Statement on the revision of the CO2-emission standards for cars and vans
10 October 2025 | The forthcoming revision of the Regulation on CO₂ emission standards for new cars and vans provides an opportunity to create lead markets for low-emission steel produced in the EU, which supports the call for a more flexible policy approach to decarbonising road transport. While electrification will be the dominant path to zero-emission mobility, reducing the CO₂ footprint of the production phase is the next step.
By accounting CO₂-reduced materials in the vehicle production phase towards the tailpipe emissions, carmakers would gain greater flexibility and maintain technology openness, without jeopardizing the overall climate objectives. This approach would simultaneously reward car manufacturers for using climate-friendly materials and generate demand for low-emission steel. A practical, non-bureaucratic solution to achieve this is the introduction of “Super Credits”, which carmakers could apply to their fleet-wide CO₂ emissions when using EU-produced low-emission steel. This mechanism creates market-driven incentives for a cross-sectoral “win-win” scenario, avoiding quotas and supporting integrated industrial value-chains.
Downloads
