METALS FORUM Being ‘green’ isn’t an option for US mills—it’s an imperative

Sep 01, 2007 | 11:50 AM |

The North American steel industry is committed to building a sustainable future. The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) and its member companies share a deep dedication to responsible stewardship of our natural resources so that future generations can enjoy them just as we cherish them today.

Over the past decade, AISI's board of directors has identified environmental stewardship and commitment to sustainability as part of our strategic plan and our vision for the future. As we have in the past, we continue to examine strategies to advance that vision. Currently, we see the commitment to improving our environmental performance being advanced through investments in new and innovative technologies; renewal of our long-time commitment to recycling; refinement of industry performance metrics; and collaboration both across the industry and with other sectors.

Innovation has led to the introduction of a wide variety of new steels. In fact, 50 percent of the steels used to make automobiles today didn't exist just 10 years ago. The efficiencies gained from using lighter-weight yet higher-strength steels are impressive, which, when taken in the context of lifecycle impact assessment, have the potential to help achieve significant progress in emission reductions. If currently available advanced high-strength steels were applied throughout the current U.S. automotive fleet, greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles would be reduced by approximately 12 percent—an amount greater than the emissions generated by the entire American steel industry today.....