Miliband's ruining British steel, blasts Millennium Dome builder

A British construction firm behind buildings such as the Millennium Dome and London's Olympic stadium has warned that net zero rules risk ruining Britain's steel industry.

Simon Richards, sustainability director at Hertfordshire-based firm Sir Robert McAlpine, said while the firm backed reducing carbon emissions in the steel sector, green policies risked 'unintended consequences' that could leave the UK under threat.

'Offshoring UK production is not decarbonising. It simply moves activity overseas, exporting emissions and jobs, and leaves the UK more exposed to volatile markets and rising tariff barriers when domestic production capability has become a question of national security,' Richards said.

While the sector should still consider emissions, this should be balanced against the 'social value' and 'resilience' of Britain's steel sector, he said, adding: 'Decisions in construction specifications ripple through supply chains and into the livelihoods of steelworkers in Scunthorpe, Sheffield, Port Talbot and the Welsh Valleys.'

This month the Prime Minister announced plans to nationalise British Steel's Scunthorpe plant, having already taken over its management from its Chinese owners Jingye to prevent its blast furnaces being shut down.

But he is under increasing pressure to do more to alleviate the crippling energy costs that have left the sector struggling to compete with much cheaper steel made overseas.