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Strengthening Lead Markets in the Industrial Accelerator Act
The Clean Air Task Force recommends that the EU increase its 2029 public procurement mandates for low-carbon steel to 50% and low-carbon concrete and mortar to 10%. It argues that the current IAA proposal is insufficient to drive investment and suggests expanding mandates to 100% by 2040. The report also proposes extending these requirements to private construction projects over 1000 m2 and private automotive fleets by 2032, while broadening the scope to include low-carbon plastics and fertilisers.
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Document type: Report
Europe’s sustainable public procurement data
The research finds that while the EU's new Public Procurement Data Space (PPDS) tracks the intent of green procurement, it currently lacks the granular data needed to measure actual environmental outcomes. A pilot study using spend-based estimation on German data shows that applying green criteria to all procurement in the construction and vehicle sectors could yield carbon savings significantly higher than those currently achieved by green-tagged contracts. The authors argue that targeted improvements to data consistency and item-level reporting would allow the PPDS to move from tracking 'boxes ticked' to measuring real-world impact.
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Document type: Research paper
Made in Europe Requirements in Public Procurement
The report examines the potential for the European Union to use local content requirements (LCRs) in public procurement to drive decarbonization and industrial resilience. It analyzes LCR frameworks in China, India, and Canada, noting that while these tools can create predictable demand for low-carbon industries, they risk increasing costs, reducing competition, and triggering trade retaliation. The authors argue that LCRs should only be used in strategic sectors where specific preconditions—such as high market leverage and strong climate gains—are met, and must be tied to ambitious, performance-based environmental criteria rather than origin alone. The report specifically evaluates the steel, cement, and clean technology sectors, concluding that while LCRs can support resilience, they must be carefully designed to avoid protecting high-emission producers or hindering the import of essential green intermediate goods.
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Document type: Report
Joint Statement on the Commission proposal for the Industrial Accelerator Act
A joint statement from research organisations, think tanks, and civil society arguing that the European Commission's Industrial Accelerator Act proposal lacks the ambition needed to create effective lead markets for low-carbon materials. The signatories call for progressive increases in public procurement quotas, the inclusion of private procurement, and robust definitions of 'low-carbon' to avoid stranding committed supply and to provide the investment certainty required for large-scale decarbonisation.
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Document type: Statement
Schneller Übergang zur Energiesouveränität
The report outlines a five-step strategy for the EU to transition from risky fossil fuel imports to domestic clean energy, emphasizing electrification, grid connectivity, flexibility, industrial decarbonization, and the use of the EU Methane Regulation to phase out high-emission imports.
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Document type: Report
Rapid Transition to Energy Sovereignty
The European Union remains vulnerable to global energy shocks due to a high dependency on fossil fuel imports, nearly 60% of its primary energy supply. While the EU has reduced reliance on Russian gas, it has increased exposure to US LNG, which the report identifies as a significant political and economic risk. To achieve energy sovereignty, the report proposes five key actions: accelerating electrification (where 89% of demand is technically electrifiable), enhancing grid interconnectivity, deploying energy storage and demand flexibility, decarbonising heavy industry through green public procurement and product mandates, and leveraging the EU Methane Regulation (EU MER) to disincentivise high-emitting imports. Financing this transition will require an average of EUR1.5tn per year through 2050, primarily driven by private capital and the GSS+ bond market.
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Document type: Report
Joint Statement on the upcoming proposal for an Industrial Accelerator Act
A joint statement by industrial, research, and civil society organisations urging the European Commission to broaden the scope and ambition of the proposed Industrial Accelerator Act to better stimulate demand for low-carbon industrial products in Europe.
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Document type: Statement
Tracking Progress Toward the Coolfood Pledge
The document outlines the targets and metrics for the Coolfood Pledge, focusing on GHG emissions reductions and the increase of plant-based foods in procurement by 2030, 2035, and 2050.
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Document type: Guide
How Manufacturers in India Can Leverage Environmental Product Declarations
The document argues that Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) will likely become a widespread requirement for Indian building product manufacturers by 2030. It outlines a 10-to-30-week process for EPD development, involving life-cycle assessments (LCA) and third-party verification, with estimated initial costs between ₹983,000 and ₹1,519,000. EPDs are presented as a tool for gaining competitive advantages in green building certifications (LEED, IGBC, GRIHA), complying with international regulations like the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), and improving operational efficiency through the identification of emissions hotspots.
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Document type: Guide
Green Industrial Policy for India’s Iron and Steel Sector Transition
The report argues that India's iron and steel sector, which accounts for roughly 12% of the country's total greenhouse gas emissions, requires a coordinated Green Industrial Policy (GIP) to avoid high-carbon asset lock-ins and meet its 2070 net-zero target. Through plant-level and sectoral modelling, the analysis identifies hydrogen-based Direct Reduced Iron-Electric Arc Furnace (DRI-EAF) as the most viable long-term pathway. To make this technology investable, the report proposes a combination of time-bound capex and opex subsidies, a predictable carbon price trajectory rising from USD 10 in 2025 to USD 50 by 2050, and green public procurement. The study finds that with these interventions, hydrogen-based steel could achieve cost leadership and a 13.3% IRR by 2050, while conventional blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) pathways become financially unviable.
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Document type: Policy brief
Strengthening Public Procurement for Climate Action and Competitiveness
The report argues that the current EU public procurement framework, specifically Directive 2014/24/EU, fails to drive the green transition because GPP remains voluntary, leading to fragmented implementation and a prevalence of lowest-price awards. It identifies three primary challenges: a fragmented legal landscape, the voluntary nature of GPP, and perceived legal uncertainty regarding the 'link to subject matter' rule. To address these, the authors recommend making GPP the default via a 'comply-or-explain' approach, tying 'Buy European' rules to environmental performance, simplifying rules through harmonized criteria and labels, strengthening data monitoring, and investing in the professionalization of contracting authorities. The report provides detailed operational options for both simplification and strategic procurement to support the EU's 2040 emissions targets.
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Document type: Report
Recommendations for an Industrial Accelerator Act to Unlock Industrial Competitiveness in Central and Eastern Europe
The joint statement argues that while the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) can transform Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) into clean industry hubs, it risks exacerbating regional disparities due to the CEE's narrower fiscal margins and higher energy costs compared to other EU states. To prevent industrial decline driven by 'subsidy races', the authors recommend combining EU content requirements with carbon and circularity criteria, establishing common EU labels for green steel, cement, and chemicals, and implementing Green Public Procurement (GPP) mandates. Specifically, the statement suggests that GPP mandates for low-carbon materials in infrastructure could increase public procurement budgets in CEE by between +0.11% in Austria and +1.35% in Romania. The authors also call for equitable access to EU-level funding and streamlined permitting for cross-border hydrogen and CO2 infrastructure to address the region's high energy costs.
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Document type: Statement
Reform options for the EU public procurement directive
The report identifies that the current EU public procurement framework is fragmented and voluntary, leading to missed opportunities for emissions reductions despite nearly EUR 2 trillion in annual public spending. It proposes a roadmap for the European Commission to revise the directives, specifically recommending a 'comply-or-explain' approach to make green public procurement the default, tying 'Buy European' preferences to environmental performance, and simplifying legal requirements to reduce uncertainty for buyers.
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Document type: Report
Simpler and More Sustainable
The document examines the role of green public procurement (GPP) in the EU, highlighting that while public procurement accounts for 14% of EU GDP and 11% of its greenhouse gas emissions, the uptake of GPP tools is hindered by legal uncertainty, administrative burdens, and capacity gaps. It advocates for reforming EU directives to broaden the 'link to subject matter' requirement, standardize sustainability tools, and professionalize procurement staff to drive the green transition.
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Document type: Policy brief
Building demand for decarbonised products of heavy industry in the EU
The report argues that while supply-side subsidies and carbon pricing are necessary, they are insufficient to close the cost gap for near-zero emissions industrial products. It recommends that the EU implement harmonised embodied carbon labelling and mandatory procurement quotas for decarbonised materials in high-impact sectors such as construction, automotive, and food retail to create stable lead markets.
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Document type: Report
Decarbonising to Compete: Towards a Low-Carbon Cement and Steel Industry in Brazil
The report examines the decarbonisation of Brazil's cement and steel sectors, highlighting the role of low-carbon hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, and green finance in achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
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Document type: Report
Descarbonizar para Competir: Rumo a uma Indústria de Cimento e Aço de Baixo Carbono no Brasil
The report analyzes the decarbonization pathways for Brazil's cement and steel sectors, highlighting the role of emerging technologies like low-carbon hydrogen and carbon capture, the impact of international regulations like the EU's CBAM, and the availability of green financing instruments to support the industrial transition.
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Document type: Report
Growing the market forlow carbon industrial products: policy framework Consultation
The submission argues that voluntary measures are insufficient for industrial decarbonisation and proposes a phased transition to mandatory embodied emissions reporting by 2029. It recommends a life-cycle assessment (LCA) based methodology, the integration of green procurement into Government Buying Standards, and a 'twin-track' expansion strategy prioritising construction-related sectors for immediate action while developing frameworks for complex sectors like chemicals.
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Document type: Statement
Digital Transformation Trade, Climate, and Net Zero Pathways: Scenarios and Implications for Developing Countries and Climate-Resilient Development
The document examines the 'twin transition' of digital and green transformations, highlighting how digital technologies can both enable climate action and contribute significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions. It identifies critical gaps in infrastructure and financing for developing countries and proposes five priority decarbonization levers: green infrastructure, energy-efficient operations, sustainable supply chains, circular economy models, and climate-compatible infrastructure. The authors argue for coordinated international cooperation, targeted financial incentives, and the integration of environmental provisions into digital trade agreements to ensure an inclusive transition to net zero.
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Document type: Briefing
Trade, Climate, and Net Zero Pathways: Scenarios and Implications for Developing Countries and Climate-Resilient Development
The document provides a comprehensive analysis of how the transition to net-zero emissions affects nine global sectors: agriculture, carbon markets, critical minerals, digital transformation, energy transition, fisheries, heavy industries, shipping, and textiles and garments. It examines the intersection of trade policies and climate action, highlighting the risks of 'green protectionism' and the potential for developing countries to capture new economic opportunities through value addition and green industrialization. The reports emphasize the need for international cooperation to ensure a just transition, particularly for least developed countries (LDCs) and small island developing states (SIDS).
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Document type: Briefing