Report 'Nippon Steel Climate Change Assessment 2026' Published: Concerns Over Growing Emission Responsibilities Amid Business Expansion

On June 1, the international climate NGO SteelWatch published a report titled "Nippon Steel Climate Change Assessment 2026," which evaluates the climate change performance of Nippon Steel. The report reveals that while Nippon Steel is rapidly expanding globally, its corresponding climate change measures are insufficient. It has been one year since Nippon Steel completed the acquisition of US Steel. Due to this acquisition, the emissions that Nippon Steel must reduce have increased by more than 30% compared to before the acquisition. Nevertheless, the company continues to maintain and extend the life of coal-fired blast furnaces, relying on technologies with limited or uncertain emission reduction effects. Furthermore, the company is focusing on promoting "GX Steel," which sells steel actually derived from coal as low-emission steel by allocating emission reductions from other sites, thereby delaying the transition to low-emission technologies. "Even if Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) succeeds, the emission reduction effect is limited. By continuing to invest in such technologies and delaying the transition, Nippon Steel is increasing the anxiety of affected local communities and raising the risk of the climate crisis," says Mikiko Ishii, the campaign lead at SteelWatch and lead author of the report. "The blast furnace relining at the Gary Works in the US announced by Nippon Steel is a decision that directly contradicts its increased responsibility for climate action," points out Roger Smith, Asia lead at SteelWatch. Ahead of the annual general meeting of shareholders to be held on the 23rd of this month, the organization is calling on Nippon Steel to stop blast furnace relining and life-extension investments that prolong and expand coal dependency, set clear phase-out dates for all blast furnaces domestically and internationally, implement concrete investments to secure low-emission iron sources, shift the focus of R&D and investment to technologies that minimize emissions, and build consistent emission reductions across all domestic and international operations.