U.S. Steel Recognized Among the World's Most Ethical Companies for 2025
United States Steel Corporation (U.S. Steel) has been honored as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies® for 2025 by Ethisphere, a global leader in promoting high ethical standards in business practices. This marks the fourth consecutive year the company has received this prestigious recognition, underscoring the company’s continuous commitment to maintaining an exceptional ethics and compliance program that supports its business and operations.
The announcement, made on March 11, 2025, celebrates U.S. Steel’s outstanding performance in key areas like business integrity, ethical governance, and commitment to stakeholder trust. The company's adherence to its ethical values continues to set a high standard within the metals, minerals, and mining industry.
S.T.E.E.L. Principles and Ethical Leadership
Central to U.S. Steel’s success in earning this recognition is its strong ethical foundation, built on the S.T.E.E.L. Principles. These principles are an extension of the first-ever corporate code of ethics developed by the company’s co-founder, Judge Elbert Gary, over a century ago. The principles remain integral to U.S. Steel’s operations, guiding employees and leadership in everything from decision-making to interactions with business partners, investors, and communities.
David B. Burritt, President and CEO of U.S. Steel, emphasized, "Our S.T.E.E.L. Principles are foundational to the unequivocal ethics we display in our daily business activities and across our organization at every level." The recognition from Ethisphere is a testament to U.S. Steel’s ongoing efforts to integrate these values into every aspect of its operations, ensuring that the company maintains a strong ethical culture that creates value for all stakeholders.
Ethisphere’s Recognition Process and Methodology
Ethisphere’s recognition as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies® is not awarded lightly. Companies are evaluated based on 240+ proof points related to various business practices, including governance, ethics, compliance, environmental impact, social impact, and overall business performance.
The Ethics Quotient®, a proprietary tool used by Ethisphere, plays a pivotal role in the evaluation. This assessment framework helps Ethisphere measure companies' ethical performance against other organizations globally. The honorees are selected after a detailed review process, where expert panels spend thousands of hours evaluating each candidate, ensuring that the organizations that make the list adhere to world-class standards of business ethics.
U.S. Steel’s Impact and Commitment to Ethical Leadership
U.S. Steel’s dedication to ethical business practices is evident not only in its day-to-day operations but also in its long-term commitment to continuous improvement. The company has demonstrated its focus on creating a culture of integrity by investing in strong compliance programs and governance mechanisms that promote transparency and accountability across its global operations.
The company’s Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer, Duane Holloway, shared his pride in the recognition: “This accolade is a testament to how our values and S.T.E.E.L. Principles guide our employees’ actions across all our facilities and from one generation to the next.” This sentiment echoes throughout the company, reinforcing its dedication to maintaining ethical standards across its workforce and operations.
A Consistent Track Record of Excellence
U.S. Steel’s continued success in earning this honor highlights its exceptional performance in corporate governance and social responsibility. Since its first recognition in 2022, the company has remained steadfast in its pursuit of ethical excellence, even as Ethisphere continuously raises the bar for distinction. In 2025, U.S. Steel is the only honoree in the Metals, Minerals & Mining industry, further emphasizing its position as a leader in corporate ethics within its sector.
The company’s performance in the Ethics Premium also stands out. Ethisphere’s data reveals that the 2025 World’s Most Ethical Companies® have outperformed a comparable index of global companies by 7.8 percentage points from January 2020 to January 2025. This data reflects the positive correlation between ethical practices and business performance, validating the significant benefits of upholding robust ethical standards.
Words from Ethisphere’s Leadership
Erica Salmon Byrne, Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Chair of Ethisphere, congratulated U.S. Steel on the recognition, saying, “Behind this honor is a true dedication and a commitment to advancing business integrity. This approach is good for business – employees and other stakeholders value companies that prioritize the kinds of practices we measure with our process.”
This recognition from Ethisphere serves as a powerful reminder of how companies that consistently prioritize ethical practices and corporate integrity not only foster trust with stakeholders but also experience long-term success in their respective industries.
Key Takeaways:
• U.S. Steel has been named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies® for 2025 by Ethisphere, marking its fourth consecutive year receiving the prestigious recognition.
• The recognition is based on U.S. Steel’s strong commitment to ethics, compliance, and corporate governance, guided by its foundational S.T.E.E.L. Principles.
• U.S. Steel is the only honoree in the Metals, Minerals & Mining industry for 2025, emphasizing its leadership in ethical business practices within the steel sector.
• The company has demonstrated its commitment to continuous improvement in ethics and compliance through its strong culture of integrity and sustainable practices.
• Ethisphere’s Ethics Quotient® assessment evaluates companies based on over 240 proof points related to ethics, governance, social impact, and environmental responsibility.
• U.S. Steel’s Ethics Premium demonstrates a 7.8 percentage point outperformance compared to a comparable index of global companies from 2020 to 2025.
• Duane Holloway, Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer, emphasized that the recognition is a reflection of the company’s commitment to ethical values across all its operations.
U.S. Steel’s continued success in maintaining an ethical business culture highlights the company’s steadfast dedication to integrity and accountability. The company’s consistent recognition as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies® is a clear indicator of the positive outcomes that ethical business practices bring to both internal stakeholders and global communities.
