Business View Magazine | December 2020

80 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2020 the Most Energy-Efficient and more ductile steel grades have allowed for lighter weight automobiles, resulting in better fuel efficiency and lower emissions without reducing safety. The use of current grades of advanced high-strength steel, for example, can reduce a vehicle’s structural weight by as much as 25 percent and can cut total life cycle carbon dioxide emissions by up to 15 percent more than any other automotive material. American steel producers invest in state-of- the-art facilities that improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and heighten productivity. A recent study by Global Efficiency Intelligence shows that, among the world’s top steel producers, the American industry is the cleanest and most energy-efficient, with the lowest energy intensity and the lowest CO2 emissions per ton of steel produced. The study also shows that Chinese steel production creates carbon emissions that are almost 2.5 times higher than in the U.S. And another recent report, specifically on structural steel, shows that China’s production of these products results in three times the greenhouse gas emissions as the same type of production in the U.S. Our emissions are lower because the U.S. makes a much higher percentage of its steel from electric arc furnaces (EAF) than most other regions. Seventy percent of our steel is made this way – by recycling steel scrap to produce new steel using electricity. We also use a much higher percentage of low-emitting natural gas in our mills than most other countries. And our traditional integrated mills are also much cleaner than those in China, because we use pelletized iron, rather than lower quality sintered iron. This pelletized iron results in significantly lower emissions. The American Iron and Steel Institute is the leading association representing steel producers in America. On behalf of our member companies, AISI influences public policy and shapes public opinion in support of a strong, sustainable American steel industry. AISI’s work also advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the preferred material of choice. Members of AISI know that they have a strong voice in Washington. The American steel industry and its workers deserve best-in-class advocacy – and that is what they will get from AISI.