ABSTRACT
This chapter provides some important characteristics of the steel sector, with an overview of relevant economic, political and technological issues. It discusses the evolution of the sectors climate positions and strategies. It then focuses on the development of the climate strategies of two companies selected for in-depth scrutiny: the major German company ThyssenKrupp and the smaller Swedish company Swedish Steel AB (SSAB). The steel industry includes crude steel production and the further processing of crude steel into various semi-finished products. As the making of crude steel is the most emissions-intensive part of the industry. The production of crude steel is in principle carried out via two processes, Basic oxygen furnace (BOF) steel and electric arc furnace (EAF) steel. Steel is among the most robust and sustainable of materials, and has become a basic component of modern world.
