Trane Technologies is making headway on its plans to decarbonize and said it has shipped one million HVAC units with low-carbon steel for commercial and residential uses.
The announcement comes one year after Trane Technologies, an HVAC and refrigeration manufacturing company, established purchase agreements with two major U.S. steel manufacturers. The company’s high-efficiency heat pumps and air conditioners are its low-carbon steel products and are part of a larger effort to decarbonize the steel industry.
Other steel manufacturers have set forth decarbonization goals in the past year as the industry faces increased criticism for its heavy emissions status. Earlier this month, steel manufacturer Nucor unveiled its plans to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emission targets for 2050 and released new interim targets for 2030. Iron and steel production accounts for roughly 8% of the world’s carbon emissions.
Trane Technologies is a member of SteelZero, and the company has pledged to procure, specify, or stock 50% net-zero steel by 2030 and 100% net-zero by 2050. Trane is also a founding member of the First Movers Coalition, a coalition of companies using their purchasing power to create early markets for innovative clean technologies across eight hard-to-abate sectors. Further, the company is taking part in the Gigatron Challenge, a pledge to reduce customer greenhouse gas emissions by 1 billion metric tons, or 1 gigaton.
“As we continue taking bold, innovative action to decarbonize our entire value chain, this milestone highlights another remarkable step on our journey toward a net-zero future,” said Keith Sultana, senior vice president of global integrated supply chain at Trane Technologies. “Propelled by our purpose to challenge what’s possible for a more sustainable world, we are proud to lead our industry in reducing the embodied carbon of our products – enabling further emissions reductions for our customers and helping to lower their environmental footprints.”
Low-carbon steel currently represents 20% of Trane Technologies’ annual steel purchase. The low-carbon steel is manufactured in an electric arc furnace and is nearly 80% less carbon-intensive than traditional blast furnace steel. The change reduces approximately 16,000 metric tons of carbon annually.
“Decarbonizing the steel industry is crucial to speeding up climate action,” Mike Peirce, executive director of system change for Climate Group, said in a statement. “Our SteelZero campaign is dedicated to working with forward-looking companies like Trane Technologies who are turning their commitments into action, harnessing collective purchasing power and influence to accelerate the transition to a responsible, net zero future.”
