At the COP30 summit held in Belém, Brazil, following calls for greater consistency and clarity in carbon standards, Responsiblesteel announced a partnership with the European Low-Emission Steel Standard (LESS) and the Chinese Low-carbon Steel Standard (C2F Steel). These two standards cover approximately 60% of global steel production.
Responsiblesteel's agreements with Chinese and European steel standards expand the overall approach to greenhouse gas measurement and classification, covering more than half of global steel production. The partnerships bring together producers, consumers and innovators within the agreed definitions of low-emission steel, accelerating the industry's progress towards deep decarbonization.
Steel accounts for about 7-9 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, making it one of the largest industrial contributors to climate change. The agreements strengthen efforts to promote trade and investment in decarbonized steel, while ensuring consistency and reliability of sustainability standards worldwide.
Significant progress in decarbonization requires cross-border cooperation and compliance with international standards. Today's agreements are a convincing confirmation of the global government consensus on a low-emission steel classification approach based on the use of different types of scrap. This approach recognizes that the amount of recyclable steel will be limited in the coming period and is intended to promote decarbonization in all technologies.
This approach, already recognized by the G7 and incorporated into international standards, provides a practical, science-based solution that facilitates the global transition to low-emission steel without compromising integrity. This prevents unproductive competition for limited scrap metal supplies, promotes decarbonization at all stages of steel production, and supports technologically neutral solutions that comply with international trade rules by eliminating unnecessary barriers to trade.
Responsiblesteel's accounting methodology and classification system for greenhouse gases are part of an "International Manufacturing Standard" developed through a transparent multi-stakeholder process involving more than 180 people, including more than 70 business and civil society organizations, as well as steel producers operating blast furnaces and power plants arc furnace Equipment (EDP) covering a wide range of ESG
.General
