‘Green steel’ heating up in Sweden’s frozen north

By JAMES BROOKS
Associated Press

LULEA, Sweden (AP) — The steel-making industry is coming under increasing pressure to curb its environmental impact and contribute to the Paris climate accord, which aims to cap global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit). The Swedish steel giant SSAB is responsible for 10% of the country’s emissions of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas. The company has built a pilot plant to produce steel with hydrogen instead of coal. It’s part of shift in the steel industry that’s begun in Europe, as manufacturers try to reduce CO2 from the metal in their supply chains. A Volvo Group spokeswoman says steel is a “major contributor” to their cars’ carbon footprint and “tackling only the tailpipe emissions by being an electric company is not enough.”