Agenda Step 6. Reduce environmental consequences
Metal industry processes affect the environment through emissions to air and water,
noise and deposited waste. An intense and dedicated effort to reduce the environmental
impact is already well underway and major steps have been taken. To continue this
work and be able to take action on the right direction requires new and better understanding
of the environmental effects of emissions and waste, as well as techniques to
reduce them. Carbon dioxide is a highly prioritized area where extensive research and
development is needed to reduce emissions radically. This research includes completely
new reduction technologies, alternative fuels and the ability to collect and store carbon
dioxide. The development of pilot and demonstration scale facilities is also needed. Air
emissions of nitrogen oxides and dust are consequences of the use of fuels and combustion
technologies in high temperature processes. The developments in energy efficiency
must be weighed against the impact on emissions. With regard to emissions to air,
water and land, methods for assessing the environmental effects are required. The
focus is to identify opportunities for action early in the chain by reviewing raw materials
and other sources. The amount of waste and its environmental impact can be reduced
through the development of process technology and pre-treatment techniques and/or
the selection of recycling pathways.
The goal is that the Swedish metal industry should be a global leader in terms of causing
minimum environmental impact from a life cycle perspective.