Main Interview __________________________________________________________________________________________________
featured in the documentary later shared the motivations that drive women into these fields during a panel discussion .
“ Although women often have to break through a glass ceiling to enter roles typically occupied by men , sustainability related roles are different in that most of the time , they are brand-new positions . These roles are uncharted , attracting more women to apply . Women typically feel a responsibility to share our passions and empower other women . My responsibility in supporting the next generation as one of Nucor ’ s leaders is not lost on me ; we must encourage and empower others through deliberate mentorship to bring new ideas and talent to our industry .
Securing a clean energy supply
“ Also , as a mother , I feel a natural maternal instinct to protect the planet for the next generation by doing the right thing for my family , my company , and the environment . The whole time you ’ re parenting , you never know if you ’ re doing the right thing and there ’ s no ‘ easy button ’ for parenthood whilst maintaining a career . However , it was incredibly rewarding to see my daughter , a freshman going into environmental science and majoring in sustainability , representing the next generation at the end of the Women of Carbon documentary .”
Turning to Nucor ’ s operations , Tabitha shares how an electric arc furnace ( EAF ) means Nucor ’ s production naturally leans into sustainability and circularity . “ There are two ways of making steel : firstly , using an EAF , which is a circular method that uses electricity to melt scrap metal , the primary feedstock , to produce steel with upwards of 70 percent recycled content . The other method is extractive , using a blast furnace that relies primarily on raw materials like coking coal and iron ore ,” she explains . “ An EAF emits just one third of the carbon per ton of steel compared to using a blast furnace , yet it produces steel of the same grade and quality . Currently , only 30 percent of the world ’ s steel is made using an EAF .
Also , as a mother , I feel a natural maternal instinct to protect the planet for the next generation by doing the right thing for my family , my company , and the environment
“ However , as Nucor helps the energy industry to decarbonize , we recognize using an EAF heightens our Scope 2 emissions and we ’ re passionate about finding clean energy sources to fulfil our demand . We ’ re investing in nuclear technology with the aim of being able to power our steel mills with on-site or near-site nuclear small modular reactors with both fission and fusion technology by the end of this decade . As well as maintaining close relationships with utility companies , we ’ ve recently announced a $ 50 million investment package for small companies that will help us secure a clean energy supply moving forwards . “ In terms of energy transition , we believe Nucor has the breadth of products , capabilities , and research and development to meet the needs on the horizon ,” Tabitha shares . “ We constantly track megatrends like reshoring and the demand for a more robust energy grid alongside renewable sources , which are all steel intensive activities . We ’ re also now more integrated with our data center customers , having established a data systems company to provide racking and installation . We ’ re being more deliberate about connecting directly with companies , forming strategic partnerships where we are a solutions provider for their sustainability and product availability concerns .
14