Certification is key to ensuring that steel doesn’t cost the Earth

In today’s unpredictable world, one constant remains: the challenge of climate change. And at its centre sits the energy challenge.

We might think of this as the race to convert our power grids to wind and solar, and ensure our future cities, industries and transport rely on clean energy systems. But equally, the foundations of this transformation lie in the very materials these things will be made from: steel, concrete, glass and aluminium. These are the energy-hungry lions – and steel is among the hungriest. It alone makes up 10% of the world’s energy-based greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. If steel were a country, it would be the fourth-largest emitting nation.

Which means steel producers and consumers alike are under pressure to decarbonise, at speed and at scale. The International Energy Agency (IEA) calculates that the industry needs to reduce its emissions by 90% across the board if it’s to stay on track for 1.5 degrees.

ResponsibleSteel CEO Annie Heaton and Climate Group CEO Helen Clarkson write for Reuters on how certification against an international standard is key to driving steel industry progress toward net zero. Read the full op-ed here.