ArcelorMittal entities in Belgium, France, Luxembourg and Spain have joined the Low Emission Steel Standard (LESS), following ArcelorMittal Germany which became a founding member of the initiative in 2024. In addition, ArcelorMittal Belgium CEO Frederik Van De Velde has joined the LESS board of directors.

While LESS is a voluntary standard that supports industrial decarbonisation, steel producers representing almost 45% of steel production in Europe have now joined the initiative, marking a significant step towards a unified and credible labelling system for low carbon-emissions steel in Europe.

While demand for low carbon-emissions steel is increasing, steel made via the conventional route still accounts for the vast majority of steel produced in Europe.

Commenting on LESS and its potential for steel manufacturers in Europe, Frederik Van De Velde said:

“Today, there is no industry definition or single standard for low-carbon emissions steel. We would like to see the broad application of the Low Emission Steel Standard and for it ultimately to become the recognised standard for our industry, backed by producers, customers and regulators. Having a unified standard is vital to making progress in the  decarbonisation of our industry. An important next step needs to be binding sustainability criteria in public projects, to boost the use of low-carbon emission steels and to create green lead markets which are vital”.

ArcelorMittal is the leading supplier of low carbon-emissions steel production in Europe and sold 400,000 tonnes of its XCarb® steel in 2024, with sales expected to further increase this year.

A wide range of ArcelorMittal products are already available as XCarb®, either as XCarb recycled and renewably produced (manufactured in an EAF using renewable electricity and a high proportion of recycled steel) or XCarb® steel certificates, which can be bought alongside a purchase of physical steel. The certificates are issued by ArcelorMittal and based on CO2 savings which have been audited by an independent body.

The European Commission’s Steel and Metals Action Plan, which was published in March this year, contains a number of proposals that, once implemented, could further strengthen the establishment of green lead markets in Europe. The future Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act aims to introduce resilience and sustainability criteria for European products in public procurement, to stimulate demand for EU-produced low-carbon emissions metals, thereby creating lead markets to increase the use of low carbon-emission steels in sectors such as automotive or construction.

In terms of ArcelorMittal’s ability to produce low-carbon emissions on a larger scale, the company continues to optimise its decarbonisation pathway to ensure competitiveness and an appropriate return on investment. Large-scale decarbonisation projects are advancing at a slower pace than originally anticipated due to insufficient policy and market developments. Current investments in Europe are focused on a new EAF in Gijón, Spain, and an EAF expansion at Sestao, Spain, both of which are intended to further expand the company’s ability to produce XCarb® low carbon-emissions steel.