The World Steel Association ( worldsteel) has recently released its 2010 global steel life cycle inventory (LCI). The datasets provide the most accurate and comprehensive data on the environmental profile of 16 key products, representative of the spectrum of steel production. The LCI datasets are used for material selection and product design. They are available free of charge to everyone.

The data enables a full life cycle approach to be utilised when determining the environmental impact of steel-containing products, including their carbon footprints. It is used in LCA studies that guide the development of environmental standards and regulations, and aids manufacturers in compliance and voluntary improvement initiatives.

"The steel industry recognises the importance of life cycle assessment studies because increasingly they serve as the basis for environmental legislation and voluntary initiatives. Consequently, it has never been more important to have true representations of the environmental impact of a product or material, and the release of the 2010 LCI data continues our commitment to provide a major tool for society to design and use products with a lower carbon footprint," said Ian Christmas, Director General of the World Steel Association.

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