Climate Policy Engagement Analysis
Climate Policy Engagement Overview: The Korea Iron and Steel Association (KOSA) has generally positive top-line messaging on climate change policy. However, it appears to be actively and negatively engaging with specific climate-related regulations, including the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction target of South Korea, the Korea Emissions Trading Scheme (K-ETS), and the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (EU CBAM). KOSA generally supports the decarbonization of the steel industry, but is occasionally unclear whether this is in line with IPCC recommendations.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: KOSA’s recent top-line messaging on climate policy is overall positive. In the ‘Hydrogen reduction steelmaking’ page on KOSA’s website accessed in February 2025, the association appeared to support GHG emissions reductions in line with limiting global warming to 2°C. In its May 2024 Iron and Steel Paper, KOSA acknowledged causal relationship between human activity, climate change and climate induced weather phenomena. However, in its January 2024 Iron and Steel Paper, KOSA did not take clear position on COP28 pledge.
Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: KOSA appears to not support specific climate regulations in Korea, nor the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (EU CBAM). According to a May 2025 press release published by Korea International Trade Association (KITA), KOSA appeared to advocate for a weaker 2035 GHG emissions reduction target for the steel industry, stating that the industry needs time to convert facilities. In its January 2024 Iron and Steel Paper, KOSA appeared to not support paid allocations for the steel industry and the inclusion of indirect emissions in the Korea emissions trading system (K-ETS), while advocating for reserved allowances for other uses.
According to its May 2024 Iron and Steel Paper, KOSA appeared to not support the EU CBAM for the steel sector, highlighting concerns around information confidentiality and economic burden in engagements with EU institutions, including the European Commission. KOSA has also engaged with the steel industries in Japan and China on the EU CBAM, but with unclear positions. In a November 2024 association news on its website, KOSA stated that it met with the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA) to discuss joint responses to the EU CBAM but did not specify a position on the policy. Similarly, according to an October 2024 association news, KOSA held a ‘Korea-Japan Green Steel Joint Seminar’ and discussed responses to the EU CBAM, but did not specify a position on the policy.
Positioning on Energy Transition: KOSA generally supports the decarbonization of the steel industry, but is occasionally unclear whether this is in line with IPCC recommendations. In December 2024 2035 NDC Conference materials on the website of the Presidential Commission on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth 2050 (2050 CNC), KOSA supported government regulation to scale up zero-emissions and green hydrogen to replace coke in the blast furnace process. However, in the same materials, KOSA supported recycling steel scrap, but without clear timelines for transitioning the steel production process. In addition, in the 'Hydrogen reduction steelmaking' page on its website accessed in February 2025, KOSA supported an expanded role for hydrogen in steelmaking but did not specify positions on the decarbonization of hydrogen.
KOSA has taken mixed positions on the energy transition, supporting wind energy while advocating for a continued role of fossil gas in the power sector. According to a June 2025 association news, KOSA supported an increase in wind energy in the energy mix, stating that offshore wind power is a key for carbon neutrality and energy security. However, according to a March 2025 press release published by Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), KOSA advocated for expanding LNG self-generation, unaccompanied by timelines that are aligned with IPCC guidelines.
InfluenceMap collects and assesses evidence of association’s 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 association’s scores each week, the summary above is updated periodically.
This summary was last updated in Q3 2025.