Green steel is about using smart resources that already exist

Greetings and welcome to this latest edition of the quarterly World Mirror publication from BIR’s Ferrous Division.

As the global steel industry intensifies its journey towards decarbonisation, the message from BIR has never been clearer: green steel is already within reach, and it starts with recycling.

In our recently-published “Position Paper on Green Steel”, BIR sets out a compelling vision: while new technologies like green hydrogen and CCUS may play a role in the long term, they are still in their infancy. Meanwhile, recycled steel produced through electric arc furnace (EAF) technology offers a proven, scalable and low-carbon solution that’s available now. It can cut emissions by up to 80% compared to traditional blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) methods.

Let’s be honest, green steel isn’t all about innovation pipelines and engineering breakthroughs. It’s about recognising the value of what already exists and putting that to smarter, more sustainable use. Steel recycling is green steel. The raw material has already been mined, processed and used. To ignore that fact, or to understate it in sustainability frameworks, is both illogical and irresponsible.

Yet despite our industry’s real-world impact, the standards and policies shaping the future of green steel too often overlook us. Today, many certification systems still focus on production route rather than actual emissions. A BF-BOF plant with high emissions can qualify as “green” while a cleaner, EAF-based operation using high recycled content may be excluded just because of methodology.

This is not a level playing field, and BIR is calling for that to change. We must move to emissions-based standards that apply equally to all steelmakers so that what truly counts is carbon performance, not process labels.

But beyond standards, we must also push for equal treatment in policy and investment terms. If primary producers are receiving support through energy concessions and decarbonisation subsidies, so too should recyclers. Especially when we’re already delivering the carbon savings those producers are still working towards.

Our industry deserves to be recognised not just in principle, but in climate policy frameworks. In energy pricing and infrastructure support, and in sustainability incentives and public procurement standards.

Countries like Turkey and India are already embracing the recycled steel model to great effect, delivering economic growth alongside emissions reductions. The EU, USA and others must follow suit, not by restricting trade in recycled steel but by ensuring it remains open, fair and optimised for circular value chains.

This is a critical moment for our sector. We’re not waiting for technology to catch up; we’re already delivering climate solutions, and we’re doing it today. But we need frameworks that reflect our role and ensure we have a seat at the table in shaping the future of the steel industry.

As President of BIR’s Ferrous Division, I remain committed to advocating for a fair, circular and carbon-conscious future. Together, we can ensure the world sees recycled steel not as secondary but as central to the steel transition. Let’s keep making that case, loud and clear.

As always, I would like to thank my divisional board colleagues for their informative Mirror reports, which I hope you will appreciate reading.