Sustainability
Valuing the
Environment
Our Commitment
We are committed to operating our business in an environmentally responsible manner and have been since our founding. We encourage the use of new technologies and processes to reduce our impact on the environment and the climate, including a strategic focus on carbon mitigation. Our steelmaking operations have exclusively used electric arc furnace (EAF) technology with recycled ferrous scrap as the primary input, to limit our carbon emissions while simultaneously delivering quality products for our customers, and driving returns for our shareholders. Additionally, our companywide performance-based incentive programs encourage our teams to create innovative solutions to increase efficiencies, reduce raw material usage, reuse secondary materials, and promote material conservation and recycling.
Our teams’ drive to be efficient and focus on EAF steelmaking technology has resulted in our GHG emissions being among the lowest in the industry—and we are continuing to raise the bar even further for sustainable steelmaking.
Steel Dynamics is a steel industry leader in sustainability, committed to decarbonization.
Science-Based Greenhouse Gas Targets
Our new targets were established using the Global Steel Climate Council’s (GSCC) Steel Climate Standard which includes key greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through hot rolling from Scope 1, Scope 2, and upstream Scope 3 categories. The GSCC Steel Climate Standard science-based emissions target certification is aligned with the Paris Agreement’s goals and with the International Energy Agency’s Net Zero by 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector.
GHG TARGETS
2050 emissions intensity target for our steel mills of 0.12 metric tons of CO₂e per metric ton of hot rolled steel produced
Interim 2030 emissions intensity target of 0.80 metric tons of CO₂e per metric ton of hot rolled steel produced
2These estimated emissions intensities may vary, as our decarbonization plan is reviewed and adjusted regularly.
3These projects are under various stages of implementation and/or consideration. If all projects were implemented, they would exceed the 2030 target.
Circular Manufacturing Model
We intentionally developed a circular manufacturing model with our steel, metals recycling, and fabrication platforms.
EAF vs. Blast Furnace
We are one of a very small number of steel producers that only use EAF technology. We have always been, and continue to be, a leader in the production of sustainable, lower-carbon emission steel products.
We believe the single most impactful decision a steel consumer can make in order to support GHG emission reduction is to understand the differences between EAF and basic oxygen or blast furnace steelmaking technologies and related supply chain environmental impacts—and then, source their steel needs accordingly. Electric arc furnace steelmaking technology generates a mere fraction of the carbon emissions produced and energy intensity required by traditional blast furnace steelmaking technology.