India Steel Plans Threaten Global Emissions Goals: Report
India's plans to massively expand coal-based steel and iron production threaten global efforts to reduce the sector's carbon emissions, a key contributor to climate change, a report said Tuesday.
The sector accounts for 11 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, and India aims to double production by 2030.
Switching from coal-dependent blast furnaces to electric arc furnaces (EAFs), which produce significantly fewer emissions, could reduce that figure.
EAF production is projected to make up 36 percent of the sector by 2030, but that falls short of the 37 percent the International Energy Agency (IEA) says is needed to stay on track for net-zero by 2050.
"The only realistic way to meet that 37 percent goal is with a change of plans from India," said Astrid Grigsby-Schulte from the Global Energy Monitor (GEM) think tank.
That seemingly marginal one-percent difference "represents tens of millions of tonnes of CO2 generation", Grigsby-Schulte told AFP.
EAFs generally rely on melting scrap steel, a process that does not use coal. They produce significantly fewer emissions, even when they rely on electricity from coal-dependent grids.
Meeting the 2030 target is "critical", she said, "not only because of emissions immediately avoided, but also because it means we are laying the necessary groundwork for broader decarbonisation by 2050."
China currently dominates global steel production, but its sector is stagnant. Meanwhile India, which targets carbon neutrality only by 2070, plans to massively expand domestic capacity.
And the majority of India's announced steel development plans involve higher-emissions blast furnace production, in a country whose steel industry is already the world's most carbon intensive.
However, there is a growing gap between India's steel capacity plans and actual developments on the ground, GEM said.
Just 12 percent of its announced new capacity has come online since the country released its 2017 National Steel Policy. The comparable figure for China is 80 percent, GEM said.
That suggests India's "ambitious growth plans are more talk than action thus far," the group added.
And it "leaves a huge percentage of their development plans that could still shift to lower-emissions technologies," added Grigsby-Schulte.
Demand for steel is continuing to grow, and the iron and steel industry is expected to be one of the last to continue using coal in the IEA's 2050 net-zero pathway.
The organisation has warned that the sector needs to "accelerate significantly" to meet 2050 targets, including with innovative production methods that are currently in their infancy. The majority of India's announced steel development plans involve higher-emissions blast furnace production, in a country whose steel industry is already the world's most carbon intensive AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
DW
6 days ago
- DW
Germany updates: Merz defiant on pushbacks after court blow – DW – 06/03/2025
06/03/2025 June 3, 2025 Germany's Merz defends migration plans after legal setback on asylum Merz said the ruling may narrow his administration's room for maneuver, but there was still wiggle room Image: Thilo Schmuelgen/POOL/AFP via Getty Images German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has defended his government's effort to turn away asylum seekers at the country's borders, one day after a court blocked the move. The emergency decision by the Berlin Administrative Court was a blow for Merz, who has promised he will curb irregular migration. Speaking in Berlin, the chancellor said the ruling may narrow his administration's room for maneuver, but there was still scope. "We know that we can still carry out [border] rejections." Merz, who took office last month, said his government would "of course do this within the framework of existing European law." "We will do so in order to protect public safety and order in our country and to prevent cities and municipalities from being overburdened," he added. Merz stressed that Germany would have to "maintain controls on the internal" until the situation at the European Union's external borders has improved significantly in his view. Shortly after taking office last month, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt ordered police to beef up border checks and turn away irregular migrants, even if they apply for asylum. The court ruling on Monday found that three Somalis who were turned back to Poland on May 9 should have been processed under the European Union's Dublin Regulation for asylum cases. The court found that the government's evidence to proclaim a "national emergency" to justify the measure lacked sufficient evidence. Merz's immigration policies have been repeatedly criticized as violating both German and EU law.
Int'l Business Times
30-05-2025
- Int'l Business Times
Britain's Hard-right Reform UK To Accept Crypto Donations
Britain's hard-right Reform UK has become the first political party in the country to accept donations through bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, raising fresh concerns over transparency. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, whose party has risen in the polls, made the announcement at a bitcoin conference in Las Vegas on Thursday evening. "As of now, provided you are an eligible UK donor ... we are the first political party in Britain that can accept donations in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies," he said. Farage has pledged to launch a "crypto revolution" if Reform UK comes to power, including the creation of a bitcoin digital reserve at the Bank of England -- inspired by recent measures in the United States. On the party's website on Friday, it was possible to make a donation via cryptocurrency. Reform UK is the "first major political party in Europe to accept cryptocurrency donations," according to a statement from British payments firm Radom, which is managing the transactions. But, for analysts, the move has raised concerns over potential misuse and a lack of transparency in political donations. "Anyone can receive crypto donations, as cryptocurrencies are permission-less and don't require bank authorisation," Larisa Yarovaya, associate professor of finance at Southampton Business School, told AFP. "This allows even those excluded from traditional banking to access financial services." She cautioned that crypto donations raise "concerns around transparency, regulation, and potential misuse." Similar concerns have been voiced in the United States, where President Donald Trump received millions in crypto donations for his last election campaign. Now an outspoken advocate of the technology, Trump's stance has triggered questions over potential conflicts of interest. For Farage, accepting crypto donations is "a way to demonstrate his allegiance with financial technology," Charles Morris, founder of analytics firm ByteTree, told AFP. The incumbent Labour party also aims to make the UK a global leader in the crypto sector. Back in April, finance minister Rachel Reeves set out new rules to regulate crypto-related activities. In Britain's July 2024 general election, anti-immigration Reform UK won just over 14 percent of the vote and five seats in parliament. Farage made another breakthrough in local elections earlier this month.
Int'l Business Times
30-05-2025
- Int'l Business Times
New To South Africa, Saffron Holds Promise
Livestock farmer Joe Kroon turned to saffron in desperation when drought threatened his livelihood and, as this season's harvest winds down, he is encouraged by the potential of a new entry into South Africa's farming catalogue. "Every year that we've planted, it's got better and better," said Kroon, who started growing the world's most expensive spice, mostly associated with Iran and Afghanistan, around five years ago with corms imported from The Netherlands. With around one hectare (2.5 acres) under cultivation at his farm near the town of Graaf Reinet in the dry Karoo region, Kroon is among the few South African farmers pioneering cultivation of the delicate purple crocus and its precious red threads. "Animals were dying and there's no help from the government so I had to find other means of making an income. I started researching and one of the things that came up was saffron," he told AFP. "It sort of exponentially grows each year," he said. "At the end of this year, we're going to lift the crop and replant a bigger area." His partner, Ross Blakeway, expects this season's yield could reach about six kilogrammes (13 pounds), around double the amount of last year. It takes about 150,000 flowers to collect a kilogramme of threads. Blakeway said output of their Karoo Saffron partnership is only for the domestic market, including local chefs and as an ingredient in a sauce and a Pure Karoo health range, although there had been some interest from Europe. And while there is promise for South African saffron, it is not a "get rich quick", he said. The corms are expensive and, "it's popular amongst the porcupines and rabbits, so you really have to protect your land," he said. Saffricon, which says it is the largest commercial producer in South Africa with seven hectares, also began cultivation around five years ago. In the process of finding the correct conditions, Saffricon moved several times before settling in the Piketberg area in the Western Cape, said the company's production coordinator, Tiaan Engelbrecht. The company -- which also shares advice and trial packs to potential cultivators, from domestic gardeners to commercial farmers -- wants to build volume for local saffron to become a worthwhile export. "It's been met with a lot of hope for being able to diversify the crops that are available in the country, especially for people who have smaller plots," Engelbrecht said, although there had been some scepticism too. "It's just been absolutely wonderful to see people still being excited about growing the agriculture industry and being excited about new things," he said. Farmer Joe Kroon weighs saffron threads harvested from his farm on the outskirts of Graaff Reinet AFP It takes about 150,000 flowers to produce one kilogramme of saffron, the world's most expensive spice AFP
