Climate Lobbying Overview: The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) appears to support climate change policy in the United States with some exceptions. The association supported government climate regulation with some caveats surrounding maintaining industry competitiveness, but has supported recent US climate policy, including the Biden Administration’s 2030 EV Target and renewable energy provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act. AISI is largely supportive of the transition of the energy mix, its positions becoming somewhat more positive since 2019.

Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: AISI appears to support climate action in its top-line communications on climate change with some caveats. On Twitter in February 2022, the association asserted that steel has low energy consumption and emissions during production, a position which appears misaligned with the IPCC’s findings that the steel industry must reduce emissions from the production process. The New York Times reported in November 2021 that CEO Kevin Dempsey suggested AISI supported an EU-US trade deal that included climate provisions for steel. On the association website, accessed in October 2022, AISI did not seem to fully support climate change regulation as it maintained that the American steel industry’s international competitiveness must not be affected. In March 2021, the CEO suggested support for the climate provisions in principle in the American Jobs Plan, but opposed the pay-for provisions and suggested a user fee instead. InfluenceMap did not detect a public position on the UN Paris Agreement in 2020-22.

Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: AISI appears to take mostly supportive positions on climate-related regulations. On the industry association’s website, accessed in October 2022, the group stated support for a carbon border adjustment mechanism in the US. A September 2022 tweet quoting the CEO supported the renewable and nuclear energy provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act. In July 2021, AISI supported the Steel Upgrading Partnerships and Emissions Reduction Act, a bill that supports research into technologies to reduce steel industry emissions, in direct comments to Representatives Gonzalez and Lamb. In an August 2021 press release, the CEO stated support for vehicle emissions standards under the Biden Administration.

Positioning on Energy Transition: AISI seems to have somewhat improved its positions on the energy transition since 2019 where it took mostly oppositional stances, for example, in August 2017 comments to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the association supported increased offshore oil and gas leasing. In the report ‘American Steel’s Carbon Advantage’, published in September 2022, the association supported increasing the electrification of the steel industry. In a September 2022 press release, AISI supported the US government’s action to stimulate purchasing low-carbon materials for federal projects. In February 2022 in comments directly to the Department of Energy, the association supported the decarbonization of the steel industry by advocating for renewable energy, CCS, and clean hydrogen, without specifying whether this excludes hydrogen produced with fossil fuels. However, the group supported the steel industry replacing coal with natural gas without clarifying conditions on the need for carbon capture and storage in its “Facts About American Steel Sustainability” in November 2021. Although it sent direct letters to Members of Congress urging support of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill in October, September, and August 2021, AISI did not disclose its position on the provisions related to the energy mix in the bill. In a press release in August 2021, the CEO stated support for the Biden Administration’s 2030 EV Target. In June 2021, AISI opposed the consideration of social cost of GHGs in National Environmental Policy Act infrastructure analyses in direct comments to the Office of Management and Budget.