Global steel giant ArcelorMittal has announced that its subsidiaries in Belgium, France, Luxembourg, and Spain have joined the Low Emission Steel Standard (LESS), reinforcing the company’s leadership in producing low-carbon steel in Europe. ArcelorMittal Germany became a founding member of LESS in 2024.
What is LESS?
The Low Emission Steel Standard (LESS) is a voluntary initiative aimed at creating a credible and unified framework for labeling low-emission steel in the EU, and is already adopted by around 45 percent of European steelmakers. Although demand for low-carbon steel is increasing, most of the steel in Europe is still produced with conventional methods.
ArcelorMittal scales up XCarb® low-carbon steel
ArcelorMittal is currently Europe’s leading supplier of low-carbon steel through its XCarb® brand. In 2024, the company delivered 400,000 mt of XCarb® steel and expects that number to increase in 2025.
Policy support: EU’s Industrial Decarbonization Accelerator Act
The European Commission’s Steel and Metals Action Plan that was published in March this year has introduced mechanisms to support green steel markets. The upcoming Industrial Decarbonization Accelerator Act aims to stimulate demand for locally produced low carbon metals in public procurement and create lead markets to increase the use of low carbon steel in industries such as automotive and construction.
Challenges ahead: Insufficient policy and challenging market conditions
Despite its commitment, ArcelorMittal faces delays in its decarbonization projects due to insufficient policies and challenging market conditions. Current investments are focused on expanding electric arc furnace (EAF) capacity in Gijón and Sestao in Spain to increase XCarb® steel production.