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Steel Industry Calls on Scientific Congress on Climate Change To Act Responsibly Through a Lifecycle Assessment of GHG Emissions

Posted on: Thursday, 12 March 2009, 10:44 CDT

Inclusion of LCA Abstract Points to Broader Assessment of Environmental Performance in Auto Industry, According to Global Steel Trade Association

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, March 12 /PRNewswire/ -- While tailpipe emissions are currently the de facto measurement for greenhouse gas emissions for autos, lifecycle assessment is gaining legitimacy as a more comprehensive measurement of GHG emissions.

The World Steel Association in partnership with its automotive branch, WorldAutoSteel, will present its latest findings on energy savings and CO2 emission reductions in steel on 10-12 March at the International Scientific Congress on Climate Change in Copenhagen, further backing their commitment to mitigate climate change effects.

The conclusions of this congress will be transmitted to world leaders and policymakers in the run-up to the post-Kyoto Climate Change conference in December.

Global steel industries calculate GHG emissions using Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) as the most accurate and responsible method to achieve the world's climate objectives.

LCA is a tool to measure product or materials' environmental performance from cradle-to-grave (or from cradle-to-cradle). This model shows that steel is the lowest generator of greenhouse gases in comparison to competing materials.

WorldAutoSteel Director Ed Opbroek said: "This methodology has been largely overlooked by legislators concerned primarily with the use phase (i.e. vehicles' tailpipe emissions). Yet, as we move towards hybrids and plug-in vehicles with alternate body structures and new advanced powertrains, material selection becomes essential to maximize global GHG emission reductions."

About WorldAutoSteel

WorldAutoSteel, the automotive group of the World Steel Association (www.worldsteel.org), continually explores steel innovation that demonstrates and communicates the value of steel in automobiles to industry and society. Its member companies from around the world pool global resources within and beyond the steel industry to deliver vital research that is central to effective steel automobile applications. WorldAutoSteel continues to lead the materials revolution through projects like the Future Steel Vehicle (FSV) program, a multi annual program that will deliver auto body concepts that address alternative powertrains, such as advanced hybrid, electric, and fuel cell systems.

The FSV program is the fifth in a series of auto steel research projects, following on the heels of the UltraLight Steel family, which revolutionized the kinds of steels normally applied to auto bodies, as well as demonstrated innovative steel vehicle designs. The application of these research findings is seen globally in many vehicles on the road today. These are ULSAB, ULSAC, ULSAS, and ULSAB-AVC (Advanced Vehicle Concepts). The FSV program is expected to stimulate the same developments in upcoming alternative vehicles.

To learn more about these and other WorldAutoSteel projects, visit www.worldautosteel.org.

Members of WorldAutoSteel are:

• Arcelor Mittal - Luxembourg
• Baoshan Iron & Steel Co. Ltd. - China
• China Steel Corporation - Taiwan, China
• Hyundai-Steel Company - South Korea
• JFE Steel Corporation - Japan
• Kobe Steel, Ltd. - Japan
• Nippon Steel Corporation - Japan
• Nucor Corporation - USA
• POSCO - South Korea
• Severstal - Russia/USA
• Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd. - Japan
• Tata Steel & Corus - India, UK, Netherlands
• ThyssenKrupp Stahl AG - Germany
• United States Steel Corporation - USA
• Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais S.A. - Brazil
• voestalpine Stahl GmbH - Austria

The Automotive Applications Council is a subcommittee of the Steel Market Development Institute, a business unit of AISI. The council focuses on advancing the use of steel in the highly competitive automotive market. For more news or information, visit www.autosteel.org. SMDI's Automotive Applications Council members are:

• ArcelorMittal USA
• ArcelorMittal Dofasco
• Nucor Corporation
• Severstal North America Inc.
• United States Steel Corporation

SOURCE American Iron and Steel Institute

Source: PR Newswire

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