Swiss Steel Group welcomes the introduction of the Low Emission Steel Standard (LESS) by the German Steel Federation at the Hannover Messe

The President of the German Steel Federation, Bernhard Osburg, emphasizes the importance of clear rules and verifiable standards for the success of the transformation of the steel industry: "As a steel industry, we want to develop a market for climate-friendly steel in order to replace public start-up financing for our transformation as quickly as possible. To achieve this, we need to make the progress made in decarbonizing our sites visible, comparable and therefore also assessable. The question of a definition of green steel has long been the subject of intense debate worldwide. I am delighted that, by joining forces, we have succeeded in developing a solution based on international rules and standards and with broad consensus, which we are now putting into practice."

Swiss Steel particularly welcomes the fact that a solution has been found that is internationally compatible.

The Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, Robert Habeck, emphasizes the importance of sustainable labels for creating transparency and incentives for climate-friendly raw materials and products: "The new LESS label is an important and welcome initiative by the German steel industry for sustainable standards and greater comparability in transformation efforts. Sustainable labels are a key factor in creating transparency and incentives for climate-friendly raw materials and products on the market."

The Minister's intention to create international lead markets (G7) is very welcome. It is essential to look beyond the purely German horizon.

LESS combines both production routes of steel production and enables comparability of decarbonization efforts. It is important to emphasize that this is the first time that there is a standard that goes all the way to the rolled product. This is the real difference to previous approaches of this kind. LESS makes products comparable, because nobody buys liquid steel. LESS creates transparency through a uniform labeling system and a step-by-step classification of low-CO2 steel and enables steel users to achieve their climate targets with the help of sustainably produced steel.

"Swiss Steel Group sees LESS as an important step towards accelerating the transformation to climate neutrality and promoting sustainable development in the steel industry. We are determined to make our contribution and maximize the benefits of climate-friendly steel for our customers and the environment", says Frank Koch, CEO of Swiss Steel Group.

For more information about LESS, please visit the website of the German Steel Federation at https://www.stahl-online.de/

• Mail us
• Call us
• Discover Location