"Our commitment to all aspects of sustainability is embedded in our founding principles — valuing our teams, our partners, our communities and our environment," said SDI chairman, president and chief executive Mark D. Millett. 

"As evidence of our ongoing commitment, our Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions are already among the lowest in the industry. We are embarking on a path to carbon neutrality from a position of strength — and we are committed to the continued reduction of our environmental footprint," he said. 

To achieve the goal, SDI is targeting a 20% reduction in Scope 1 and Scope 2 combined greenhouse gas emissions intensity from its electric arc furnace (EAF) fleet by 2025. It also is aiming for a 50% reduction by 2030, compared to a 2018 baseline.

Additionally, the company plans to increase the use of renewable electrical energy for its EAF steel mills to 10% by 2025 and 30% by 2030.

To those ends, SDI said it will identify and implement emission reduction projects; improve energy management; partner with local utilities to increase the use of renewable energy; and research and develop innovative technologies.

Although carbon neutrality is a long-term goal, the company already is well on its way, it said. Based on International Energy Agency recommendations for the steel sector, its existing steelmaking operations already fall within the 2050 intensity targets designed to meet the Paris Agreement.

"Steel is a vital resource in building a sustainable future," said Millett. "With these new targets and a proven track record of progress, we are demonstrating that steel must continue to play a critical role in the 'green' transition."