Deborah Caudle

Chief Executive, Climate Change & Sustainability, BlueScope Steel

Deborah was appointed Chief Executive, Climate Change & Sustainability at BlueScope in March 2025, leading the company’s global climate action and decarbonisation strategy, and the company’s commitment to sustainable practices.  Deborah is responsible for driving progress toward BlueScope’s 2030 emissions reduction targets and 2050 net zero goal, while ensuring compliance with evolving sustainability reporting standards.

Deborah has over 25 years of international experience in the resources industry, including 16 years in senior finance roles. She brings a unique combination of strategic financial acumen and sustainability leadership to her work and is recognised for fostering innovation and stakeholder collaboration across global markets. She started her career as a metallurgical process engineer in the Pilbara.  

Deborah is a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and holds a Bachelor of Metallurgical Engineering (Hons) (UNSW) and Master of Business Administration (UQ).

Presentation Title

A Steelmaker’s Perspective on Decarbonising the Iron & Steelmaking Value Chain

Presentation Synopsis

As the steel industry undergoes one of the most significant transitions in its history, the future of iron ore will be shaped by the technologies, energy systems, and policies that enable lower-emissions ironmaking. In this keynote, BlueScope will offer a steelmaker’s perspective on how the iron and steel value chain can decarbonise, outlining the five critical enablers required to make this transformation possible. The address will emphasise the growing imperative for collaboration across mining, energy, and policy to unlock scalable, lower-emissions pathways.

A highlight of the presentation will be the pivotal role of the NeoSmelt project in Kwinana — a groundbreaking initiative between joint venture partners BlueScope, BHP, Mitsui Iron Ore Development, Rio Tinto and Woodside, to demonstrate that Pilbara iron ore can be transformed into iron using a Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) + Electric Smelting Furnace (ESF) process. NeoSmelt has the potential to secure the future of Western Australia’s iron ore industry in a decarbonising global market and to position the state as a producer of lower-emissions iron.