Calls for China's steel sector to accelerate low-carbon transition

China's steel industry can accelerate its green and low-carbon transformation through better carbon management, technological innovation and digital upgrading, participants at a major industry conference have said.

The 17th Steel Industry Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction Conference, held last week in Beijing, was organized by the China Metallurgical Industry Planning and Research Institute (MPI) and the Zhongguancun Stainless Steel and Special Alloy New Materials Industry Technology Innovation Alliance, with the assistance of the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA).

This year's event focused on advancing coordinated energy conservation and carbon reduction during the period of the country's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30). Officials and industry representatives discussed strategies to improve energy efficiency, promote cleaner production and strengthen the sector's competitiveness under China's dual-carbon goals.

Jiang Wei, vice-chairman and secretary-general of CISA, said green transformation has become essential for the long-term development of steel enterprises rather than it being one option to choose from. He called on companies to accelerate the adoption of advanced energy-saving technologies, improve data governance, strengthen collaboration involving industry, academia and research institutions, and make greater use of digital and intelligent technologies to support low-carbon development.

Lu Shize, deputy director-general of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment's Department of Climate Change, said incorporating the steel industry into China's national carbon market is a key step toward achieving the country's climate goals while enhancing the industry's competitiveness. He urged enterprises to improve carbon emissions management, strengthen data quality and actively participate in carbon trading through sound compliance and internal capacity building.

Experts attending the conference highlighted technological innovation as another key driver of green development. Professor Zhang Jianliang – director of the University of Science and Technology Beijing's Division of Metallurgy – said blast furnace-based steelmaking will likely remain the dominant production route in China for the foreseeable future, making efficiency improvements and low-carbon technologies crucial for reducing emissions.

Zhang pointed to electrification, hydrogen metallurgy and carbon-hydrogen circular utilization technologies as promising directions for the industry's future low-carbon development.

The conference also featured presentations from enterprises and research institutions on energy-efficient production systems, environmental technologies and practical low-carbon solutions. Participants shared experiences in optimizing industrial processes, improving resource efficiency and advancing digital applications across steel production.

Organizers said the annual conference has become an important platform for policy discussion, technology exchange and industry cooperation. As China enters a new stage of green industrial development, participants agreed that stronger collaboration among government agencies, research institutions and enterprises will be essential to accelerating the steel industry's transition toward higher-quality, lower-carbon growth.

Contributed by Sun Manqi.