Campbell Batts

Managing Director, Spiraweld Stainless Ltd

“I bring a bit more of a general perspective and the view of a small business into the discussions. The resources of a small business are always under pressure, so while changes have to be made to improve sustainability in the metals sector it needs to be balanced with achievable demands and goals. Therefore providing tools and support for small businesses is an important aspect of the Sustainable Steel Council’s role.

“Personally, for me, sustainability means helping people to live in a way that sustains them. From being a good welder at 9am to being a good parent at 9pm. If our work force lives well, the shop floor will work well, businesses will do well and a community will flourish. That’s the ideal, our current reality falls short of this, it takes time to build processes, good ways of doing things and personal character; but that’s a key part of what sustainability looks like for me.”

Glen Jacobs

President, NZ Association of Metal Recyclers

Glen is the Operations Manager for Macaulay Metals, New Zealand’s biggest privately-owned metal recycler. He is trade qualified in the engineering industry and has studied business management and having worked for various firms and has owned his own business. He has worked in the metal recycling industry since 2009 and is passionate about new technologies in the industry as well as educating people about recycling in New Zealand.  After serving on the Board for four years, Glen became President in October 2023.

Craig Taylor

NZ Sales Manager, Infrabuild

Craig is the New Zealand country manager for InfraBuild and has been in this role for the last 14 years, and has 30 years of experience in the Australasian commercial and residential construction markets.

In his opinion the use of sustainable materials in modern New Zealand building construction is not negotiable. Craig is dedicated to conducting his personal and business roles to global environmental, social, and commercial standards ,and is passionate about the role played by steel in the circular economy, including the promotion of the recovery, reuse, and recycling of steel and other products.

Steel is a building block of society; our transport networks, our hospitals, our schools, our stadiums, and our homes are built on foundations of steel, Craig believes steel will continue to play an essential role in helping shape New Zealand’s future.

Alistair Fleming (Treasurer)

National Association of Steel Framed Housing (NASH)

Steel has a great story to tell. Iron and steel are the foundations of modern civilisation. Steel products have been at the forefront to improved living standards, through the introduction of agricultural machinery, industrialisation, transportation and construction. Repurposing and recycling are inherent properties of the steel lifecycle. Continuous improvements in steel properties have seen steel being used in new applications.

From my perspective, no other product come close to steel, in performance and application. Steel have already proved it is a sustainable product, infinite recycling, and a valuable commodity. In the worst case, steel will degrade back to its original form, iron oxide.

Not only must businesses optimise the product usage to be sustainable, but there are other consumables whose usage must be optimised, e.g., water usage and disposal, other material inputs.

We will continue to rely on steel. The challenge is to ensure that steel production is efficient and the best products are used in all applications. The industry has proven that product improvements are obtainable, new grades, new process for new applications. An exciting time for a great industry.

Troy Coyle

Heavy Engineering Research Association (HERA)

Troy has helped develop resources for SSC and is our chair. She strives to live sustainably in her own life.

Troy was responsible for the metals industry undertaking the first industry assessment of impact using the Living Standards Framework, which looks an inter-generational wellbeing and measures performance against the Four Capitals of Human, Natural, Physical and Social.

“In my own personal life, I live my values. I’ve got solar panels, good insulation, I have planted a lot of trees, my favourite activity is a good beach clean-up, I’m vegan, I have been driving a hybrid vehicle for 10 years, and I offset wherever possible – even with my son because I didn’t believe in population growth. I also volunteer for a range of organisations. In my professional life, I am a strong advocate with increased engagement with Maori and Women in Leadership and STEM. I am also very interested in how industry can improve social capital by establishing strong community trust. I also consider myself an expert in enabling industry to transform in readiness for the future.”

Darren O'Riley (Chair)

Steel Construction New Zealand (SCNZ)

“It’s important that the SSC exists, so each of the membership bodies can access and work together using the same tools and benchmarks. The SSC will ensure the entire industry has a uniform approach, rather than trying to address sustainability individually, as we are intrinsically linked within the steel sector.

“My opinions have changed during my time with the SSC, I’ve always thought sustainability in terms of product. Now I’ve realised it’s wider than that and includes far wider and broader contributions to society. If you don’t have sustainability in your business, it’s going to be increasingly difficult getting tier 1 and tier 2 projects in the future.”

Darren is General Manager of industry body, Steel Construction New Zealand (SCNZ)

Stuart Hayman

New Zealand Metal Roofing Manufacturers Inc

“Our job in the SSC is essentially to look after the entire industry. I built my current home in 2000. If I knew then what I knew now, I think I would’ve built it to be far more sustainable.  We use rooftop water, and we have a black water treatment system that goes back to the ground so in terms of water we are totally self-sufficient and nothing is wasted, nothing goes into sewer or sea and all the water that is on the property remains on the property. The water we reclaim also helps to grow a lot of produce in my garden to consume.

“I have been able to witness the world change for the worse and essentially destroy itself. I think it’s important if anyone could even do a little part to help guide people in the right direction towards thinking about circularity and sustainability. I also believe metals are fantastic materials to use and can be recycled.”

Courtney Fraser (Deputy Chair)

General Manager, Steel & Tube

“Living sustainably is about choices and behaviours, both big and small, that enhance our lives, care for our environment and encourage us to live within our means. A sustainable community and world is one which supports itself and its surroundings. It is the practice of reducing our impact on the earth’s natural resources, reducing our carbon footprint and living healthier lives.

“This can be achieved through our approaches to our relationship with waste, our energy consumption. our transportation choices, and our purchasing.

Sustainability also drives creativity and innovation, and the challenge to find new and exciting technologies and solutions to tackle issues and facilitating social change.”

Kat Schuenemann

Building Technologist, BRANZ

We live in a generation where we can’t just close our eyes to all the negative side effects of what we do and how we live and only open them for the benefits that we get. We can’t live in a “throw away” and wasteful culture. We are now starting to see the consequences of this way of life style from generations before. We have to cooperatively work together to start fixing the damage that has been done by being sustainable, resourceful and innovative to ensure that the next generations have a place to live in that they can enjoy and be proud of.

Michael Carey

Sims Metal

Jack Ordner

Culham Engineering

With over 35 years in engineering and leadership spanning New Zealand and the United States, Jack holds a BSc in Aerospace Engineering and an MSc in Engineering. He launched his career at Boeing Satellite Systems in California and has since taken a leading role in delivering some of New Zealand’s most significant structural, industrial, and infrastructure projects.

Jack is deeply committed to sustainable engineering, recognising the importance of steel in building a low-carbon, resilient future. He promotes technical excellence, collaborative leadership, and continuous improvement, and works to ensure innovation is balanced with environmental responsibility so infrastructure delivers long-term value for people, communities, and the planet.

Morgan Corkill

Pact Steel

Morgan Corkill is the co-founder and Director of Pact Steel Ltd, one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing structural steel companies. He brings a practical, industry-led perspective to sustainability, with a focus on responsible sourcing, waste reduction, circular material use and low-carbon innovation. Morgan is committed to advancing collaboration across the steel supply chain, supporting skills development and ensuring the sector contributes meaningfully to a low-emissions, resilient future for Aotearoa.

Jeremy Sole

Executive Officer

It is time to have comparable and objective measures for materials sustainability. SSC is product agnostic in that we understand and promote that all materials have their place in society and that, aesthetic, subjective and objective product choice assessments should be informed by objective data that is comparable across the whole of life of a product.  That data must cover the whole life from inception to ultimate degradation or recycling and not omit the stages that people don’t want to talk about. A product lifecycle measurement should start at the beginning – planting a seed, extracting the aggregate or the iron sand, and end when the material ceases to exist – not simply the period when it is manufactured, or the period it is part of a building – it must go through to the point it ceases to have an impact on the environment. For steel end-of-life means when it goes into an electrical arc furnace to be reconstituted – for concrete when it is recycled back into a crusher, and for wood – to the point the material ceases to exist when it has leeched out all its toxic chemicals and decomposed and returned all its CO2 and Methane back into the atmosphere. All this means we should be calculating environmental effects over a 130-year time frame.