By fiscal 2030, Japan's JFE Holdings Inc. aims to reduce emissions by more than 20% from 2013 levels from its JFE Steel Corp. unit, Reuters reported Sept. 15.

For the long term, the steelmaker aims to become carbon neutral soon after 2050, the same target the Japanese government set, the report said.

"We plan to map out feasible plans which could include use of more scrap and more ferro-coke, a technology for improving reduction rate of iron ore put into blast furnace, as well as development of innovative technologies," a JFE spokesperson was quoted as saying.

JFE reportedly established a new team under the direct control of JFE Steel's president to ramp up the company's efforts to address climate change. In April, top Japanese steel producer Nippon Steel Corp. formed an internal committee to outline the company's measures to reduce emissions. The committee plans to release its mid- and long-term goals by the end of March 2021, the report said.

JFE is working with other members of the Japan Iron and Steel Federation to develop new technology to cut emissions. The federation intends to slash 9 million tonnes of emissions by 2030 from the steelmaking process of Japanese companies from their emission of 194.4 Mt in 2013, a 4.6% reduction, the report said. Reuters noted that the goal involves various assumptions, including annual crude steel output remaining at about 120 Mt.