Steel industry in the United Kingdom
{{Short description|none}}
The steel industry in the United Kingdom is a major sector of the British economy. In 2023, the United Kingdom was the world's 26th largest producer of crude steel and Europe's 8th largest.{{Cite web |date=27 May 2024 |title=World Steel in Figures 2024 |url=https://worldsteel.org/data/world-steel-in-figures-2024/ |website=World Steel Association |access-date=17 October 2024 |archive-date=27 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240927124318/https://worldsteel.org/data/world-steel-in-figures-2024/ |url-status=live }} It produced 5.6 million tonnes of crude steel, equivalent to 0.3% of global output.{{Sfn|Jozepa|2024|p=6}}
History
The steel industry employed 350,000 people when it was nationalised by Prime Minister Harold Wilson in 1967.{{Cite news |date=2016-05-21 |title=The rise and fall of Britain's steel industry |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36337180 |access-date=2025-04-14 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}
In the 2020s, the steel industry faced crisis. Thousands of job losses at Port Talbot Steelworks lead to Plaid Cymru calling for nationalisation.{{Cite web |title=Port Talbot: How steel town is grappling with 'life-changing' loss of more than 2,000 jobs |url=https://news.sky.com/story/port-talbot-how-steel-town-is-grappling-with-life-changing-loss-of-more-than-2-000-jobs-13345631 |access-date=2025-04-14 |website=Sky News |language=en}} The Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025 was passed to secure British Steel company at Scunthorpe Steelworks.{{Cite web |title=British Steel employees express fears over future of Scunthorpe plant |url=https://news.sky.com/story/british-steel-employees-express-fears-over-future-of-scunthorpe-plant-13346832 |access-date=2025-04-14 |website=Sky News |language=en}}
Environmental impact
The steel industry is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions by the United Kingdom. It is responsible for 2.2% of total greenhouse gas emissions and 13.4% of greenhouse gas emissions from manufacturing.{{Sfn|Jozepa|2024|p=7}} Environmental concerns have been cited as an issue for the industry.{{Cite web |title=Why the British steel industry is on the brink of extinction - or a green resurrection |url=https://news.sky.com/story/why-the-british-steel-industry-is-on-the-brink-of-extinction-or-a-green-resurrection-12850386 |access-date=2025-04-14 |website=Sky News |language=en}}
References
= Citations =
{{Reflist}}
= Bibliography =
- {{OPL-attribution}}{{Cite report |url=https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7317/ |title=UK steel industry: statistics and policy |last=Jozepa |first=Izle |date=15 October 2024 |publisher=House of Commons Library |issue=CBP 7317}}
- {{Cite book |last=Cottrell |first=Elizabeth |url=https://cps.org.uk/research/the-giant-with-feet-of-clay-the-british-steel-industry-1945-1981/ |title=The Giant with Feet of Clay: The British Steel Industry 1945-1981 |date=August 1981 |publisher=Centre for Policy Studies |isbn=978-0-905880-40-2 |oclc=8983978}}
{{Steel plants in the United Kingdom}}{{Iron and steel production}}{{Economy of the United Kingdom}}