Recycled metals crucial to achieving truly ‘green’ steel

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to this Singapore Convention edition of the BIR Ferrous Division’s Mirror publication.

So far, this year has proved challenging for the recycled metals industry, with demand, pricing and sourcing all contributing to a perfect storm. The subdued ferrous market continues its search for more positive sentiment regarding both furnace-ready feed and finished products.

As highlighted at BIR’s Copenhagen Convention in May, the Ferrous Division’s theme for Singapore will be the steel industry’s decarbonization programme, the associated timeframe, the technical issues in producing truly ‘green’ steel, and the vital role of the ferrous metal recycler. We will hear three presentations during our plenary session in Singapore, starting with an overview of current recycled metal consumption from the Ferrous Division’s very own market analyst Rolf Willeke.

We are also delighted to announce that we will hear a presentation from Adina Adler, Executive Director of the Global Steel Climate Council (GSCC). The GSCC is a coalition of international steel manufacturers, suppliers, consumers and supporters across the steel value chain advancing a climate strategy by establishing standards and advocating for carbon emission reductions by members of the steel industry. The Steel Climate Standard (https://globalsteelclimatecouncil.org/the-standard/web/) aims to lead the way towards a truly effective low-emissions steel standard for all producers that accurately counts carbon emissions, regardless of the production method and aligning with the Paris Climate Agreement’s Net Zero by 2050 goals.

Adina brings many years of organizational leadership in manufacturing, international trade and circular economy policy and advocacy. She was previously Deputy Executive Director at Silverado Policy Accelerator and Vice President of Advocacy at the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (now the Recycled Materials Association, or ReMA), which was a GSCC founding member. Her career also includes international advocacy for the Shell Oil Company and Alcoa, which followed her 10 years as a trade negotiator and advocate in the US government.

BIR’s Ferrous Division is also pleased to announce that the third presentation will be given by Patrick Davison, Director of Sustainability at European Metal Recycling (EMR). Patrick has 30 years’ experience working within the metals recycling sector, driving circularity for metal-rich resources extracted from the urban mine. He has undertaken metals recycling research for sectors ranging across government and industry. He is a sustainability and circularity specialist helping EMR’s suppliers and customers understand the end-of-life implications of their products so that they may be designed for low-carbon circularity and ultimately recycling. He is currently leading EMR’s Impact strategy and the initiatives to develop Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), with Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) approval and the wider carbon sustainability strategy.

At our meeting in September, BIR Trade and Environment Policy Officer Daniel Pietikäinen introduced and proposed BIR Ferrous Division support for the WTO Steel Standards Principles (https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/envir_e/steel_standards_principles_e.pdf), explaining that the WTO Steel Standards initiative focuses on mutual recognition, data consistency and interoperability for greenhouse gas emissions measurement. The Ferrous Division board unanimously resolved that BIR should, where possible, participate in discussions that will shape the future of sustainable steel.

It is important to ensure that carbon savings from recycled steel are considered in the definition of near-zero steel, emphasizing the role of recycled ferrous metal in decarbonization efforts. With BIR’s participation, the initiative provides a platform for the recycling industry to champion the principles of the circular economy within the framework of steel decarbonization.

We also continue to follow, with increasing interest, the latest podcasts on ‘The Green Steel Challenge’ (https://greensteelchallenge.com) and look forward to listening to fellow Ferrous Division board member George Adams, who will be joining this fascinating debate with the first metal recycler interview, due to be broadcast in December this year. It is evident that, to make a truly ‘green’ steel, you need recycled material if you are serious about decarbonization and, in turn, a more sustainable world. I look forward with interest to hearing what George has to say as one of the world’s foremost metal recyclers, and I hope you get the opportunity to listen to this fascinating debate.

I would like to thank the BIR Secretariat team for their hard work and dedication to our sector and my colleagues on the Ferrous Division board for their individual and informative Mirror reports, which I hope you will appreciate reading. If you are a member of BIR and think you could contribute your skills and expand our geographical representation, the board would welcome your interest. Regions and countries of particular interest are Asia, Europe, South America and Turkey, among others.

I look forward to meeting many of you - old friends and new acquaintances - in person in Singapore.