Sustainability

Lowest Embodied Carbon Steel Sections Available on the Planet

All ArcelorMittal steel sections supplied to North America are produced using recycled scrap in an electric arc furnace (EAF).

Using recycled scrap in an EAF reduces the environmental impact associated with extracting and processing raw materials and helps in managing waste. Additionally, the ability to source clean energy from the European electric grid enables ArcelorMittal to produce the lowest embodied carbon steel sections globally, as verified through our Environmental Product Declaration (EPD).

If sustainability is a key consideration for your project, using ArcelorMittal structural steel produced through a scrap-based EAF with clean energy sourcing can be an optimal choice. It not only supports the circular economy by recycling materials but also contributes to reducing the carbon footprint associated with steel production.

low embodied carbon steel

XCarb™

XCarb™ is the brand name for ArcelorMittal's ongoing global program of steelmaking innovation targeted at carbon-neutral steel by 2050. The initiatives that are part of XCarb™ aim to reduce the carbon footprint of ArcelorMittal and of our customers.

Our ambition is to position ArcelorMittal as the leading global steel company engaged in the most important challenge faced by the industry - that of producing all the steel the world needs in an environmentally sustainable way.

One of the first decarbonization initiatives from ArcelorMittal Europe – Long Products is XCarb™ recycled and renewably produced. 

XCarb™ recycled and renewably produced has been designed for products made via the Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) route - powered by renewable electricity - using scrap steel. Steel produced by ArcelorMittal under the XCarb™ recycled and renewably produced label is audited and certified by an independent third-party. 

To produce XCarb™ recycled and renewably produced steel, ArcelorMittal uses 100-percent scrap. All the electricity needed to transform the scrap into XCarb™ recycled and renewably produced steels comes from renewable sources such as solar and wind power. The energy is provided by suppliers who are connected to the same grid as our production sites and whose projects are recent. 

The combination of recycled content and renewable energy allows ArcelorMittal to offer steels with very low levels of CO2 emissions per ton of finished steel. 

Each ton of steel produced under the XCarb™ recycled and renewably produced label will have its own production certificate. The certificate guarantees that only recycled steel was used in its production, and that the electrical energy used to make the steel came from renewable sources. 

 An Environmental Product Declaration is available for XCarb™ recycled and renewably produced steel sections. Please refer to the Environmental Product Declaration section below. 

For additional information on XCarb™ recycled and renewably produced steel, download the XCarb brochure.

XCarb Brochure.pdf
XCarb low embodied carbon steel

Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)

Our product specific, type III EPD follows the UL Product Category Rules (PCR). Global Warming Potential (GWP) values are aggregated between all our production facilities and reported on a facility specific basis.

EPD Structural Sections- Standard + XCarb UL.pdf
Low embodied carbon steel EPD

Embodied Carbon of Transportation

When conducting an environmental life cycle assessment, designers should consider emissions produced by overseas transport of structural steel produced in our European mills for the North American market.    

The map linked below provides a good estimate of emissions related to overseas shipping. The map portrays total global warming potential (in KgCO2 eq./ton) from our production sites in Luxembourg to several ports of arrival in North America. This type of analysis can be used in combination with our Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for a more complete view. Notably, trans-Atlantic shipping via an ocean freighter is highly efficient in CO2 output per ton when considering all conventional methods available today. 

In addition, it is important to consider that the production method, use of recycled material and the energy sources used to power the mill often have a far greater effect on the embodied carbon of steel than transportation.   

For a more detailed analysis specific to your project, please contact our technical team.

Embodied Carbon of Overseas Transport.pdf
Embodied carbon of shipping steel

Certifications and Documentation

ArcelorMittal steel sections comply with various requirements for LEED and other rating systems. Documentation we can provide includes, but is not limited to

  • Environmental Product Declaration (product-specific type III)
  • Recycled content letter
  • Reach Declaration
  • Health Product Declaration
  • Cradle to Cradle certification
  • Red List Declaration
  • Embodied carbon action plan
  • Responsible Steel certification

Please Contact Us to request any specific documentation.

LEED documents steel