Steel for

Report by:
the Future:
HSBC Centre of The transition to responsible,
Sustainable Finance zero carbon steel making

November 2019

HSBC Centre of Sustainable Finance

2 Steel for the Future: The transition to responsible, zero carbon steel making

Foreword

Steel is the largest industrial emitter of CO2; it contributed 7% to global

emissions in 2018. If the steel sector were a country, it would rank 5th in the
world after China, USA, Europe and India. It provides the backbone to our
infrastructure and built environment, as well as cars, electrical appliances
Zoё Knight, and industrial equipment. But keeping temperature rises under control while
Group Head, continuing to meet population and economic demands means transitioning
Centre of Sustainable Finance to a low-carbon production process.

The sector is technically feasible to decarbonise, as shown by the work of

the Energy Transition Commission, but a demand boost from buyers for low-
carbon steel would help accelerate low-carbon transition. To that end, the new
ResponsibleSteel standard provides the industry’s first framework for facilitating
a sustainable transition across the value chain. With it, steel producers can now
demonstrate to investors and buyers that their activities are certifiably aligned with
Francis Sullivan the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Senior Advisor, HSBC
This report sets out the solutions to decarbonise steel, introduces the
ResponsibleSteel standard, and highlights the financing opportunities.

Acknowledgements
The Centre of Sustainable Finance would like to thank Andrea Griffin, Manager
Sustainable Finance – HSBC for researching and leading the development of this
report. This report is the product of widespread engagement with individuals across
HSBC and other corporate organisations, public entities, NGO’s and academia.
HSBC Centre of Sustainable Finance 3

Contents

Introduction  4

Growth in a Decarbonising World 5

Solutions to Decarbonise Steel Production  10

ResponsibleSteel Standard 12

Financing Requirements and Opportunities 13

Conclusion15
4 Steel for the Future: The transition to responsible, zero carbon steel making

Introduction

Industrial sectors currently contribute nearly 30% to global as the automotive and construction sectors, to source lower
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, and of this, steel is the carbon products through the supply chain, thus creating a
largest emitting sector contributing over 7% of the total1. demand driver for responsible steel.
With governments, investors and civil society stepping
up efforts to address the global climate problem, it is To address the complexities, a group of leading industry players
inevitable that the industrial, or so called ‘harder-to-abate’ founded a not-for-profit collaboration, ResponsibleSteel and
sectors, also come up with a plan. This report sets out have now launched the first global multi-stakeholder standard
how the steel sector can deliver decarbonisation and how and certification for the steel industry. It sets out standards for
the ResponsibleSteel standard is an enabler of low-carbon responsibly sourced and produced steel, based on a series of
transition. conversations with multiple stakeholders from across the steel
value chain.
Nearly 70% of the 1.8 billion tonnes of steel produced annually
is primary, or new, steel.2 It is produced from iron ore using This work is relevant for the finance industry for two reasons.
carbon intensive processes that emit an average of 2.3 tonnes First, the financing requirement to transition the industry is in
of carbon-dioxide per tonne of steel produced.3 the region of USD$80 billion annually to 2050 according to the
Energy Transition Commission7. This means that investors and
While using recycled steel helps to deliver on emission financers need to get comfortable with how to effectively price
reduction goals, the available quantities of recycled scrap are risk across the industry, as, for example the technical solutions
only sufficient to supply around a third of today’s total steel to industrial process decarbonisation, such as hydrogen,
demand4. Growth forecasts point to a 30% increase in steel become more prevalent, alongside solutions for capturing
production by 20505, which clearly means that without change, emissions. Second, as governments become clearer on policy
the steel industry will be adding to global emissions stocks drivers to deliver low-carbon goals and civil society pushes for
instead of supporting emission reduction goals. clearer low-carbon solutions, carbon pricing and reputational
factors also become a factor for the steel industry.
Work by the Energy Transition Commission shows that it is
technically feasible to decarbonise primary steel production6.
The challenge is that there are multiple routes to achieving low
carbon emissions, which relate to industry structures and eco- The purpose of this paper is to highlight how the steel sector
systems as well as technical solutions. This makes it difficult for can accelerate low-carbon transition, by focusing on steel
individual companies to make the first move. However, there is production and the ResponsibleSteel certification as a key
increasing demand from large end markets for steel, such demand side enabler.

Global Steel Production

7% Today
2.3
2050 BAU
3.3
of total global
emissions GtCO2 GtCO2

Mt per year, IEA reference technology scenario

McKinsey & Company (2018), Decarbonization of industrial sectors: the next frontier
1

Worldsteel Association (2019); World Steel in Figures

2

Material Economics (2018), The Circular Economy: a powerful force for climate mitigation
3

Material Economics (2018), The Circular Economy: a powerful force for climate mitigation
4

IEA (2017) Energy Technology Perspectives

5

Energy Transition Commission (2018) Mission Possible: Reaching Net-Zero Carbon Emissions from Harder-to-Abate sectors by Mid-Century
6

Energy Transition Commission (2019), Mission Possible; Reaching net-zero emissions from harder to abate sectors by mid-century (steel sectoral paper)
7
HSBC Centre of Sustainable Finance 5

Growth in a
Decarbonising World

The use of steel in the global economy will persist because In addition, many low carbon technologies use steel as a
it is a critical material used for buildings and infrastructure, construction material. For instance, steel accounts for around
cars, ships, rail, machinery and equipment, and numerous 80% of the material used in a wind turbine.9 According to
other applications including the production, distribution and Bloomberg New Energy Finance, global installed wind capacity
storage of energy. The automotive and construction sectors is forecasted to increase from currently 549 GW to nearly 3,500
together account for nearly 70% of all steel consumed.8 GW by 2050.10

Figure 1

Building and infrastructure 51%

Electrical equipment 3% Other transport 5%

Steel use
2018
1,712 Mt

Domestic appliances 3%
Metal products 11%

Automotive 12%

Mechanical equipment 15%

Worldsteel Association (2019); https://www.worldsteel.org/steel-by-topic/steel-markets.html

8 

Worldsteel Association; https://www.worldsteel.org/steel-by-topic/circular-economy/case-studies/remanufacture-case-studies.html

9 

Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF); New Energy Outlook

10 
6 Steel for the Future: The transition to responsible, zero carbon steel making

The World Steel Association highlights that no other material Of the nearly 1.8 billion tonnes of steel currently produced
has the same unique combination of strength, formability, and annually, approximately 70% is primary steel15. Primary steel
versatility as steel.11 The steel industry generates over USD$1 is the most carbon intensive type of steel produced. This is
trillion in annual turnover, making it among the world’s largest because it requires producing iron as the starting material,
materials industry.12 The London Metal Exchange highlights which typically uses coking coal as the main source of carbon.
steel is more economic as it typically costs around USD$500 About 95% of primary steel is produced in a Blast Furnace
per tonne, compared to aluminium at around USD$1,700 per – Basic Oxygen Furnace (BF-BOF), using coking coal and
tonne.13 emitting 2.3 tonnes of CO2 ­per tonne of steel produced.16 Figure
3 shows the amount of steel produced by region and type with
Emissions come from production processes forecast demand to 2050.17
Annual emissions from iron and steel production currently
stand at 2.3 Gt CO2.14 The International Energy Agency Secondary steel, on the other hand, uses recycled steel as
forecasts that population growth, rapid urbanisation and its starting material and therefore avoids the need for raw
economic development will result in a steel production increase materials like iron ore and coal. Secondary steel is typically
of 30% to mid-century, resulting in 3.3 Gt CO2 by 2050 under produced in an Electric Arc Furnace (EAF), which uses
business as usual growth and production trends, as shown electricity to create heat and emits just 0.4 tonnes of CO2.
in Figure 2 that’s been adapted from a report by the Energy
Transition Commission.

Figure 2

With no action, emissions from the steel industry could represent 3.3 Gt CO2 in 2050
Direct and process emissions from the heavy industry

Gt CO2 Steel: 7% of Steel: 8% of Steel: 10% of

global emissions global emissions global emissions

7.5
0.4

5.9 1.5

Aluminium 0.3

1.1
Chemicals and petrochemicals 4.3
2.3 0.3
Cement
2.2 1.0
Iron and steel

1.7
3.3
2.3
1.3

Source: IEA 2017, Energy Technology Perspectives 2014 2050 2050

Reference Technology Scenario 2°C Scenario

11
Worldsteel Association; https://www.worldsteel.org/steel-by-topic/steel-markets.html
12 
ResponsibleSteel; https://www.responsiblesteel.org/
13 
London Metals Exchange: https://www.lme.com/en-GB/Metals/Ferrous/Steel-Rebar#tabIndex=0
14 
IEA (2017), Energy Technology Perspectives
15 
Worldsteel Association (2019); World Steel in Figures
16
IEA (2017), Energy Technology Perspectives
17
Energy Transition Commission (2019), Mission Possible; Reaching net-zero emissions from harder to abate sectors by mid-century (steel sectoral paper)
HSBC Centre of Sustainable Finance 7

Figure 3

Mt per year, IEA reference technology scenario

Global Production Regional Production

Total 823
BOF
EAF DRI based
2,170 238 261 103 590
EAF scrap based 76
OHF
543 Eurasia
1,662
Europe 469
72
387 243 30
429
166
Middle East
104
China
105 87
Americas
15
India
Africa 327
1,171 198
235

2014 2060 Other Asia Pacific

Source: Energy Transition Commission

Data source: IEA (2017), Energy Technology Perspectives

BOF = Basic Oxygen Furnace Primary steelmaking involves an energy intensive two-step
process that begins by producing iron from iron ore in a Blast
DRI = Direct Reduced Iron Furnace (BF). The process involves mixing iron oxide (iron
ore), coke and other materials such as limestone into the blast
EAF = Electric Arc Furnace furnace. The burning of coke releases carbon monoxide and
carbon dioxide gases that remove the oxygen from the iron
OHF = Open Hearth Furnace
oxide causing it to melt. The result is high carbon iron (carbon
content is about 4%), referred to as hot metal or pig iron, which
is the starting material for steelmaking.
8 Steel for the Future: The transition to responsible, zero carbon steel making

Figure 4: Overview of the steelmaking process

Lump ore Fine ore Lump ore Fine ore

sinter pellets
coal
Raw material
preparation pellets recycled
coke steel

Blast Furnace Direct Reduction coal

Iron making natural gas, natural gas, oil natural gas

oil or coal blast
O2 shaft rotary kiln Fluidized
furnace furnace bed

hot metal DRI

recycled
air oxygen
steel recycled
Steel making recycled steel
steel

OHF BOF EAF EAF

Crude steel

Source: Worldsteel Association

The second step in the steelmaking process combines high This is relevant because end-use applications determine the
carbon iron with steel scrap and transferring it into the Basic steel grade, which in turn has consequences for the carbon
Oxygen Furnace (BOF). Pure oxygen is blown into the furnace, content. Recycled scrap can also have higher levels of
heating the materials and causing impurities to oxidise and impurities, such as copper, compared to primary steel and can
carbon content to reduce, resulting in liquid steel. Once liquid limit the range of end-use applications, leaving room for the
steel is produced, it’s transferred into a casting machine which primary market to continue to grow.
rolls the steel and moulds it into components.
Low carbon content grades cannot be as efficiently produced
Different uses of steel can accept different grades of steel. The with recycled scrap, because it can be ‘lower quality and lower
World Steel Association estimates that there are over 3,500 value than the steel from which it originally came’20. Ultra low
different types of steel grades in use, each with their own carbon content steel is more easily produced using BF-BOF,
unique chemical and physical properties.18 High-speed railways, where the producer has control over the quality of iron used as
for instance, require steel that won’t crack under extreme the starting material. Other steel grades used, for instance in
impact and pressure. Autos require steel that is malleable, the construction industry, are more efficiently produced using
strong, and resistant to rust. According to Material Economics, the secondary production route.
only 8% of steel recycled from vehicles can be re-used again
for the same purpose.19

World Steel Association; Steel Facts (2018) https://www.worldsteel.org/en/dam/jcr:ab8be93e-1d2f-4215-9143-4eba6808bf03/worldsteel-SteelFACTS

18 

Material Economics (2018); The Circular Economy – A powerful force for climate mitigation
19 

Energy Transition Commission (2019), Mission Possible; Reaching net-zero emissions from harder to abate sectors by mid-century (steel sectoral paper)
20 
HSBC Centre of Sustainable Finance 9

End markets are driving demand for responsible steel

Construction and the built environment Auto manufacturers

The construction sector and the built environment go together The auto sector is a key driver for establishing a certification
and are the largest buyers of steel. They have an interest in standard for responsible sourcing and production of steel and
driving down product emissions because about a third of global are the second largest buyers of steel.
carbon emissions are attributed to the built environment21,
with the underlying drivers to decarbonise coming from policy For the autos sector, growing public awareness of the
makers and communities22. The growth of the zero-carbon environmental impact of resource use is becoming a bigger
cities approach is encouraging the building sector to look factor in consumer choice for purchases which is also
for new areas to reduce its carbon footprint beyond energy extending to the supply chain. This is important for steel as it
efficiency and decarbonising power. Material economics makes up nearly 70% of the total material composition of a car,
estimate that construction materials account for about 20% as shown in Figure 5. In addition, since it is among the more
of a building’s carbon footprint, for which steel is among the challenging materials to map along the supply chain, assurance
highest emitting.23 on raw material provenance is becoming a bigger issue.

Auto manufacturers themselves are also under scrutiny to

demonstrate how they are assisting with low-carbon transition
and accounting for emissions used for steel is part of a car
makers total carbon footprint.

Figure 5:

Operating materials, process polymers, other non-ferrous

metals, electronics, special metals and others
Glass

Rubber 8
3 Steel and ferrous materials
4

Plastics
11

% 68

Aluminium

Steel

Composite materials

Aluminium

Source: WWF (2019): Boom in Raw Materials: Germany’s ecological footprint in steel and aluminium

Material Economics (2018); The Circular Economy, A powerful force for climate mitigation
21 

HSBC Centre of Sustainable Finance; Towards the Zero-Carbon City

22 

Material Economics (2018); The Circular Economy, A powerful force for climate mitigation
23 
10 Steel for the Future: The transition to responsible, zero carbon steel making

Solutions for Decarbonising

Steel Production

Primary steel production Several technology routes could enable near zero carbon
Natural evolution has improved processes. The World Steel emissions in steel production, according to the Energy
Association estimates that producing one tonne of steel today Transition Commission. These include energy efficiency
requires 60% less energy than it did in 1960.24 Progress has gains, carbon capture usage and storage (CCUS) usage,
come from the natural plant replacement cycle and a shift hydrogen based direct reduction of iron, and electrification
towards higher purity iron ore. In spite of these improvements, of steel production using low carbon electricity sources. The
further innovation is still needed to accelerate emission technologies are at various stages of commercial viability, with
reduction. many still in the pilot phase. Figure 6 shows the relative benefits
for each category.

Figure 6: CO2 intensity of steel production

Classification of different technologies

tCO2 per ton of steel

Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF)
The large majority of current steel production
Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) 2.3
uses coal to reduce iron ore and produce steel
in integrated steelworks
Increase process efficiency
BOF, with best available An estimated 15% process efficiency
1.9
technology improvement is possible within the current
BOF process
Bio-based inputs
Bio-based fuels can substitute for some of
BOF, with biofuels 1.1
the coal input, with emissions reductions of
around 50%
Direct Reduced Iron (DRI)
This route uses natural gas to reduce iron ore,
Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) 1.1
which almost halves emissions. DRI accounts
for 5% of current world production
Carbon Capture Storage (CCS)
BOF + Carbon Capture and Capturing the CO2 from the blast furnace of
0.9
Storage (CCS) an integrated steel plant can reduce overall
emissions by 60%
Electric Air Furnace (EAF)
The main route for secondary steel uses
Electric Arc Furnance (EAF) 0.4
electricity to melt steel scrap and / or direct
iron, with only small onsite emissions

Zero-carbon electricity (EAF)

EAF + zero carbon electricity 0.1 By using zero-carbon electricity, nearly all
emissions from steel making can be eliminated

Source: Material Economics, 2018 The circular Economy: A powerful force for climate migration

WorldSteel Association; https://www.worldsteel.org/en/dam/jcr:f07b864c-908e-4229-9f92-669f1c3abf4c/fact_energy_2019.pdf

24 
HSBC Centre of Sustainable Finance 11

Energy efficiency improvements Capturing emissions for use or storage

® Modern blast furnaces are capturing carbon monoxide (CO) ® Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) captures CO2
from the blast furnace and converting it into a synthetic from BF-BOF production sites has the potential to reduce
gas (syngas). This can be reinjected into the blast furnace in emissions by 60%.25 The benefit of CCUS is that it can be
place of fossil fuels to reduce iron ore. Since the amount of retrofitted to existing assets without requiring significant
coke needed in steelmaking is reduced, this process helps to changes to existing plants. The cost of carbon capture
reduce CO2 emissions. decreases as the purity of the CO2 increases and carbon
captured can be recycled for use into other products such as
Substitution of fossil fuels with alternative feedstock’s bio-ethanol. Storage and transport infrastructure that makes
in BF-BOF use of industrial clusters will be important to the scale up of
® Coke can now be displaced with alternative sources of CCUS.
carbon such as pulverised coal or natural gas.
® Bio-waste from agriculture and forestry residues can be Circularity and secondary steel
used in place of fossil fuels to reduce iron ore to iron and Steel can be recycled multiple times over. About 85% of steel is
used as fuel in a modern blast furnace. Technology that uses recovered and recycled which is more than any other industrial
bio-coal from wood waste to displace fossil fuel coal in the material. Secondary steel produced in an Electric Arc Furnace
blast furnace is being piloted. (EAF) uses recycled steel scrap as a starting material. EAF uses
® Hydrogen can partially displace coke as a feedstock within electricity as the main heat source (instead of coal) resulting in
the BF-BOF. 0.4 tonnes of CO2 emissions per tonne of steel produced and is
the least carbon intensive production process. It can be further
Replacement of BF-BOF plants with low carbon reduced to 0.1 tonnes depending on the availability of zero
production technologies carbon electricity in the location of the plants. This is possible
® Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) plants replace coal based BF-BOF by replacing fossil fuel based electricity in EAF with low carbon
for the production of primary steel, where appropriate. electricity. Producing steel using the secondary route can
DRI uses iron pellets which reduces the amount of carbon result in lower production costs because it does not require
required in iron reduction and natural gas in place of coal, producing iron.26
resulting in lower carbon emissions compared to BF-BOF.
DRI currently produces 5% of global primary steel and However, the quantity of recycled steel today is only sufficient
growing. However, DRI is relatively more expensive to supply around 30% of total steel demand.27 Further, certain
and typically produces fewer quantities compared to a grades of steel can be more easily produced using primary
BF-BOF plant. steel, where the producer has control over the quality of the
® Hydrogen can partially or fully displace fuels used in DRI. starting material.
A hydrogen based -production of steel would be zero carbon
emission and is currently in the research phase.
® Direct electrolysis has the potential to reduce iron ore and is
already being done in aluminium production. The process,
however, is still in the R&D phase for steelmaking.

25 
Material Economics (2018); The circular economy, a powerful force for climate mitigation
26
Material Economics (2018); The circular economy, a powerful force for climate mitigation
27
Material

Economics (2018); The circular economy, a powerful force for climate mitigation
12 Steel for the Future: The transition to responsible, zero carbon steel making

ResponsibleSteel
Initiative and Standard

While the technical capability exists to decarbonise the ResponsibleSteel does not yet certify raw material suppliers
production of steel, the current incentives for producers to directly. However, the steel industry is among the largest
implement change are relatively limited. In 2017, a group of consumers of all mined goods, including iron ore and
leading industry players founded a not-for-profit aiming to metallurgical coal. The requirement is that raw materials are
set a standard, which could result in a certification for best assured within a certain period of time under an existing
practices in responsible sourcing and production of steel. credible mining initiatives, such as the Mining Association of
The standard focusses on steel producers, steelmaking Canada’s Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM), and the Initiative
sites and raw materials sourcing. for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA).

Twelve principles, covering the broad categories of corporate

leadership and governance of social and environmental factors
underpin the standard. These are included in Appendix 1.
Climate change and greenhouse gas emissions are naturally
important components because of the carbon intensity of
steel production.

To achieve certified status, the standard requires

corporates to take a number of overarching steps.
These include:

1. Demonstrating commitment to the goals of the Paris

Agreement by setting a medium and long-term emissions
reduction target(s) at the corporate level that is compatible
with the goals of the Paris Agreement

2. Implementing the recommendations of the Task Force on

Climate-Related Financial Disclosure (TCFD)

3. Embedding climate related risk and opportunities into its

corporate strategy Given current data constraints and knowledge gaps, steel
producers can currently use generic data to estimate the
In addition, there are requirements for the steel producing emissions associated with the raw materials mining and
sites. These include: transportation to the steelmaking sites. Going forward this
will evolve to provide more specificity. In addition, downstream
4. Setting emission reduction targets at the steelmaking site(s) consumption of steel will be addressed by ResponsibleSteel
that are aligned with the corporate owner’s overall emission in 2020, such as by including specifications for steel
reduction targets product certification.

5. Developing a time bound plan to achieve these targets at

the individual steelmaking site(s), including milestones such
as raising financing for related projects

6. Disclosing total GHG emissions and the emissions intensity

associated with the sites steel production. This includes
estimating the emissions associated with the mining and
transportation of raw materials for steel production
HSBC Centre of Sustainable Finance 13

Financing Requirements
and Opportunities
Financing the low-carbon future means supporting existing Creating demand to de-risk investment
industries to deliver on their decarbonisation strategies, The solutions to achieving full decarbonisation of steel
as well as providing capital for suppliers and solution production are not solely technical, but eco-system related
providers to adopt low-carbon roadmaps. The challenge as well. ResponsibleSteel aims to encourage activities that
for steel producers is that investing in emission reduction support the growth of responsible sourcing and production of
solutions too early risks making steel more expensive steel, by providing a market for best in class steel production.
in a competitive market, while investing too late could
mean losing market share as end markets move to more For producers, the ResponsibleSteel standard helps by:
responsible suppliers. ® Outlining a set of requirements for certification at the
corporate and steelmaking sites that serve as a proxy for
The Energy Transition Commission estimates that the total best practices that’s recognized by the market.
annual investment requirements for decarbonisation across the ® Devising a transition roadmap that is technology
industry globally are around USD$80 billion per year, depending agnostic and enables producers to design the optimal
on factors such as the technology pathway and cost of low mix of technologies that support achieving their targets
carbon electricity. However, the ETC also expect that the end- in the future
product cost to the consumer will be modest, for instance,
an increase of 1% to the price of an average car29, and are For steel buyers, the ResponsibleSteel standard
therefore not expected to impact consumer demand. helps by:
® Providing transparency on a definition of responsibly
There are plenty of reasons why the pace of financing has
sourced and produced steel
been slow, which include;
® Widening the universe of suppliers and quantities
® Steel production is generally a capital intensive, less than
® Enabling buyers to more easily differentiate between
10% margin business
producers that are aligning their activities with the transition
® With current technological status, low carbon emissions
to the low carbon economy
steel is more expensive and could add up to 20% to the cost
® Mitigating risks associated with responsible sourcing
of production30
® Additional upfront costs in abatement technologies with For the investing and finance community,
long-term paybacks can be challenging, especially when ResponsibleSteel helps by:
some producers are looking to reduce their debt levels
® Providing transparency and a proxy for best practices
® Production facilities have up to 50 year lifespans and are
that makes it easier for investors to differentiate between
highly integrated, such that any change in one part of the
steel companies
process affects the others31
® Certification can provide greater transparency and
® Identifying the cost benefit of retrofitting existing assets
confidence that capital raised will support responsible
against investing in new zero carbon production processes is
steel making
a challenge without standards in place, long term consumer
demand and appropriate financing For regulators, ResponsibleSteel helps by:
® Abatement technologies are in the pilot stage, and financing ® Providing a framework to create the regulatory environment
to date has been difficult to secure to accelerate the decarbonisation of steel making
® A lack of clarity among the investor community about how
to support a best practise transition for a steel company

29 
Energy Transition Commission (2019), Mission Possible; Reaching net-zero emissions from harder to abate sectors by mid-century (steel sectoral paper)
30 
Energy Transition Commission (2019), Mission Possible; Reaching net-zero emissions from harder to abate sectors by mid-century (steel sectoral paper)
31
McKinsey & Company (2018), Decarbonization of industrial sectors: the next frontier

14 Steel for the Future: The transition to responsible, zero carbon steel making

Potential financing solutions Green and Sustainability Linked Loans

Other financing tools include privately placed loans, such as
Green and Transition Bonds Green Loans, Sustainability Linked Loans and Sustainability
Green bonds are bonds where the use of proceeds are explicitly Linked Revolving Credit Facilities. Certain producers may opt to
used defined for ‘wholly’ green projects and can be issued by secure privately placed loans early on in their transition for the
any bond issuing entity. following reasons;

Steel companies are not precluded from issuing Green Bonds, ® Privately placed loans will enable them to test technology
but the use of proceeds scope is narrow. The majority of low solutions while they develop their optimal transition roadmap
carbon production technologies in steelmaking are not typically ® Ticket sizes can be small which may be more suitable for
‘wholly green’ as of yet. This is because many low-carbon companies that are already highly levered and looking to
steelmaking projects use a portion of fossil fuels for the raw reduce their debt
material or fuel source, while displacing another portion with ® It enables them to strengthen their transition track record
alternatives such as natural gas, biomass or other energy and fine-tune their transition strategy before issuing larger
efficient technology applications. Because many CO2 emission more public amounts of debt later on
reduction projects in carbon intensive sectors are not yet
® Brand recognition and investor demand are less of an issue
wholly green, they have not been eligible to tap green bond
because loans are privately placed
route and have therefore had fewer green financing alternatives
® Green and sustainability linked loans can be used for a
to date as a result.32
variety of purposes, green loans for specific projects and
Transition bonds are emerging as a potential alternative to sustainability linked loans for general purposes
green bonds for carbon intensive industries like steelmaking.
Other capital solutions and considerations
This is an important development for them, because it helps
Low carbon steel production technologies are at various
to provide transparency on how corporates are addressing
stages of maturity and their associated risks vary depending on
climate factors.
their application. The type of financing and its corresponding
The main difference between green and transition bonds is structure, therefore, will be influenced by such factors.
that a transition bond would enable capital to flow towards
For instance, project financing for certain technologies may be
emission reduction projects that use non-green technology,
a better solution than on balance sheet financing. This could be
but that are moving towards a Paris aligned pathway. However,
the case for steel companies who are not investment grade and
firms issuing transition bonds would need to provide strong
are highly levered, as not all will have access to international
credentials that their transition strategy is robust.33
bond offering.
Transition bonds, however, are still early stage. A few banks
Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS), for instance,
are exploring transition bonds, however, there is still debate
has a longer track record than other emission reducing
about how to characterise a carbon intensive company in
technologies like hydrogen from electrolysis34. CCUS can be
transition. This is important because investors need assurances
located near or far from the emission producing sites and can
that capital is, in fact being allocated towards companies that
potentially store CO2 from multiple emitters. Steel producers
are truly transitioning and that their capital is being allocated
could secure long-term agreements with 3rd party transport
towards projects and activities that are contributing towards an
and storage providers for a fee, as opposed to financing,
overall transition strategy, as opposed to merely lock in future
building and operating it themselves. This could be value
fossil fuel use. In addition, the second party opinion providers
adding for steel producers that are highly levered and looking
used to provide green bond expertise are not yet widely used to
for ways to reduce their debt burden. Alternative structures
providing transition opinions.
could also enable ownership and risk to be spread across
ResponsibleSteel provides a certification that makes it easier multiple capital providers.
for investors to differentiate between companies that are taking
The viability of such structures will depend on infrastructure
climate action seriously, and those that either do not have a
available and location of the storage site, paired with a robust
strategy or do not want to disclose it. Under the standard,
business case usually tied to a price on carbon, which can be
companies commit to a long term transition pathway
used as a revenue stream for the project. Other factors include
aligned with the Paris Agreement paired with a near term
the long term risk of sequestering CO2 into the ground, legal
underlying strategy to achieve emission reductions on a
and regulatory frameworks that clarify who bears liability.
steelmaking site basis.
Certain technological solutions for low carbon steel production
are still in the commercialisation phase, for instance hydrogen
and CCUS, and may require risk oriented capital to help
reduce project risks and demonstrate proof of concept. De-
risking projects can typically be done using mechanisms such
as greater equity cushions, concessional financing and/or
HSBC Research (2019); ‘Time for Transition’
32 

HSBC Research (2019); ‘Time for Transition’

33  guarantees. Other factors such as the regulatory environment
HSBC Centre of Sustainable Finance (2019),
34 
and carbon pricing could have an impact as well.
Lending to Low-Carbon Technologies
HSBC Centre of Sustainable Finance 15

Conclusion

Steel producers are critical for urbanisation, As this report shows, there is more than one route to achieving
infrastructure development and economic prosperity. low carbon production of primary steel. The solutions are
Yet addressing the climate challenge at the same time not technical, but rather structural and eco-system related.
as delivering growth means a re-think of operational ResponsibleSteel aims to tie together the critical elements
processes and value creation. – supply, demand, and financing – in a framework that
incentivises low carbon transition activities using market based
Steel producers need incentives to change, as the current rewards. In addition, regulatory action, for instance in the form
economics are unfavourable for market forces to provide of a price on carbon, would also accelerate change.
the decarbonisation solution. On the supply side, the
decarbonisation roadmaps are technically feasible now, but
not yet commercially viable. The ResponsibleSteel standard
helps buyers in the critical steel markets of construction and
autos differentiate between suppliers that are leading on taking
climate into account versus those that are slower in a low-
carbon transition pathway. This creates a demand signal for
steel producers.
16 Steel for the Future: The transition to responsible, zero carbon steel making

Appendix 1: ResponsibleSteel
Standard Principles

The ResponsibleSteel Standard consists of twelve Principle 7 - Stakeholder Engagement and Communication;
principles for the responsible sourcing and production ResponsibleSteel certified sites engage effectively with
of steel. stakeholders, report openly on issues of importance to
stakeholders, and remediate adverse impacts they have caused
Principle 1 - Corporate Leadership; ResponsibleSteel certified or contributed to.
sites are led responsibly.
Principle 8 - Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas
Principle 2 - Social, Environmental and Governance Emissions; The corporate owners of ResponsibleSteel certified
Management Systems; ResponsibleSteel certified sites sites are committed to the global goals of the Paris Agreement,
have an effective management system in place to achieve the and both certified sites and their corporate owners are taking
social, environmental and governance objectives to which they the actions needed to demonstrate this commitment.
are committed.
Principle 9 - Noise, Emissions, Effluents and Waste;
Principle 3 - Occupational Health and Safety; ResponsibleSteel certified sites prevent and reduce emissions
ResponsibleSteel certified sites protect the health and safety and effluents that have adverse effects on communities or
of workers. the environment, manage waste according to the waste
management hierarchy and take account of the full life cycle
Principle 4 - Labour Rights; ResponsibleSteel certified sites impacts of waste management options.
respect the rights of workers and support worker well-being.
Principle 10 - Water Stewardship; ResponsibleSteel certified
Principle 5 - Human Rights; ResponsibleSteel certified sites sites demonstrate good water stewardship.
respect human rights wherever they operate, irrespective of
their size or structure. Principle 11 – Biodiversity; ResponsibleSteel certified sites
protect and conserve biodiversity.
Principle 6 - Local Communities; ResponsibleSteel certified
sites respect the rights and interests of local communities, Principle 12 - Decommissioning and Closure;
avoid and minimise adverse impact and support community ResponsibleSteel certified sites minimise the adverse social,
well-being. economic and environmental impacts of full or partial site
decommissioning and closure
 Steel for the Future: The transition to responsible, zero carbon steel making

“For more than a decade, HSBC has been at the forefront of the
sustainable finance market. In November 2017, HSBC made five
sustainable finance pledges. We committed to provide USD100 billion
of sustainable financing and investment by 2025, source 100 per cent
of electricity from renewable sources by 2030, reduce our exposure
to thermal coal and actively manage the transition path for other high
carbon sectors, adopt the recommendations of the task force on
climate related financial disclosures to improve transparency, as well
as leading and shaping the debate around sustainable finance and
About the Centre of investment.
Sustainable Finance Taken together, these commitments reflect the scale of the challenge
of delivering the Paris Agreement and UN Sustainable Development
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leading global partner to the public and private sectors in the transition
to a low-carbon economy.”

Daniel Klier, Global Head of Sustainable Finance

“Each and every one of us has a stake in developing a sustainable

economic system. It is the combined responsibility of all players in
society to respond to climate change, rapid technological innovation
and continuing globalisation to secure a prosperous future. Yet
addressing these changing forces is by no means straightforward.
More work is needed to provide the financial system with the right
toolkit to solve sustainability challenges.

Working with internal and external partners, this central think tank is
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the sustainable finance agenda using our global network which covers
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zones. We can provide the connections needed to foster sustainable
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capital flows needed to address the world’s major sustainability
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Zoë Knight, Group Head, HSBC Centre of Sustainable Finance

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