Recently, some brands have chosen to take sides on controversial issues. However, this type of brand activism may aggravate social polarization without benefit. New research affiliated with the Bernstein Center for Leadership and Ethics at Columbia Business School suggests brands that choose a different path can play a unique and successful role decreasing the polarization of social and political attitudes.
For many years, steelmaking has followed a consistent, two-step process: First, iron ore is mined and mixed with coal, as well as other substances, to make molten iron. This process most often happens using highly polluting blast furnaces. Some 90% of steel-related emissions come from this first iron-producing step.
Steel is an infamously hard-to-abate sector. For one thing, steel production assets have long lifespans before they are due for expensive upgrades. For another, the sector’s energy requirements are massive and will likely tax emerging clean energy systems. Some of these roadblocks can be circumvented — at least for the time being — with an embrace of transitional, “messy middle” technologies and processes, which can represent decarbonization potentials of between 10% and 50% (though they still carry significant green price premiums).
