The European Commission is expected to publish its proposal for an Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA), the first legislative initiative under the Clean Industrial Deal.

The Act aims to speed up the decarbonisation of Europe’s energy-intensive industries, like steel, cement, chemicals, paper and aluminium, while supporting the deployment of clean technologies in the EU.

But in a late twist, it seems that any emissions label for steel in the upcoming "made in Europe [sic]" ‌law, could be dropped, a blow to low-carbon steelmakers wishing to compete globally.

The intention of the IAA is to introduce a new set of policy tools to speed up decarbonisation by: streamlining permitting, improving access to clean energy and supporting low-carbon projects, with easier access to funding. It also seeks to link decarbonisation and competitiveness effectively by creating a lead market strategy for clean industrial products, including a label for green steel.

“A well-crafted Industrial Accelerator Act is a real chance to shift the EUs industry and make it clean and future-proof. But it will only work if it puts a bold lead-market strategy at its centre. The Commission must use this opportunity to create real demand for clean materials such as green steel if it wants to secure its industrial future and stay competitive in the long-term,” said Camille Maury, senior policy officer on industrial decarbonisation at WWF EU.

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