The demand: Think climate protection and industrial policy together

The state governments are setting a clear course: domestic, low-emission steel is to play a greater role in the European automotive industry. For the industry, this could mean that CO₂ savings along the supply chain will play a greater role in the assessment of fleet emissions in future.

Kerstin Maria Rippel, Managing Director of the German Steel Federation, puts it like this:

"The initiative of the heads of government of the Steel Alliance countries is a strong signal to the European Commission. Clean Steel Made in Germany & EU is central to a sustainable industrial location for Germany and Europe. In order to secure this location, make it resilient and at the same time climate-neutral, market-based incentives are needed along the entire European value chain - starting with the basic materials industry!

The proposal: crediting CO₂ savings to the fleet balance sheet

"Offsetting CO₂ savings from certified low-emission steel against the fleet balance of car manufacturers is an effective lever for this," says Kerstin Maria Rippel. "This strengthens competitiveness, industrial value creation and climate protection in equal measure. The local steel industry is ready to make its contribution. What is needed now is a regulatory environment that supports these investments and consistently links the strategies of the domestic steel and automotive industries."

The goal: to make production in Germany climate-neutral by 2045

The German Steel Federation represents an industry that has set itself ambitious goals: Production in Germany is to become climate-neutral by 2045. If this is achieved, around a third of industrial greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced. With 37.2 million tons of production in 2024, Germany remains the European leader.

The fact that steel and the automotive industry should be considered more closely together is not only obvious in terms of climate, but also in terms of industrial policy. The energy-intensive transformation of the basic materials industry requires clear regulatory requirements and customers who demand climate-friendly materials and make them chargeable.