SSAB at COP28: Ambition and speed must increase

Photo: SSAB CTO Martin Pei and fossil-free steel bar.

This is the third year that SSAB is joining the annual climate change conference as part of Business Sweden’s delegation. As leader of the green transition in the steel industry, SSAB is committed to working with key stakeholders to transition away from fossil fuels to a sustainable future.

The production of steel represents some 7-9 percent of global CO2 emissions, at the same time steel is needed everywhere. Transforming the steel industry to abate its emissions is vital to reach the targets of the Paris Agreement and to mitigate climate change.

SSAB made the world’s first pilot deliveries of fossil-free steel already in 2021. Our transformation into a largely fossil-free company will result in a 10 percent reduction of Sweden’s total CO2 emissions and 7 percent of Finland’s. SSAB is confident that the transition is not only necessary, but also possible and good for business. We will not only take away emissions but also secure jobs and competitiveness.

“Our research and innovation and production of fossil-free steel can change an entire industry and its value chain,” says SSAB Chief Technology Officer Martin Pei, who is attending the conference. “Now policymakers nationally and globally need to create the right conditions to support the steel industry’s green transition.”

SSAB is calling for:

- Faster permitting procedures for green industrial projects and for needed infrastructure, such as fossil-free electricity production and expanded transmission grids.

- The need for a level playing field. Policymakers first priority should be to support R&D and up-scaling of new fossil-free technologies; not subsidizing already commercially available technologies.

- A common method on how to measure, report and verify carbon emissions. This will allow customers and consumers to compare the carbon intensity in steel products and support markets for low emission materials and products.

Meet us at the Blue and Green Zone on Nov. 30-Dec. 5, where our representatives will be participating in panel discussions, round tables and seminars in the Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian and ICC pavilions. Some of our participation highlights include discussion on:

- How companies can serve as solution providers for global sustainability hosted by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; Nov. 30 at 4 pm, UNFCCC pavilion.

- How to implement near zero emission technologies for a climate neutral society hosted by SSAB and others; Dec. 2 at 1 pm, Swedish pavilion.

- What’s needed to scale supply for the clean electrification of the industrial transition hosted by SSAB; Dec. 5 at 11 am, Swedish Pavilion.

- How to achieve a decarbonized and resilient value-chain hosted by SSAB and others featuring First Movers Coalition/US State Department; Dec. 5 at 13 pm, Swedish Pavilion.

Visit Business Sweden at COP28 for more program details and to join as a digital guest.

Facts about SSAB zero-emission steels:
SSAB has developed two types of steel with near zero emissions: SSAB Zero™ and SSAB Fossil-free™. SSAB Zero is based on recycled steel and SSAB Fossil-free is based on hydrogen direct reduced sponge iron (H-DRI) made with HYBRIT technology. Both are made with fossil-free electricity.

Read more about SSAB’s fossil-free steel offerings.

For further information, please contact:
Anna Molin, Press Officer at SSAB, [email protected], phone: +46 76110 46 76