Swerea SWECAST was commissioned by the Swedish Foundry Association to update the background report for the carbon footprint indicator which was first put forward in 2011.

The aim of the work was to analyze the emission of CO2 for thirteen foundry producing countries when producing one tonne of cast product.

The Swedish Environmental Research Institute, IVL, has on Swerea SWECAST mission produced a report with general data on carbon dioxide emissions from electricity consumption from thirteen countries.

Based on the background data presented by IVL and assumptions, calculations have been made for a number of different metals. The results are an indication that there are climatic differences depending on the country the cast components is manufactured in. In essence, it is the countries' electricity mix that controls the outcome, where Sweden is very well, because electricity from hydro and nuclear power produce low emissions of greenhouse gases in the operating phase.

A risk with this kind of work is that the result is taken as income for not working with energy efficiency in the Swedish foundries. So should not the results be interpreted. If foundries in other countries or individual foundries are working to streamline its process and the Swedish foundries don’t there is the risk that the Swedish foundries after all end up behind.