We were proud to be invited back to the Green Gown Awards this time held in Edinburgh alongside the University of Lincoln as finalists for the Green Steel for Change project—an initiative focused on developing a sustainable, land-based alternative to metallurgical coal for steel production.

This pioneering research explored the use of biochar, produced through the pyrolysis of biomass grown on rewetted lowland peat, as a substitute for injection coal in ironmaking. Not only does this offer a route to decarbonising one of the most carbon-intensive sectors of the global economy, but it also delivers significant land-use emissions reductions—up to 25 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per hectare annually—through peatland restoration.

A collaborative project between Lapwing, the University of Lincoln, and British Steel, this work positions agriculture as a key player in the industrial decarbonisation landscape. With the steel industry accounting for 7% of global energy sector emissions, a combined biochar and land-use change approach could cut UK net emissions by 25–30 tonnes for every tonne of coal displaced.

The recognition by the Green Gown Awards underscores our shared belief in investing in innovation, strengthening cross-sector collaboration, and building the resilient systems necessary to meet the UK’s Net Zero ambitions.