On January 11, 2012 the EPA released a new greenhouse gas (GHG) data report, outlining greenhouse gas emission data from large facilities and suppliers across the U.S. economy from the year 2010. According to the EPA, the purpose of the new reporting program is “…to help businesses track emissions and identify cost- and fuel-savings efficiencies, identify industry leaders, inform policy at the state and local levels, and provide important information to the finance and investment communities.” 

The online tool allows users to view greenhouse gas emissions in large facilities by state, facility name, industry, and the type of GHG emitted. It includes data collected from over 6,700 facilities and suppliers and focuses on operations that emit more than 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide on an annual basis. Data from the agricultural industry is not included in the report.

According to the report, power plants were the largest sources of direct emissions in 2010 with a total of 2,324 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. To put this in perspective, that’s the equivalent of annual greenhouse gas emissions from 455 million passenger vehicles. Compared to the power plant industry, iron and steel producers look much better, with 82 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent produced in 2010 (equivalent to emissions from 16 million passenger vehicles). 

Although GHG emissions from iron and steel producers look minimal compared to power plant emissions, it’s still high enough to make a significant impact on the state of the global environment. Global climate change, specifically, global warming, is a major negative effect that comes from high levels of GHG emissions. Many scientists believe these emissions have caused a rise in the average global temperature of about 1.3⁰F over the past century. At the current emissions pace, an increase of 3⁰F to 7⁰F is expected to be reached by the year 2100.

As a large producer of GHG emissions, steelmakers are taking notice of the negative effects steel production has on the environment, and are taking matters into their own hands. The World Steel Association, which includes 85% of the world’s steelmakers, has a program that requires members to know their carbon footprint in order to identify potential for improvements. Much of the improvements will depend on advances in steel-making technology and best practices across steelmakers. The recent trend toward recycling is also alive and well in the steel industry, as many steelmakers encourage recycling of their products, reducing the production of new greenhouse gas intensive materials.