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Green energy made with green steel? Not when Nippon Steel’s green steel is coal in disguise
Nippon Steel’s signing of a memorandum of cooperation with the Danish wind turbine maker Vestas Wind System [1] leaves a question whether this significant green supply chain opportunity could be a truly near-zero emissions transition in the long term, or not.
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It’s time for steelmakers to get serious about Canada’s green iron potential
The journey of global steel decarbonisation is in a sticky patch. Making iron with coal drives the bulk of the industry emissions — but the best developed alternative to date, green hydrogen-based ironmaking, is constrained by insufficient renewable energy and green hydrogen availability in many regions. An innovative way forward is emerging: a green iron value chain.
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ArcelorMittal still falls short of real climate action — Q2 2025 earnings update confirms
ArcelorMittal released its second quarter earnings[1] of 2025 yesterday, reporting sales of almost USD 16 billion — over a billion dollars higher than the previous quarter. ArcelorMittal has spent only around USD 100 million in the first half of 2025 from its planned annual decarbonisation envelope of USD 300-400 million, further underlining the gap between stated ambition and actual delivery[2]. The results confirm the company is delaying decisive climate action while presenting marginal steps as major progress.
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Latest Commentary
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In every major transition, there are actors on both sides. The European Union’s phase-out of free allowances under the Emissions Trading System (ETS) and the…
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The journey of global steel decarbonisation is in a sticky patch. Making iron with coal drives the bulk of the industry emissions — but the…
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Earlier in May 2025, I joined the Advocacy Tour organised by Fair Steel Coalition as a representative of SteelWatch. The tour brought together 20 activists…
Latest Reports
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Nippon Steel Corporation is now at a major turning point. Despite being based in resource-poor Japan, the company has grown to become the world's fourth largest steelmaker, and is now expanding its business to North America, India, Europe, and Australia. However, the "blast furnace-centered" and "domestic-centered" policies that underlie the company's corporate strategy remain strong.
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Up until 2024, ArcelorMittal consistently positioned itself as a leader in decarbonising the global steel industry. With the ArcelorMittal Corporate Climate Assessment 2024, published in May 2024, SteelWatch challenged that narrative, exposing the stark gap between its rhetoric and its actions — and called on ArcelorMittal to step up and lead real transformation.
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With its “Super COURSE50” technology brand, Nippon Steel claims to use hydrogen injection and carbon capture to reduce climate-harming emissions from its steel plants.