TURNING STEEL GREEN

The iron and steel sector is the world’s largest industrial source of climate pollution, and when it comes to reducing emissions, one of the most intractable. But Waxman has found a way to work with steel companies and their largest customers to set the stage for production of “clean steel” and raise the bar for low carbon steelmaking.

Focus

In partnership with the David and Lucille Packard Foundation and the Energy Foundation, we’ve set out to turn the steel sector green. After an initial investigation of the industry, we decided to focus our attention first on America’s largest steel maker, Nucor Corporation. In our report, Cold Steel, Hot Climate, we expose worrying trends in dirty industrial energy usage and make the business case for why Nucor should use 100% clean, renewable energy. The report’s launch began our campaign targeting Nucor and its biggest customers, including widely-recognizable leaders in the construction and automotive sectors.

Impact

• Released an analysis on the need for the steel industry to move to 100 percent clean energy for its electricity supply, starting with America’s largest steel maker, Nucor Corporation.
• Launched a grassroots movement with clean energy advocates in Charlotte, North Carolina in the backyard of Nucor, pressuring the company to move away from carbon-based fuels.
• Generated media coverage around the launch aimed to reach reaching Nucor executives in the Charlotte Business Journal and local NPR