What is Low-Carbon Steel?

Iron and steel manufacturing is one of the most energy-and carbon-intensive industries worldwide. The global steel industry emitted around 3.6 billion tons of CO2 in 2019. This accounts for around 7% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and 11% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Global steel production has more than doubled between 2000 and 2020 and accounts for approximately 25% of all industrial emissions. Over the past decade, expanding steel production has raised total energy demand and CO2 emissions in the subsector. Driven by population and GDP growth, global steel demand will likely continue to increase. Substantial cuts in energy demand and CO2 emissions will therefore be needed by 2030 and thereafter for the world to reach the target of the Paris Climate Agreement: to limit global warming to “well below” 2 ℃.

In decarbonizing the global steel industry, standards, initiatives, and government policies have a key role to play. In recent years, major growth has been seen in the number of standards, initiatives, and policies focused on decreasing the emissions from iron and steel production. However, through the sheer number of standards, initiatives, and policies and the variation and complexity in features, assessment boundaries, targets, pathways, requirements, reporting, certifications, and validation procedures, there has not yet been a cohesive report that compiles the information in one place to support industry, government, and academia in achieving the goal to decarbonize from the steel industry.

Global Efficiency Intelligence aims to address this issue and bring together a summary of 25 current major standards, protocols, initiatives, guidelines, and government policies focused on reaching the goal of green/low-carbon steel production and decarbonization of the industry.