Carbon

China’s green steel push could crush Australia’s dirty iron ore exports

Retrieved on: 
Mercredi, mars 13, 2024

But the Australian iron ore industry faces a major challenge as its biggest customers – China’s steel mills – move to drastically reduce their carbon footprint.

Key Points: 
  • But the Australian iron ore industry faces a major challenge as its biggest customers – China’s steel mills – move to drastically reduce their carbon footprint.
  • Most of Australia’s current iron ore exports are not classed as high grade.
  • Typically, the lower the iron content of an ore is, the more energy is required to refine it.

Iron ore’s biggest customer cleans up its act

  • Australia shipped 736 million tonnes – more than 80% of iron ore exports – to China in 2022.
  • Last year, China’s steel mills made up the majority of global steel production.
  • But they were also a major polluter, accounting for about 15% of China’s total greenhouse gas emissions.

Australian ore doesn’t make the grade

  • Reducing the use of low-grade ore has become a priority for Chinese steel mills, significantly affecting iron ore’s demand profile.
  • Much of the iron ore exported by competing nations like Brazil and Guinea is high-grade, containing more than 65% iron.

New technologies


A number of new and emerging steelmaking technologies offer the promise of significantly lower emissions. But common to all of them is a need for higher-grade iron ore than Australia produces. There are four new steelmaking technologies in use or under construction by a number of Chinese steel corporations, including the world’s biggest steelmaker – China Baowu Group. These include:
hydrogen-enriched carbon recycling and oxygen furnace (HyCROF)
hydrogen reduction and electric smelting process (HyRESP)
hydrogen metallurgy
green hydrogen zero carbon fluidized bed iron making technology.
Here’s how these technologies could help China reduce its carbon emissions:

Increased use of steel scraps

  • Overall demand for iron ore could be reduced by the increasing availability and use of steel scraps or “recycled steel”, such as scrapped vehicles, white goods and machinery.
  • Using one tonne of recycled steel for steelmaking saves 1.4 tonnes of iron ore and avoids about 1.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

New tariffs on carbon

  • This legislation acts as a carbon tariff on imports to the EU, initially aimed at carbon-intensive products such as steel.
  • EU importers of steel products will be required to pay an import carbon tax, at a price set by the EU, based on the differences in carbon emissions between traditional steel mills and the EU’s emission benchmarks.

What lies ahead

  • Reduced demand for Australia’s low-grade iron ore could put pressure on its producers’ revenue, or even force some smaller iron ore miners to shut down.
  • Australia is abundant in magnetite, an ore type which differs in composition from hematite or “direct shipping ore” (DSO).
  • This process is energy intensive, but could become economically viable if we continue to see rapid uptake of renewable energy.
  • Decisions made by Australia’s major iron ore producers and political leaders will shape the outcome of this global shift.


Charlie Huang does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Australian music festivals are increasingly affected by climate change. But is the industry doing enough to mitigate its impact?

Retrieved on: 
Mercredi, mars 13, 2024

The live music and festival industry is currently struggling with significant challenges, including expensive insurance premiums and the cost of living crisis impacting ticket sales.

Key Points: 
  • The live music and festival industry is currently struggling with significant challenges, including expensive insurance premiums and the cost of living crisis impacting ticket sales.
  • In particular are the challenges associated with climate change, as extreme weather events becoming more frequent, severe and unpredictable.
  • Severe weather impacts on music festivals and concerts have ranged from delays and cancellations, to the evacuation of venues and areas mid-festival or mid-performance.

Death, injury and cancellations

  • In my research, I also looked at where and why events were being cancelled in the United States, finding at least 21 cancellations in 2022–23.
  • I also found similar cases in New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands.
  • In November, we saw the tragic death of a fan due to extreme heat at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Brazil.

The environmental impact of festivals

  • The UK’s live music industry produces 405,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually.
  • The primary sources of these emissions are audience travel, accounting for 43%, and the operations of live music venues, contributing another 23%.

Music festivals can make a change

  • The live music industry can reduce its environmental impact by adopting more renewable energy, and using sustainable transport options for artists and audiences.
  • Read more:
    The environmental cost of abandoning your tent at a music festival

    Tree planting has emerged as a popular strategy for music festivals and bands to offset their carbon footprint and contribute positively to the environment.

  • Challenges such as rising supply chain costs and the cost of living are testing the viability of festivals.
  • It is important the event industry and festival-goers acknowledge their contributions to these escalating challenges, and take proactive steps towards greening music festivals.


Milad Haghani receives funding from the Australian Research Council (Grant No. DE210100440).

E for equity? E-scooter and e-bike schemes can help people on low incomes and with disabilities

Retrieved on: 
Mercredi, mars 13, 2024

Every capital city and over 25 local councils have trialled shared e-scooter systems through private operators including Lime, Beam and Neuron.

Key Points: 
  • Every capital city and over 25 local councils have trialled shared e-scooter systems through private operators including Lime, Beam and Neuron.
  • Some people still think of these small electric personal vehicles as a passing fad.
  • Or, worse, they see them as a source of transport system disruption, public space anarchy and traffic injury.
  • Read more:
    Five years on, Brisbane's e-scooters and e-bikes are winning over tourists and residents as they open up the city

These schemes can help ease disadvantage

  • They were twice as likely to use them for essential trips (such as shopping or commuting) and to connect with public transport (44% versus 23%).
  • Half of Lime Access customers said one benefit of micromobility was that it allowed them to “get somewhere without a car”.
  • This finding suggests these programs can help support a car-free or car-light lifestyle.

People with disabilities also benefit

  • However, a number of Lime Access customers wrote about how the program allows them mobility despite medical conditions or physical disability.
  • Many of those disabilities are “invisible” – the casual observer is unlikely to notice them.
  • Yet for the riders, the electric motor of the e-scooter or e-bike reduced the fatigue and strain they would experience walking or riding a standard bike.
  • I wouldn’t be able to get groceries or run errands or do most anything I do because of Lime.


Read more:
The old road rules no longer apply: how e-scooters challenge outdated assumptions

What can governments do to maximise the benefits?

  • Unlike public transport services and even taxi services, there is no government support to encourage shared micromobility operators to expand their programs.
  • In the United States, city governments have been proactive in embedding equity requirements into service contracts with micromobility providers.
  • With the right incentives in place, we can maximise the benefits of micromobility for people who are most in need of affordable and accessible transport solutions.


Alexa Delbosc conducted this project in collaboration with Lime. Calvin Thigpen, an author on the research paper, is an employee of Lime. Lime provided access to distribute the survey to Lime customers and did not provide any financial support for the study. Dr Thigpen only became involved in the project during late-stage paper writing and qualitative data analysis.

Petrol, pricing and parking: why so many outer suburban residents are opting for EVs

Retrieved on: 
Mercredi, mars 13, 2024

Teslas and Polestars are expensive, leaving them as playthings for wealthier Australians and out of reach for the mortgage belt.

Key Points: 
  • Teslas and Polestars are expensive, leaving them as playthings for wealthier Australians and out of reach for the mortgage belt.
  • As residents in the outer suburbs reel from price rises seemingly everywhere, more and more are turning to electric vehicles (EVs) to slash their fuel bill.
  • Last year, EV orders for outer suburban residents (43%) overtook inner suburban residents (39%) for the first time.

Outer suburbs rely on cars

  • Research from 2020 shows most outer suburban residents who commute have to travel between 10 and 30 kilometres.
  • This affects outer suburban, rural and regional residents the most, given they cover the most distance.
  • Outer suburban residents are more likely to have solar on their rooftops than inner suburban residents in Sydney and Melbourne.
  • In fact, the outer suburbs are better placed than inner suburbs in terms of charging cheaply.
  • In the inner suburbs, space is at a premium and many houses do not have off-street parking.
  • But outer suburban homes tend to have off street parking or a garage, which means you can charge cheaply at home.

EVs versus the cost of living

  • It would make financial sense for many of us to switch to EVs to take advantage of much cheaper running and maintenance costs.
  • But the higher up-front cost of EVs has long been a disincentive.
  • In Australia, the cheapest EVs now start from A$40,000, though most still cost $60,000–$90,000.

What are governments doing?

  • Some state governments are trying to accelerate adoption with a range of incentives for EV owners, from subsidies to cheaper registration.
  • The interest was so strong in Victoria and South Australia that these governments have wound back some subsidies.
  • At a federal level, the proposed new vehicle efficiency standards will encourage carmakers to sell more fuel-efficient vehicles.

What’s next?

  • Outer suburban residents are buying electric vehicles for very good reasons: financial prudence, practicality and a cleaner future.
  • Read more:
    Electric vehicles are suddenly hot − but the industry has traveled a long road to relevance


Park Thaichon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Redwood trees are growing almost as fast in the UK as their Californian cousins – new study

Retrieved on: 
Mercredi, mars 13, 2024

My team’s new study

Key Points: 
  • My team’s new study
    is the first to look at the growth of giant sequoias in the UK – and they seem to be doing remarkably well.
  • However, the changing climate means Californian giant sequoias are under threat from more frequent and extreme droughts and fires.
  • More than 10% of the remaining population of around 80,000 wild trees were killed in a single fire in 2020 alone.

Tree giants from the US


What is much less well-known is that there are an estimated half a million sequoias (wild and planted) in England, dotted across the landscape. So how well are the UK giant sequoias doing? To try and answer this, my team used a technique called terrestrial laser scanning to measure the size and volume of giant sequoias.

  • This gives us a map of tree structure in unprecedented detail, which we can use to estimate volume and mass, effectively allowing us to estimate the tree’s weight.
  • If we know how old the trees are, we can estimate how fast they are growing and accumulating carbon.
  • No native tree in the UK is taller than about 47 metres.
  • Normally, you need to take samples from a tree’s core to get an accurate age estimate but that can damage the tree.

Imagine their potential

  • More recently, there has been a resurgence in planting giant sequoias in the UK, particularly in urban settings.
  • This is because of their carbon storage potential and perhaps because people seem to really like them.
  • But these giant sequoias are here to stay and are becoming a beautiful and resilient part of our landscape.


Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
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Mathias Disney receives funding from UKRI via NERC, the National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO), European Space Agency, NASA and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.

EQS-News: Salzgitter AG sells Mannesmann Stainless Tubes Group to Cogne Acciai Speciali

Retrieved on: 
Mercredi, mars 13, 2024

Continuing its active portfolio management, the Salzgitter Group has now sold the Mannesmann Stainless Tubes Group (MST) to the Italian company Cogne Acciai Speciali in accordance with the best-owner principle for a purchase price of € 135 million corresponding to the net book value.

Key Points: 
  • Continuing its active portfolio management, the Salzgitter Group has now sold the Mannesmann Stainless Tubes Group (MST) to the Italian company Cogne Acciai Speciali in accordance with the best-owner principle for a purchase price of € 135 million corresponding to the net book value.
  • Cogne Acciai Speciali is an international group of companies with production facilities on three continents and sales offices in all economically significant regions of the world.
  • The Mannesmann Stainless Tubes Group produces seamless stainless steel and nickel-based tubes at its sites in Germany, France, Italy and the USA.
  • Accordingly, the products of the Mannesmann Stainless Tubes Group are predominantly deployed in power plant construction and in the chemical and petrochemical industries.

EQS-News: Klöckner & Co presents solid operating income for 2023 and strengthens focus on attractive business areas and core markets

Retrieved on: 
Mercredi, mars 13, 2024

The net result from continuing operations was close to break-even, with a net loss of €0.3 million.

Key Points: 
  • The net result from continuing operations was close to break-even, with a net loss of €0.3 million.
  • Klöckner & Co is therefore set to pay a dividend for the third year in a row.
  • The equity ratio was a very solid 45% at the year end, albeit below the prior-year level (December 31, 2022: 51%).
  • Klöckner & Co is thus focusing on its largest market of North America and its attractive European activities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Nordea has published its annual reporting for 2023

Retrieved on: 
Mercredi, mars 13, 2024

Nordea has today published its Annual Report for the financial year 2023, which includes the audited Financial Statements, the Board of Directors' Report, the Corporate Governance Statement and the Sustainability Notes.

Key Points: 
  • Nordea has today published its Annual Report for the financial year 2023, which includes the audited Financial Statements, the Board of Directors' Report, the Corporate Governance Statement and the Sustainability Notes.
  • Further, Nordea has today published its Remuneration Report for Governing Bodies 2023 and the new Remuneration Policy for Governing Bodies.
  • Despite the challenging conditions, Nordea had a strong year - with results making Nordea one of the best-performing banks in Europe.
  • Nordea also publishes its Annual Report in accordance with the European Single Electronic Format (ESEF) reporting requirements.

EQS-News: wienerberger earns top sustainability scores from global ESG agencies

Retrieved on: 
Mercredi, mars 13, 2024

Vienna, March 12, 2024 – The achievements of wienerberger’s continuous sustainability efforts in 2023 have been acknowledged by global leading ESG rating agencies.

Key Points: 
  • Vienna, March 12, 2024 – The achievements of wienerberger’s continuous sustainability efforts in 2023 have been acknowledged by global leading ESG rating agencies.
  • For its further progress in environmental as well as social areas, wienerberger once again received top scores.
  • Other scores regarding wienerberger’s sustainability efforts in 2023 include the “AAA” from MSCI, the agency’s highest ESG-rating, which wienerberger received for the eighth year in a row.
  • The firm Sustainalytics, specialized in assessing companies’ exposure to the risk of material financial impacts from ESG factors, rated wienerberger as “Low Risk”.

EQS-News: SGL Carbon evaluates strategic options for the Business Unit Carbon Fibers 

Retrieved on: 
Mercredi, mars 13, 2024

SGL Carbon SE is currently evaluating various strategic options for the Business Unit Carbon Fibers (CF).

Key Points: 
  • SGL Carbon SE is currently evaluating various strategic options for the Business Unit Carbon Fibers (CF).
  • We have positioned SGL Carbon in such a way that the four operating business units can be successful independently in their markets.
  • Carbon Fibers manufactures textile, acrylic and carbon fibers as well as composite materials at seven locations in Europe and North America.
  • Against this background, SGL Carbon is reviewing all possibilities to support a positive further development of the Carbon Fibers Business Unit.