The Swiss Steel Group has expressly welcomed the groundbreaking decision by the Steel Association (WV Stahl) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) to introduce the Low Emission Steel Standard (LESS). This initiative marks a significant milestone towards promoting climate-friendly standards in the steel industry.
“As the steel industry, we want to develop a market for climate-friendly steel in order to replace public start-up financing for our transformation as quickly as possible. To do this, we must make the progress in decarbonizing our locations visible, comparable and therefore assessable. The question of a green steel definition has been intensively discussed worldwide for a long time. I am pleased that our combined efforts have succeeded in developing a widely agreed solution based on international rules and standards, which we are now implementing,” says Bernhard Osburg, President of the Steel Industry Association, emphasizing the importance of clarity Rules and verifiable standards for the success of the transformation of the steel industry.
Swiss Steel particularly welcomes the fact that a solution has been found that is internationally compatible.
The Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, Robert Habeck, emphasizes the importance of sustainable labels for creating transparency and incentives for climate-friendly raw materials and products:
“The new LESS label is an important and welcome push by the German steel industry for sustainable standards and greater comparability in transformation efforts. Sustainable labels are an essential lever for creating transparency and incentives for climate-friendly raw materials and products on the market.”
The minister's intention to create international lead markets (G7) was particularly well received. Basically, we have to look beyond the purely German horizon. LESS combines both production routes of steel production and enables decarbonization efforts to be compared. It is important to emphasize that for the first time there is a standard that extends to the rolled product. This is the real difference to previous approaches of this type. With LESS, products become comparable because nobody buys liquid steel.
Uniform labeling system
Through a uniform labeling system and a tiered classification of low-CO2 steel, LESS creates transparency and enables steel users to achieve their climate goals with the help of sustainably produced steel.
“The Swiss Steel Group sees LESS as an important step in accelerating the transformation to climate neutrality and promoting sustainable development in the steel industry. We are determined to do our part and maximize the benefits of climate-friendly steel for our customers and the environment," explains Frank Koch, CEO of the Swiss Steel Group.