I followed Chris Wise鈥檚 logic in questioning, for environmental reasons, whether RIBA should have recognised the 100,000-tonne Bird鈥檚 Nest stadium in Beijing (9 October, page 28), but I struggled to follow why he then used what was clearly a unique structure to criticise the efficiency of steel overall

Would he claim that it was not possible to eat healthily because someone once served a banquet?

Chris chose to speak about my company, Corus, and stated 鈥渢hat it is not in their interests to change to a more efficient beam鈥�. Chris instinctively feels that we avoid such improvement so we can 鈥渟ell more steel鈥�. In reality, the growth of steel is achieved by the opposite approach. Corus puts a great deal of effort into improving the efficiency of our product applications across all sectors.

A good example is the rapid adoption of composite construction in the UK in the seventies and eighties, which reduced steel use dramatically on a building-by-building basis, but increased consumption overall. By maintaining our position as the most efficient and cost-effective solution, steel is used more widely.

It is possible to delight the shareholders and behave responsibly with regard to the environment. Achieving those dual aims is a fundamental of sustainable development. Hopefully, Chris will sleep easier tonight knowing his personal wealth and wellbeing does not necessarily cost the planet.

Roger Steeper, manager, market and product development, Corus

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