Nucor Sets Net-Zero Emissions Target for 2050

The Charlotte, N.C.-based steelmaker established an interim target for 2030, and an ultimate target date for 2050 to reach the net-zero goal, the company said in a press release on Monday.

“We are the North American leader in sustainable steelmaking, and these targets further highlight our leadership role in developing clean solutions for the entire steel industry,” Leon Topalian, chair, president, and CEO of Nucor said in the release.

Both the 2030 and 2050 dates include scopes one through three emissions as defined by the Global Steel Climate Council’s (GSCC) Steel Climate Standard. Nucor said it is the first diversified steelmaker in the US to set GHG reduction targets encompassing all three scopes.

The company plans to achieve its goals by increasing the use of clean electricity, carbon capture and sequestration, and near-zero GHG iron-making, according to the release.

Additionally, Nucor said it will “utilize technologies to reduce its consumption of injection and charge carbon, and will reduce the use of natural gas in its production processes.”

“These targets and the details of our plans to achieve them will provide our customers, investors, and policymakers with a clear roadmap of where Nucor is going and how we plan to get there,” said Greg Murphy, Nucor’s EVP of business services, sustainability, and general counsel.

The Steel Climate Standard sets scope emissions guidance for the production of hot-rolled steel. The full standard framework can be found here.