Steel giants ArcelorMittal, Thyssenkrupp, Voestalpine ask EU to pause ETS phase-out until green hydrogen and carbon capture are viable

Three major European steelmakers ArcelorMittal, Thyssenkrupp, and Voestalpine are calling for a reality check on the EU Emissions Trading System. They want the phase-out of free allowances paused until key decarbonisation enablers like affordable green hydrogen and carbon capture become available. The companies argue that without these technologies, the ETS timeline is unrealistic and could harm industrial competitiveness. The article from Hydrogen Insight explains that the steel giants are asking for pragmatic reform while they wait for viable lead markets for low-carbon steel and actual deployment of hydrogen and CCS. This is a concrete example of how carbon pricing interacts with industrial decarbonisation timelines. It highlights the gap between policy ambition and technology readiness.