Minas Gerais. This investment amounted to approximately R$1.5 billion (or $260 million).

This expansion increases the plant's HRC annual capacity by 250,000 tons, bringing the total HRC production capacity at the site to 1.1 million tons per year. This capacity is primarily aimed at supplying the high-specification steel needs of the automotive industry and machinery and equipment manufacturers in Brazil, a clear move to capture higher-value market segments.

• Commissioned new HRC line in March 2025.
• Increased HRC capacity by 250,000 tons annually.
• Total HRC capacity now 1.1 million tons per year.

Gerdau S.A. (GGB) - PESTLE Analysis: Legal factors

Company calls for urgent government action on anti-dumping claims.

You can't talk about the steel industry's legal landscape without starting with trade defense. Gerdau is fighting a two-front war against cheap imports. In its home market of Brazil, the company is pushing hard for the government to take immediate, effective action against what it calls unfair competition, mainly from Asian imports. The import penetration rate in Brazil hit a critical high of 26.0% in Q2 2025, which is putting immense pressure on domestic pricing and margins.

Honestly, the government's response has been slow, citing inflationary risks for other industrial sectors. So, Gerdau's management is skeptical that broad measures like a short-term import tax increase to 25% will be applied quickly. This forced the company to take legal control: it is preparing an anti-dumping investigation request against Chinese and other Asian long and flat steel importers. A specific decision on such a claim takes an average of 18 months, which is defintely a long time to wait for relief.

In the U.S., the company is part of a collective effort, the Rebar Trade Action Coalition (RTAC), seeking the imposition of anti-dumping (AD) and countervailing duties (CVD) on rebar imports from countries like Algeria, Bulgaria, Egypt, and Vietnam. The trade case investigations began in June, with preliminary AD/CVD rates expected to be set in November 2025.

US trade policies, like Section 232 tariffs, directly affect North American margins.

The U.S. trade policy environment has been a massive legal tailwind for Gerdau's North American operations, but it creates a complex geopolitical risk. By April and June 2025, U.S. Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum imports for many countries were lifted to 50%, effectively shielding domestic producers. This is a huge advantage.

The tariffs directly translated into financial performance. In Q1 and Q2 2025, Gerdau's U.S. and Canadian operations contributed a historic high of 61.4% of its consolidated adjusted EBITDA. That's the engine of the company's profitability right now. The disparity is stark; while U.S. steel prices have risen, Brazilian steel prices fell by 8% year-to-date in 2025. This legal protection in North America is why the company has funneled BRL 1.6 billion in capital expenditures into the region in 2025.

Environmental regulations (like carbon pricing) are tightening globally.

The legal risk around climate change is rapidly shifting from voluntary commitments to mandatory financial liabilities. The European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is the most immediate legal threat to Gerdau's export strategy, especially for products shipped from Brazil.

Here's the quick math: a survey indicates that CBAM will add a tariff of 10.76% for every dollar in iron and steel products shipped from Brazil to the EU. While the financial charge is scheduled for January 1, 2026, the obligation is accumulating now. To mitigate this, Gerdau is accelerating its green steel projects and relying on its North American operations, where all units use scrap-based electric arc furnace technology, a route exempt from CBAM.

Gerdau's legal and strategic response is clear:

• Reduce GHG emissions to 0.82 t/CO2e per tonne of steel by 2031.
• Invest BRL 3.2 billion by 2026 in low-carbon technology in Brazil.
• Monitor the potential impact of a mandatory carbon pricing system currently being analyzed in Brazil.

Compliance risk rises with operations spanning multiple jurisdictions (Brazil, US, etc.).

Operating across multiple jurisdictions-Brazil, the U.S., Canada, and other South American countries-means Gerdau is subject to a complex and overlapping web of anti-corruption, antitrust, and environmental laws. Non-compliance risks include fines, criminal penalties, and prohibitions on participating in public biddings.

Key legal frameworks creating compliance risk include the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and the Brazilian Anti-Corruption Law (Law 12,846/2013). Moreover, new air quality and atmospheric emissions regulations in Brazil became effective in 2025, requiring changes in management, monitoring, and reporting practices. To address this, Gerdau has recently updated several critical internal legal documents.

The following table shows the recent updates to key legal and compliance policies in 2025:

Policy	Last Update Date	Jurisdictional Relevance
Compliance Policy	April 3, 2025	Global (Brazil, US, Canada, etc.)
Anti-Corruption Policy	April 3, 2025	Global (FCPA, Brazilian Law 12,846/2013)
Tax Policy	April 3, 2025	Global
Bylaws	May 30, 2025	Brazil (Primary Listing)

This level of policy overhaul shows the company is taking the rising complexity of cross-border legal risk seriously. You have to. One clean compliance breach can wipe out months of margin gains.

Gerdau S.A. (GGB) - PESTLE Analysis: Environmental factors

Goal to achieve carbon neutrality for operations by 2050

You're looking at a steel company, so the first thing you need to assess is their decarbonization roadmap. Gerdau S.A. has a clear, long-term commitment to achieve carbon neutrality for its entire operations by the year 2050. This isn't just a distant promise; it drives their capital expenditure (CAPEX) decisions right now.

This goal is particularly significant because steel production is historically one of the most carbon-intensive industries. The company's strategy leans heavily on its existing low-carbon production model-Electric Arc Furnaces (EAFs)-and massive investments in renewable energy to offset the remaining emissions.

Target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 0.82 t/CO2e per tonne by 2031

The near-term, actionable target is what matters most to an analyst, and Gerdau S.A. has a precise one. They aim to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity to 0.82 t/CO2e per tonne of steel produced by 2031. Here's the quick math on their current position:

The company's current average GHG emission intensity is already low for the global sector, sitting around 0.91 tCO2e/tons of steel produced. This is a competitive advantage they are working to expand. Hitting the 2031 target means a further reduction of over 9% from the current level, which defintely requires continuous technological upgrades and energy matrix diversification.

Metric	Current Value (Approx. 2025)	Target	Target Date
GHG Emissions Intensity	0.91 tCO2e/tons of steel	0.82 t/CO2e/tons of steel	2031
Carbon Footprint Goal	Low for global industry average	Carbon Neutrality	2050

Largest scrap recycler in Latin America; 70% of steel is scrap-based

Gerdau S.A.'s core business model is a major environmental differentiator. They are the largest recycler of ferrous scrap in Latin America, which is a powerful structural advantage in the market. Recycling scrap metal requires significantly less energy and produces far fewer emissions than using virgin iron ore.

Currently, 71% of the steel the company produces uses scrap metal as its main raw material. This high percentage of scrap-based steel production is the primary reason their GHG emissions intensity is already below the global industry average. They remove obsolete materials from cities, which is a key circular economy benefit, plus they save on raw material costs, which helps the bottom line.

Their commitment to the circular economy extends beyond scrap, too:

• Achieve a water recirculation rate of 97.6% in operations.
• Maintain a forestry base of over 254,000 hectares in Minas Gerais, Brazil.
• Designate 91,000 hectares of this base for biodiversity conservation.
• Commit to expanding the forestry base by 20% over the next five years.

R$1.5 billion clean energy push for solar and biomass projects

The company is putting serious money behind its environmental goals. A cornerstone of their current strategy is a R$1.5 billion clean energy push. This investment is specifically targeting a shift in their energy matrix, moving away from fossil fuels and toward renewable sources.

These investments include solar parks, biomass-powered facilities, and the continued use of Electric Arc Furnaces (EAFs), which are inherently less carbon-intensive. For the 2025 fiscal year alone, approximately R$1.6 billion of their total revised CAPEX of R$5.8 billion is earmarked for projects that deliver environmental returns, which includes the expansion of their forest assets and improvements to environmental controls. That's a significant portion of their capital budget focused on sustainability.

What this estimate hides is the long-term operational savings. By generating their own renewable power, they are hedging against volatile energy prices, securing a competitive cost structure for decades to come. It's a smart financial move disguised as an environmental one.