\u00a9 shutterstock\/sirtravelalot<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nMost people think of \u2018green steel\u2019 as being about climate change. When it comes to carbon emissions, there are different shades of green since the industry won\u2019t get to zero overnight. So how low is good? Everyone has their own thoughts on this, and opinions differ depending on your commercial and geographical perspective, which is why we need a credible, consistent, global approach that really will deliver a green steel industry instead of a few million tonnes of \u2018low emissions steel\u2019 here and there. That is what the ResponsibleSteel International Production Standard offers, enabling decision-makers to benchmark the embodied emissions of all steel in the world on a like-for-like basis. Our audit and labelling scheme rewards four different levels of decarbonisation progress towards near zero, and it serves as a global framework against which \u2018green steel\u2019 claims can be assessed.<\/p>\n
What are the key challenges currently preventing this from happening? What should be done to overcome them? What is ResponsibleSteel doing?<\/h3>\n To accelerate the production of near-zero steel, we need financing, policy shifts, and clear demand signals. We run a Finance Working Group to enable the finance sector and the steel industry to come together to discuss how to overcome barriers to capital for decarbonisation. We are also working with our partners to drive demand for near-zero steel through initiatives like SteelZero and the First Movers Coalition\u2019s Near-Zero Steel 2030 Challenge.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, amidst an increasing number of emerging initiatives looking for new ways to define near-zero steel, it is imperative that we drive alignment on common definitions and measurement methods to prevent the fragmentation of global trade and to enable effective markets in low-emissions steel. Our work here has led to the launch of the Steel Standards Principles alongside the World Trade Organization at COP28. The principles establish the key foundations of a common framework for climate-related steel standards, including transparent governance, multistakeholder participation, and effectiveness in driving the decarbonisation of the industry globally. Already, over 40 key steel producers, industry associations, standard-setting bodies, international organisations and initiatives have endorsed the principles. And this is only the first step. The true value of the Steel Standards Principles lies in the next ones: co-operation and collaboration between standard setters to smooth out differences in measurement methods and drive consensus on definitions.<\/p>\n
What are ResponsibleSteel\u2019s plans for the future? Are there any developments, agreements, etc., that ResponsibleSteel is active in or looking forward to?<\/h3>\n ResponsibleSteel is just getting started. We are rolling out our International Production Standard across sites globally \u2013 over 80 to date \u2013 and following a 12-month test phase of these requirements; we are preparing for the first certified steel. In time, sites will be selling ResponsibleSteel-certified steel that demonstrates progress towards near-zero using an international barometer. We recently updated our requirements for responsible sourcing of input materials and our decarbonisation progress thresholds to ensure our standard incentivises the use of scrap within the bounds of its availability and drives down steel emissions globally.<\/p>\n
Later this year, we will launch a new Downstream Chain of Custody Standard, which will be critical in ensuring that users of certified steel make specific, reliable, and, therefore, credible claims in the market.<\/p>\n
Please note, this article will also appear in the 18th edition of our\u00a0quarterly publication<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Just how vital the steel industry is cannot be understated. ResponsibleSteel is working to make sure it fits in with a sustainable future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":47638,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24204],"tags":[24134,24229,24575],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
The importance of a responsible steel industry<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n