Stalled on Clean Steel

Despite the strides made in green and hydrogen steelmaking, the US automotive industry still largely relies on forms of the metal produced through coal-fired furnaces. Matt Groch outlines the need for manufacturers to change gear in this area.

A new Mighty Earth report reveals a stark contradiction in the US automotive industry: While major automakers publicly pledge carbon-neutral goals, their continued reliance on coal-fired steel from Cleveland-Cliffs and US Steel is locking in massive greenhouse gas emissions and exposing nearby communities to dangerous air pollution. The new report, Driving to Carbon Neutrality on Dirty Steel, shows that despite global advances in ‘green steel’ production, US steelmakers have stalled or abandoned low-carbon investments, leaving automakers’ supply chains tied to some of the nation’s most polluting industrial facilities. The report highlights both the health and economic consequences of this dependence and underscores the urgent need for automakers to use their purchasing power to drive a shift toward cleaner, sustainable steel.

Read the full article in the latest issue of Steel Times International.