Climate Policy Engagement Analysis
Climate Policy Engagement Overview: Tata Steel demonstrated strategic policy engagement that is partially aligned with policy pathways aiming to deliver the temperature goals of the Paris Agreement. It supports climate action in its top-line communications and energy efficiency and circular economy policies, but appears to adopt negative positions on carbon pricing policies and elements of the energy transition. The company retains positions on the boards of industry associations which are engaging negatively on climate policy in Europe, including Dutch Employers' Federation (VNO-NCW) and European Steel Association (Eurofer).
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: Tata Steel’s top-line messaging on climate policy is broadly positive. The company supported GHG emissions reductions in line with 1.5°C target and higher ambition in NDCs under the Paris Agreement in an October 2024 joint letter.
In company reports released in June 2024, Tata Steel stated support for government policy action, including steel decarbonization roadmaps and frameworks, and measures to price carbon emissions. However, the company signed the Antwerp Declaration in February 2024, which advocated against EU Green Deal policies, calling for an EU Industrial Deal to revise existing climate policy and emphasizing competitiveness.
Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: Tata Steel supports some climate policies, including on circular economy and energy efficiency, but appears to engage more negatively on carbon pricing. In the company’s 2024-25 Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report, published in June 2025, it advocated for circular economy policy measures, including increasing scrap steel processing. Tata Steel also advocated for circular economy policies to support the scrapping and recycling of steel in a June 2024 Recommendations to the UK Government publication.
On carbon pricing, Tata Steel stated support for the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) in its 2023-24 Integrated Report, published in June 2024, but appears to suggest the need for a level playing field between the EU and UK. Similarly, the company also advocated for the early implementation of a UK CBAM in 2026, but stated for reforms for free allocations in a June 2024 Recommendations to UK Government publication.
In the Netherlands, Tata Steel Nederland appeared to advocate against a carbon tax in evidence given to the Hearing for Economic Affairs and Climate Committee in April 2024.
In India, Tata Steel advocated for the country to implement a carbon standard to decarbonize the steel sector in response to the EU CBAM in a December 2023 article in The Hindu. The company has also consistently advocated in support of a National Carbon Market in India, including in its 2024-25 Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report, published in June 2025.
Positioning on Energy Transition: Tata Steel supports some elements of the energy transition and the decarbonization of the steel sector, but also appears to advocate for continued use of fossil gas and coal. In a February 2024 press release, the company stated broad support for decarbonizing the steel industry in the UK and replacing traditional steel making with electric arc furnaces globally. Tata Steel supported a range of policies to decarbonize the steel sector in its 2024-25 Integrated Report, published in June 2025, including for low-carbon steel production, steel scrapping policies and clean hydrogen usage, but did not specify on hydrogen production methods.
In India, the company CEO T.V. Narendran stated support for measures announced by the government to transition the energy mix on X (formerly Twitter) in February 2024, including the National Green Hydrogen Mission and policy to strengthen EV manufacturing and infrastructure. The company's 2023 CDP Climate Change Disclosure also stated support the Vehicle Scrapping Policy in India to replace older vehicles with cleaner options to reduce emissions and increase scrap available for steel companies.
The company has advocated for the continued role of fossil fuels in steel production. For example, Tata Steel Nederland appeared to oppose the decision to remove an exemption for coal use in steel in evidence given to the Hearing for Economic Affairs and Climate Committee in April 2024. Tata Steel also advocated for the continued role of fossil gas as a transition fuel, without clear conditions for carbon capture and storage technologies in its Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report, published in June 2024.
Industry Association Governance: Tata Steel has disclosed some of its industry association memberships in its 2024-25 Responsibility and Sustainability Report, published in June 2025. However, it contains limited detail on the positions of industry associations on climate policy, and how it attempts to influence these positions. The company has not published an audit of alignment with its industry associations on climate change. The company retains positions on the boards of industry associations which are actively engaging negatively on climate policy in Europe, including Dutch Employers' Federation (VNO-NCW) and European Steel Association (Eurofer)
Additional Note: Tata Steel is headquartered in India, where InfluenceMap’s LobbyMap platform can currently only make a provisional assessment of corporate climate policy engagement, due to limited capability to access publicly available data on this issue. As it is possible that InfluenceMap is not yet able to fully capture evidence of Tata Steel’s climate policy engagement activities, these scores should be considered provisional at this time.
InfluenceMap collects and assesses evidence of corporate climate policy engagement on a weekly basis, depending on the availability of information from each specific data source (for more information, see our methodology). While this analysis flows through to the company’s scores each week, the summary above is updated periodically. This summary was last updated in Q3 2025.