Italian steel industry leads in terms of decarbonization in Europe – Federacciai

The Italian steel industry leads the EU in terms of decarbonization, circularity and energy efficiency. This is stated in the 2023 Sustainability Report for the industry published by the Italian steel producers’ association Federacciai.

According to the report, the Italian industry’s energy efficiency and specific CO2 emissions are 40% better than the European average.

According to Federacciai, more than 85% of the country’s steel production comes from scrap recycling, and Italian steel mills are ranked first in the EU in terms of scrap recycling. Thus, in 2022, the country’s steel mills processed 18.7 million tons of this raw material.

The sector also reduced carbon emissions by 60% between 1990 and 2023, and energy consumption has decreased by more than 33% since 2000.

About 80% of Italian steel producers’ investments are in cyclicality, energy efficiency, digitalization, environmental protection and safety. In particular, in 2022, investments in decarbonization more than doubled compared to 2021.

As noted by Federacciai, currently 90% of national steel production is accounted for by companies that voluntarily report their sustainability performance through relevant reports or voluntary non-financial declarations that meet standards recognized at the European and international levels. Italian plants are fully equipped with certified environmental management systems.

The industry association also listed the necessary conditions for the energy transition. These include energy and low-carbon technologies, promoting the availability of scrap, financing and incentives, maintaining a level playing field without losing market share to products with a higher carbon footprint, and developing tools to stimulate demand for green steel.

As GMK Center reported earlier, Federacciai has called for support for the Italian electrometallurgical sector. The problems include energy costs and scrap availability.