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Structural steelwork announces net-zero carbon Roadmap

The UK structural steelwork sector has set out its landmark plans to achieve net-zero carbon targets by 2050 in a decarbonisation Roadmap from the British Constructional Steelwork Association (BCSA).

Announcing the Roadmap at its Westminster headquarters to an audience including special guest Lee Rowley MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Industry (pictured left), BCSA Chief Executive David Moore (pictured right) said the whole steel sector was agreed that carbon reduction strategies were essential to combat the climate change emergency.

“The Roadmap sets out a series of decarbonisation measures that the UK steel and steelwork industries have committed to and agree will achieve our net-zero objectives.

“But the sector can’t do it unilaterally – government intervention is needed to ensure that the UK steel industry is globally competitive, and able to attract the investment it needs to implement change.”

The Under-Secretary – whose brief includes construction and infrastructure and the steel industry – welcomed publication of the Roadmap which supports the government’s own net-zero emissions strategy that was announced in October. The government’s commitment to move to clean power supports a key plank of the steel sector Roadmap, which argues that enabling policies at national and global government levels have to be aligned to support emissions reduction targets across all industries.

Dr Moore explained that the Roadmap deploys six decarbonisation ‘levers’, strategies that will each result in substantial carbon reductions (see below), including more efficient design of buildings and other structures, reduced emissions from direct steelmaking, decarbonisation of the national electricity grid, carbon capture and use and storage (CCUS). Steelwork contractors will also achieve carbon reductions in their fabrication, transport and erection activities.

Steel delivers significant circular economy benefits already, but one of the levers is based on the fact that although almost all structural steel is already recycled, further carbon minimising contributions will be sought from increased re-use and repurposing of steel and various demand reduction measures. The levers will deliver substantially reduced emissions by 2030, well ahead of the 2050 net-zero target.

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