Steelmaker Nucor Corp. announced Oct. 5 the launch of a line of products, including for construction uses, that have reduced embodied carbon. The offerings will be made using 100% renewable energy. Direct greenhouse gas emissions from the steel-making process will be canceled out by the purchase of carbon offsets, says the company.
Nucor claims the product line, called Econiq, will be the first net-zero carbon steel offered at scale in the United States. "Nucor is proving that [steel] can be produced in a sustainable way that can help the world meet its climate goals," said Leon Topalian, Nucor’s president and CEO, in a statement.
Don Davies, president of structural engineer Magnusson Klemencic Associates, says it is exciting to see Nucor’s focus on carbon emissions reduction and its actions around renewable power-purchasing agreements. He cautions, however, that “purchasing offsets to then claim net zero is a slippery slope that can lack credibility, in some cases, and can often impede or delay meaningful industry change.”
Davies is nevertheless watching the Nucor development with cautious optimism. “Nucor has a great reputation for integrity in the carbon data they share with the industry,” he says.