ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY HEADLINESEnvironment and Sustainability
Steel Industry Reaches New Milestone in Energy Efficiency
Jan. 15, 2009 The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reports that the United States steel industry has reduced its energy intensity per ton of steel shipped by approximately 33% since 1990, representing a new industry milestone in energy efficiency.
This new achievement represents a further improvement since AISI announced a 29% reduction in 2006. The industry’s aggregate carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per ton of steel shipped—which is closely related to energy use—have also been substantially reduced. In fact, the American steel industry has already surpassed the Kyoto Protocol target, which calls for an average 7% (U.S.) reduction in greenhouse gas emissions between 1990 and 2012.
“This improvement in energy efficiency is evidence of the steel industry’s longstanding commitment to sustainability,” said AISI President and CEO Thomas J. Gibson. “This commitment has brought our processes almost to the limit of energy-efficiency. Our future plans are built around sectoral programs, such as the Asia Pacific Partnership—where steelmakers and their governments in China, India, Australia, Canada, Japan, and Korea, with us, are discussing energy intensity reduction targets until 2020. In the long term, we are working on developing breakthrough steelmaking processes that emit little or no CO2.”
On average, 1.14 tons of carbon dioxide was emitted in 2007 for every ton of steel produced in the United States. The low CO2 intensity of American-manufactured steel coupled with its infinite recyclability translates to low environmental impacts across the entire life cycle for products made from steel, helping to make steel the material of choice for a multitude of applications.
AISI serves as the voice of the North American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the preferred material of choice. AISI also plays a lead role in the development and application of new steels and steelmaking technology. AISI comprises 25 member companies, including integrated and electric furnace steelmakers, and 130 associate and affiliate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry.