The State of the European Steel Transition

The document argues that while Europe leads in near-zero emission steel innovation, it faces increasing competition from China and the MENA region. It calls for urgent policy action in 2024, specifically recommending the phase-out of coal-fired blast furnaces and the advancement of hydrogen-based green steel to secure jobs and industrial resilience. The text also critiques the Commission's Steel and Metals Action Plan (SMAP) for lacking input from environmental NGOs.

• Europe is a leader in near-zero emission steel innovation but faces increasing competition from China and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Investing in green steel technologies is presented as a means to secure jobs and maintain leadership in hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (DRI) and electric arc furnace (EAF) scrap-based steelmaking.
• The European steel sector is responsible for five percent of the European Union's total carbon emissions based on 2023 data.
• The report provides eight policy recommendations, prioritizing the end of permitting and investment for new or existing coal-fired blast furnaces, and calling for transparent transformation plans for existing facilities.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2025). The State of the European Steel Transition. https://www.sei.org/publications/the-state-of-the-european-steel-transition/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. The State of the European Steel Transition. 2025. https://www.sei.org/publications/the-state-of-the-european-steel-transition/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=The State of the European Steel Transition |date=19 March 2025 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/the-state-of-the-european-steel-transition/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2025state, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{The State of the European Steel Transition}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2025}, month = mar, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/the-state-of-the-european-steel-transition/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }