Assessment of sustainable performance of the top five Brazilian steel industries using the TOPSIS technique with Gaussian AHP

Abstract The Brazilian steel industry holds enormous economic significance, as it produced approximately 32 million steel products in 2022 and exported around 12 million tons to over 100 countries. Based on a 2021 study conducted by the Institute for Applied Economic Research (IPEA), the steel industry contributed 1.9% to the overall national Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Although the steel industry plays a significant role in Brazil's trade balance, it has direct implications on economic, environmental, and social aspects, thereby intersecting with the three fundamental principles of sustainability. This study aims to assess the sustainable performance of the five primary companies by integrating the TOPSIS method with the Gaussian AHP method. The evaluation will be based on indicators derived from the Sustainable Development Goals (GRI) and will utilize sustainability reports from 2019 to 2021. The study demonstrated the feasibility of employing the suggested approach as a means of evaluating the sustainable performance of the five organizations in the steel sector, thus positioning it as a prospective tool for stakeholder analysis.