The project "Industrial Accelerator Act - Impulses for Green Lead Markets" was carried out by the Wuppertal Institute on behalf of the Bertelsmann Foundation. The project team analysed current impulses from European legislative initiatives for green lead markets in Germany. The study focused on the European Commission’s proposals for the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) and the Automotive Package.
In order for green lead markets to emerge, demand for climate-friendly materials and products must be strengthened or secured. The Industrial Accelerator Act introduces requirements for public procurement and subsidy programs. The Automotive Package proposes amendments to the regulations on CO2 emission standards for new passenger cars and vans that would create incentives for the automotive industry to procure climate-friendly steel, thus addressing the private market. For the first time, these two initiatives combine low-carbon requirements with requirements for domestic production (union-origin).
The project resulted in a policy paper that highlights the significance of these two legislative proposals for German industry in the current situation: Based on their own calculations, researchers from the Wuppertal Institute show that the proposed regulations, particularly the Automotive Package, could create considerable demand for green steel produced in Europe.
The project results were presented at an online stakeholder workshop organised in collaboration with the Bertelsmann Foundation and EPICO KlimaInnovation. The analyses were discussed with experts from the affected industrial sectors as well as with representatives from politics, academia and civil society.