2021 is the European Year of Rail.
Officially launched on March 29th by the European Commission, the European Year of Rail will aim to highlight the benefits of rail as a sustainable, smart and safe means of transport. “Environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient, rail will play a crucial role in helping the EU become climate neutral by 2050. The COVID-19 crisis has also shown how rail transport can facilitate the supply of essential goods such as medical devices, food and fuel in exceptional circumstances” declared Oleg Butković, Croatian Minister for the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, President of the Council of the EU.
A truly sustainable means of transport
Rail emits far less CO2 than equivalent travel by road or air. It accounts for only 0.4 % of EU greenhouse gas emissions, while all EU transport accounts for 25% of the EU’s total emissions. Plus, it is the only transport means that has consistently reduced its emissions and energy consumption between 1990-2017, while increasingly using renewable energy sources.
Moreover, rails are infinitely recyclable.At the end of its service life and when it is removed from the track, a rail can be recycled as raw material to manufacture new rails or other steel products, which means a significant amount of natural resources and energy savings. This ability to infinitely recycling is one of the environmental strengths of steel.
ArcelorMittal committed to be climate-neutral by 2050
ArcelorMittal as world’s leading steel and mining company supports the European Commission’s Green Deal and believes the right market mechanisms are a critical part of enabling the deployment of low-emissions steelmaking. ArcelorMittal was one of the first companies to support a proposed carbon border adjustment and backs the European Commission’s proposals for a €35 billion ‘just transition’ fund, to invest in research, innovation and green technology.
ArcelorMittal Europe has committed to reduce CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030, with a further ambition to be carbon neutral by 2050, in line with the EU’s Green Deal and the Paris Agreement. As Europe’s largest steelmaker, we have a significant role to play.
ArcelorMittal has recently launched XCarb™, as part of the company’s journey to deliver on its 2050 net zero commitment. XCarb™ will ultimately bring together all of ArcelorMittal’s reduced, low and zero-carbon products and steelmaking activities, as well as wider initiatives and green innovation projects, into a single effort focused on achieving demonstrable progress towards carbon neutral steel.
ArcelorMittal Rails & Special Sections bringing innovation to the railway sector
ArcelorMittal Europe Long – Products Rails & Special Sections operates rail production facilities in Spain, Poland and Luxembourg offering a wide portfolio of products covering rails for trains, subways, trams, light rails, crane rails, crossings, and rail accessories; building an incomparable knowledge and expertise of these product range.
ArcelorMittal’s current main trending topics for railway are: