A coalition of
non-profit organizations has launched the Race to Green Steel campaign to
encourage automakers to use green steel in their cars. This is stated on the initiative’s website.
«Due to the industry’s heavy
reliance on coal, steel is currently responsible for 30-50% of emissions from
cars. Clean energy technologies such as green hydrogen have the potential to
replace coal in the steelmaking process, but the industry must start scaling up
this technology today,» the initiative said.
The campaign
is the result of a joint effort led by Climate Group (#SteelZero), Industrious
Labs, CALSTART Green Steel Program and The International Council on Clean
Transportation. It aims to support companies in developing green steel targets
and investing in innovative technologies.
Most
automakers have already pledged to reduce emissions from their supply chains.
At least two major U.S. companies, Ford and General Motors, have signed
contracts to supply low-carbon steel. Mercedes-Benz and Volvo have also signed preliminary
agreements to purchase green steel produced at the plants being built in Sweden
by SSAB and H2 Green Steel.
The Race to
Green Steel campaign aims to build on previous efforts by automakers in this
area and increase pressure on the steel industry to build facilities that run
on hydrogen or renewable energy.
In
particular, the initiative proposes that automakers assess the environmental
impact of the steel products they currently use and commit to purchasing at
least 10% low-carbon steel by 2030.
As GMK Center reported earlier, by 2050, the share of low-carbon
technologies in the steel industry will more than double from the current 26% to over
60% of total steel production. This forecast was made by Alexander
Fleischanderl, Global Head of Green Steel at Primetals Technologies, at a
specialized conference.