International Climate Strike Day: Steel recyclers demand rewards for CO2 savings
by David Fleschen
n the occasion of the day of the international climate strike and the referral of the Federal Council with the Climate Protection Act criticizes the Federal Association of German steel recycling and disposal companies e. V. (BDSV) again that the planned laws do not provide any instruments for rewarding CO2 savings in the steel recycling industry and other sectors of the circular economy. Only an additional promotion of steel recycling and political measures in this area are an efficient contribution to climate protection and at the same time increase the competitiveness of the steel and steel recycling industry. Instead, the Federal Climate Protection Act (KSG) and the Fuel Emission Trading Act (BEHG) make the collection and processing of CO2-saving steel scrap considerably more expensive and thus uneconomic.
Scrap is a key raw material for steelmaking and contributes significantly to reducing emissions. The use of steel scrap thus saves millions in climate and environmental costs. This is the result of the recently published study »Schrottbonus. External costs and fair competition in the global value chains of steel production ", which the institute Fraunhofer IMWS has created on behalf of BDSV. Accordingly, the use of steel scrap in Europe reduces the costs of climate change by up to 20 billion euros per year. Alone the approximately 19 million tons used annually in Germany. Steel scrap for the production of crude steel contributes to a saving of more than 32 million t of CO2 compared to the use of primary raw materials.
The BDSV criticizes that the considerable contribution of the steel recycling economy and the circular economy to climate protection through CO2 savings in the new laws of the so-called climate protection package are not considered at all. Apparently, in the field of climate change policy, the motto is first of all to burden all those involved with higher costs and environmental regulations instead of promoting those, such as the steel recycling industry, who have been contributing to the reduction of steelmaking emissions for centuries by collecting and processing steel scrap , This ignorance also shows that climate change politicians are unable to understand the indispensable benefits of a functioning circular economy in the context of effective climate protection.
In the opinion of the BDSV, for example, CO2 emissions, which inevitably also arise when recycling steel scrap, could be credited for the savings in CO2 emissions at the steelworks through the use of melted steel scrap. As a further bonus for scrap, the BDSV proposes to simplify approval procedures and environmental regulations for steel recycling plants. As a result, they help to save CO2 emissions.
Scrap is a key raw material for steelmaking and contributes significantly to reducing emissions. The use of steel scrap thus saves millions in climate and environmental costs. This is the result of the recently published study »Schrottbonus. External costs and fair competition in the global value chains of steel production ", which the institute Fraunhofer IMWS has created on behalf of BDSV. Accordingly, the use of steel scrap in Europe reduces the costs of climate change by up to 20 billion euros per year. Alone the approximately 19 million tons used annually in Germany. Steel scrap for the production of crude steel contributes to a saving of more than 32 million t of CO2 compared to the use of primary raw materials.
The BDSV criticizes that the considerable contribution of the steel recycling economy and the circular economy to climate protection through CO2 savings in the new laws of the so-called climate protection package are not considered at all. Apparently, in the field of climate change policy, the motto is first of all to burden all those involved with higher costs and environmental regulations instead of promoting those, such as the steel recycling industry, who have been contributing to the reduction of steelmaking emissions for centuries by collecting and processing steel scrap , This ignorance also shows that climate change politicians are unable to understand the indispensable benefits of a functioning circular economy in the context of effective climate protection.
In the opinion of the BDSV, for example, CO2 emissions, which inevitably also arise when recycling steel scrap, could be credited for the savings in CO2 emissions at the steelworks through the use of melted steel scrap. As a further bonus for scrap, the BDSV proposes to simplify approval procedures and environmental regulations for steel recycling plants. As a result, they help to save CO2 emissions.
Source: BDSV, Photo: Fotolia