WorldAutoSteel Joins
UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative
Through its joint participation with worldsteel and its involvement in the Life Cycle Initiative, WorldAutoSteel hopes to advance life cycle thinking with policymakers and customers around the globe. The Green House Gas (GHG) Material Comparison Model developed by the University of California at Santa Barbara’s Bren School of Environmental Sciences under commission by WorldAutoSteel will be a key tool in WorldAutoSteel’s contributions to the Initiative.
“Life cycle assessment is of prime importance in evaluating vehicle emissions, particularly as powertrains move toward advanced fuel alternatives,” said Edward Opbroek, Director, WorldAutoSteel. “It is the only way that we can insure the avoidance of unintended consequences as the pressure builds towards reducing the vehicle carbon footprint."
Material plays an important role in a vehicle’s total life cycle emissions. “Steel produces five to twenty times less green house gas emissions in the material production phase than other materials,” Opbroek said. “Though some weight savings may be achieved using alternative materials which could lower use phase tailpipe emissions, the impact to the environment over the vehicle’s total life cycle could be compromised.”
Established in 1972, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the voice for the environment within the UN system. It acts as a catalyst, advocate, educator and facilitator to promote the wise use and sustainable development of the global environment. To accomplish this, UNEP works with a wide range of partners, including UN entities, international organisations, national governments, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the private sector and civil society.
SETAC is the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, and is a Not-for profit Association. They have taken a leading role in the development of Life Cycle Management (LM) and the methodology of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The organisation is often quoted as a reference on LCA matters.
Commenting a UNEP spokesperson Guido Sonnemann, Programme Officer for Innovation and Life Cycle Management working with UNEP’s Division of Technology Industry and Economics (DTIE), Sustainable Consumption and Production Branch, said “Over the last three decades, the steel industry and UNEP have worked together on a number of cooperative initiatives and now we welcome them as a member of the leadership group of the LCI. We look forward to their participation and dedication to advancing the objectives of LCI, and especially their efforts to connect concepts with real-world applications through their WorldAutoSteel program.”
Joining the UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative is further demonstration of the global steel industry’s commitment to improved environmental practices surrounding its products and their use in the world’s marketplace. To learn more about the UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative,
visit the LCI website.
WorldAutoSteel, the automotive group of the World Steel Association, is comprised of sixteen major global steel producers from around the world.
WorldAutoSteel’s mission is to advance and communicate steel’s unique ability to meet the automotive industry’s needs and challenges in a sustainable and environmentally responsible way. WorldAutoSteel is committed to a low carbon future, the principles of which are embedded in our continuous research, manufacturing processes, and ultimately, in advanced automotive steel products, for the benefit of society and future generations.
Members of WorldAutoSteel are:
- Anshan Iron and Steel Group Corporation – China
- Arcelor Mittal - Luxembourg
- Baoshan Iron & Steel Co. Ltd. - China
- Hyundai-Steel Company - South Korea
- JFE Steel Corporation - Japan
- Kobe Steel, Ltd. - Japan
- Nippon Steel Corporation - Japan
- Nucor Corporation - USA
|
- POSCO - South Korea
- SeverStal - Russia/USA
- Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd. - Japan
- Tata Steel & Corus - India, UK, Netherlands
- ThyssenKrupp Stahl AG - Germany
- United States Steel Corporation - USA
- Usinas Siderúrgicas de Minas Gerais S.A. -Brazil
- voestalpine Stahl GmbH – Austria
|
|
WorldAutoSteel Contacts:
|
|
|
For Europe and Asia/Pacific
Cees Ten Broek, Director Communications, WorldAutoSteel
T: +32 2 702 89 33
M: +31 6 53 33 86 23
|
For the Americas:
Kate Hickey, Communications Manager, WorldAutoSteel
M: +1 734 905 0062
|