The monetary cost of corrosion is currently estimated at 3 to 4% of the global GDP considering direct costs exclusively. However, no study to date has quantified the environmental impact associated with steel corrosion. Here, we determined that the CO₂ emissions associated with the steelmaking required to replace corroded steel will be 4.1–9.1% of the total by 2030 considering the European Union and recent U.S. greenhouse gas reduction targets. We suggest that implementing corrosion management best-practices could drastically reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the replacement of corroded steel and emphasize the need for coordinated international efforts.

The easy and scalable synthesis, biocompatibility, one-dimensionality, high aspect ratio, viability for surface modifications, and the ability for cargo-loading and release make organic nanotubes ideal candidates for smart coatings with slow and controlled release corrosion inhibitors and anti-biofouling agents. The wide-ranging applicability of organic nanotubes as controlled release nanocarriers for smart anti-corrosion and anti-biofouling coatings is foreseen.

The UK holds the largest inventory, worldwide, of separated plutonium under civil safeguards. Here, the importance of materials degradation in managing this inventory to a safe and secure end point is reviewed, together with recent developments, in the context of storage, reuse and immobilisation and disposal.