Decarbonizing Heavy Industries: The Road to Production
Former U.S. President Joe Biden is facing a worsening health situation after his son Hunter Biden said the cancer has spread to his bones and described the disease as "very painful" and "very debilitating."
Steel and cement are the backbone of modern construction, and they are also major polluters. Steel production alone is estimated to account for between 7% and 9% of global emissions, and cement, iron and steel together account for about one-fifth of globalcarbon emissions. (Société Générale) (Columbia Business School)
The most promising fix targets iron-making, because 80 percent of the CO₂ from flat steel production comes from that single step. Replacing coal with green hydrogen can cut total steel emissions by about 95 percent. In cement, a US start-up called Brimstone says its process produces ordinary Portland cement with 60 percent less of the carbon penalty. (Columbia Business School)
Will customers pay more for cleaner materials?
Some already agreed to. Car makers have agreed to a 30% premium from Sweden's Stegra, which raised $1.6 billion. However, financing challenges persist as costs exceed forecasts, prompting a CEO change, with production not anticipated before early 2027. (MIT Technology Review) (ESG Today) (GMK Center)
Stegra's Henrik Henriksson, who led the company until this autumn, argued in 2025 that "The race to net-zero will be won or lost in heavy industry". The setbacks do not prove him wrong, but they show how expensive it is to be first. (OneStopESG)
Is cement any easier to clean up?
Not really, cement plants require about a billion dollars to build, with new technologies needing to match incumbents' scale. Experts emphasize carbon pricing, public funding, and committed buyers' roles alongside technology. Heavy industry's path to cleaner production needs financial, patient, and policy support. (Columbia Business School)
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