Monday, September 15, 2025
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Terms & Conditions
Environmental Magazine
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Recycling
  • Air
  • Fossil Fuels
  • Water
No Result
View All Result
Environmental Magazine
  • Home
  • News
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Recycling
  • Air
  • Fossil Fuels
  • Water
No Result
View All Result
Environmental Magazine
No Result
View All Result
Home Air

Technology not growing fast enough to decarbonize steel and cement industries by 2050

December 21, 2023
in Air
A A

steel-production

A new study appears to show that, for decarbonization goals of steel and cement to be met, and the demand for new green technology to be satisfied, consumption habits need to change.

To meet zero-emission targets under the Paris Agreement, countries, cities, and industries are depending on new large-scale infrastructure for CO2 transport and storage, renewable electricity and green hydrogen. One slight problem: The quantities of steel and cement required for such projects. After all, both materials have a significant carbon footprint.

A new study by researchers at the National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan, and the University of Cambridge seems to show that the current rate of deployment of this infrastructure is insufficient. The study argues that changes in how steel- and cement-based materials are used or consumed must also be considered for the Paris targets to be met.

The study, led by Dr Takuma Watari, unveils a significant gap between anticipated and actual infrastructure deployment. For instance, scenarios made by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in 2010 estimated that nearly 200 million metric tons of CO2 from the steel and cement industries would be captured and stored by 2021. However, Watari and his colleagues found that this number was woefully off; in reality, the amount was only 1 million metric tons, which questions the 2000 million metric tons expected by the IEA to be captured and stored by 2050.

“We are not saying that the existing scenarios are physically or economically unrealistic. But simply waiting for new infrastructure to emerge and solve all our problems away is a very risky way of tackling the problem, given the scale of the challenges and the limited timeframe,” said Watari.

Assuming infrastructure deployment based on historical trends and current construction plans, the study goes on to further show that the supply of steel and cement in line with carbon budgets based on the Paris Agreement will not meet demand.

“We need to be well prepared for a future shortfall between feasible supply and expected demand,” noted Watari. “The construction and manufacturing industries will have to provide the same level of services with less material by changing the way products are designed, used, and disposed of.”

To quantify the sense of the scale of action required, the study provides a benchmark in line with the estimated feasible supply: following Paris-compliant budgets, the same level of services with 60% less material use in construction and 40% less in manufacturing is needed.

On a positive note, the study found that the limited feasible supply at present is on pace to satisfy the basic needs of a growing world population. Indeed, the global material demand for the provision of basic needs such as electricity, water, sanitation, shelter and mobility, is far less than the estimated feasible supply.

“The challenge is more about equitable distribution than total quantity,” said Watari. “We recommend a greater responsibility be placed on high-income countries, which have much larger in-use material stocks than low-income countries.”

ShareTweetSharePinSendShare

Related Articles

Air

Beyond the filter: what’s happening in industrial air pollution management?

September 11, 2025
Air

Londoners’ air pollution drops by a quarter at weekends, say new data

September 10, 2025
Air

Next-generation carbon capture technology goes live at Ferrybridge EfW

September 8, 2025
Air

Study outlines digital roadmap for net zero steel

August 17, 2025
Air

Glasgow air pollution drops by a third following LEZ enforcement, reports city council

August 15, 2025
Air

Tyres now the biggest source of emissions from vehicles, suggests testing company CEO

August 13, 2025

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended

Lunar microwave to purify water frozen in Moon’s soil wins UK Space Agency award

March 31, 2025

Fossil Fuel Development and Invasive Trees Drive Pronghorn Population Decline in Wyoming

July 22, 2024

Don't miss it

Fossil Fuels

Riding the High From Data Centers, the Grid Cannot Kick Its Gas Habit

September 14, 2025
Fossil Fuels

As Congress Takes a New Swing at Bipartisan Permitting Reform, Environmental Groups Are Calling Foul

September 13, 2025
Fossil Fuels

House Republicans’ Use of Little-Known Law to Strike Down Public Land Plans Could Be Pandora’s Box Moment

September 12, 2025
Energy

Department of Energy Allocates $134 million for Fusion Funding

September 11, 2025
Energy

Utility-Scale Solar Can Withstand Severe Hailstorms. Here’s How

September 11, 2025
Energy

Solar Power Gave the Formerly Incarcerated Hope in NJ. Federal Cuts Are Taking it Back

September 11, 2025
Environmental Magazine

Environmental Magazine, Latest News, Opinions, Analysis Environmental Magazine. Follow us for more news about Enviroment and climate change from all around the world.

Learn more

Sections

  • Activism
  • Air
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Fossil Fuels
  • News
  • Uncategorized
  • Water

Topics

Activism Air Climate Change Energy Fossil Fuels News Uncategorized Water

Recent News

Riding the High From Data Centers, the Grid Cannot Kick Its Gas Habit

September 14, 2025

As Congress Takes a New Swing at Bipartisan Permitting Reform, Environmental Groups Are Calling Foul

September 13, 2025

© 2023 Environmental Magazine. All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Recycling
  • Air
  • Fossil Fuels
  • Water

© 2023 Environmental Magazine. All rights reserved.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.