REGISTER NOW

2025 is a critical year for the European steel sector. The Clean Industrial Deal presents an opportunity to enhance the European Union’s competitiveness and accelerate industrial transition and the forthcoming Steel and Metals Action Plan will address the steel sector directly.

Ahead of this important policy juncture, The State of the European Steel Transition signed by a wide number of civil society organisations, aims to inform the policy debate and guide the transition towards a more sustainable steel industry – one that can meet Europe’s climate goals while safeguarding this vital economic sector.

With its in-depth data, including findings from a new European Steel Plant database developed with SteelWatch, the report provides an overview of the existing stock of steel plants across EU member states, including blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) and electric arc furnace (EAF) facilities and emerging decarbonisation projects. It evaluates plans for reinvesting in or transitioning these plants to near-zero emission processes, identifies the companies that own critical assets, and summarises EU member state efforts to financially support the transition to date.

It highlights key enabling conditions to accelerate and smooth the EU steel transition over the next five years including the build out of renewable energy and near-zero emission infrastructure, improving material efficiency and circularity, enhancing recycling, ensuring just transition frameworks, fostering lead markets, and increasing the role of private finance in supporting early-stage commercialisation.

Additionally, it emphasizes the narrowing window for policy and investment decisions, as over half of blast furnaces are due for reinvestment or retirement by 2035. Given rising geopolitical risks, the phase-out of free EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) allowances by 2034, and increasing global competition in green steel production, urgent policy action is needed to secure a resilient and competitive European steel industry.

Join us on the 25 March at the Press Club in Brussels for a hybrid panel discussion exploring these topics and outlining recommendations for priority policy interventions.
This event is organised by E3G and Beyond Fossil Fuels with the support of the European Climate Foundation.

Programme

Moderator: Kira Taylor, energy, climate & environment reporter

10:00 – 10: 15 Arrival and registration

10:15 – 10:35 Welcome remarks and presentation of the report by Johanna Lehne, Lead Author, Associate Director for Clean Economy at E3G

Panel discussion

10:35 – 10:40 Welcome by moderator Kira Taylor

10:40 – 10:45 Bruno Tobback, Member, ITRE Committee, European Parliament
10:45 – 10:50 Chiara Martinelli, Director, CAN Europe (TBC)
10:50 – 10:55 Joan Canton, Head of unit, Energy-intensive industries, Raw materials, DG GROW, European Commission (TBC)
10:55 – 11:00 Sophie Grenade, Senior Policy Advisor, industriAll Europe
11:00 – 11:05 José Noldin, Chief Executive Officer, GravitHy

11:05 – 12:00 Panel discussion and Q&A with the public and online
12:00 – 12:05 Closing remarks

12:05 – 13:00 Networking reception

For more information, please contact Catherine Joppart, Communications Consultant for E3G
Catherine.joppart@e3g.org