The Green Iron Era: Forging the Future of Sustainable Steel
- Phuong Ha
- Nov 19
- 2 min read
Steel is everywhere, in our buildings, our cars, our infrastructure, our appliances. It’s the backbone of modern life. But here’s the steel's hard truth most people don’t know: Iron and steel production accounts for around 11% of all global CO₂ emissions.
How Steel Is Made and Why It Pollutes So Much
Steel starts with iron. Pure iron is soft, so manufacturers add carbon and other alloying elements to make it stronger and more versatile, turning it into the steel we rely on every day.
The problem? Most steel today is still made using coal-based blast furnaces, a technology invented in the 1800s and still widely used in the 2020s. These furnaces burn coal at extreme heat to convert iron ore into iron, and the process releases massive amounts of CO₂. For every tonne of steel produced, 2.33 tonnes of CO₂ are emitted (SteelWatch, 2025). Multiply that by the 2 billion tonnes of steel produced annually, and the numbers become staggering.
This is outdated technology driving a modern emissions crisis.
Why Green Steel Matters
The shift toward green steel is essential if the world wants to stay on a 1.5°C pathway and move away from coal-fired ironmaking. Here’s what needs to change:
Transform how iron is made, particularly how virgin iron is produced from
iron ore. Traditional coal reduction must be replaced with cleaner pathways such as:
Hydrogen-based Direct Reduced Iron (H₂-DRI)
Electrochemical ironmaking
Increase the share of steel produced from recycled scrap as steel can also be recycled, melted down and used again. Every tonne of scrap reused avoids:
New mining
Coal combustion
High-temperature processing
Use renewable energy for all electricity and heat across the steelmaking process. Even the cleanest technologies fall short if the electricity behind them is fossil-powered. Full decarbonization requires renewables for heat, electricity, and hydrogen production.
The Future of Green Steel Innovation
The technologies exist. As global demand rises for low-carbon materials, industries such as construction, automotive, and energy infrastructure are increasingly pushing for green steel solutions. What happens next will decide whether steel remains one of the world’s biggest climate liabilities or becomes one of its biggest climate solutions.
Discover our latest Science Decoding where we break down why green steel is becoming a defining pillar of industrial decarbonization. From hydrogen-based ironmaking to electrochemical breakthroughs, we explore how new deep-tech solutions can clean up one of the world’s dirtiest supply chains and accelerate the global shift toward sustainable steel.