The European Commission has released draft revisions to simplify sustainability reporting standards, aiming to reduce the burden on companies while maintaining transparency on environmental impact and decarbonisation efforts. The European Commission has opened a fresh consultation on its overhauled sustainability reporting rules, publishing draft revisions to the mandatory European Sustainability Reporting Standards and a separate voluntary framework for smaller companies. The move marks the final stretch of Brussels’ effort to trim back the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive regime while keeping the core architecture of EU sustainability disclosure intact. For industrial companies, the significance is twofold. First, the revised mandatory standards…

Portugal’s ceramic producers are urging government action to oppose proposed EU reforms to carbon benchmarks, warning of increased costs and competitiveness risks as Spain and Italy escalate their opposition to the changes. The sector fears a sharp decrease in free emissions allowances could threaten its viability and prompt a shift of production abroad. Portugal’s ceramic producers are urging the government to back Spain and Italy in pressing Brussels to freeze or redesign the rules for the next phase of EU carbon benchmarks, warning that a sharper cut in free emissions allowances could hit an industry already under intense cost pressure.…

India’s steel sector is simultaneously expanding its production capacity and integrating green technologies, positioning itself as a key player in both economic growth and sustainable development. India’s steel industry is becoming one of the clearest examples of how industrial expansion and decarbonisation are beginning to move in parallel. The sector has grown into a central pillar of infrastructure, manufacturing and construction, while also coming under pressure to cut emissions, reduce import reliance and strengthen domestic capability in higher-value grades. India is now the world’s second-largest producer of crude steel and, according to Statista’s data on output volumes, has held that…

Holcim has employed Paebbl’s mineralised CO2-infused concrete in a logistics centre project in Germany, marking a significant step towards large-scale adoption of carbon-storing construction materials and reinforcing industry efforts to cut embodied carbon. Holcim has taken a further step into carbon-storing construction materials with the first commercial-scale use of Paebbl’s mineralised supplementary cementitious material in a logistics centre project in southern Germany. The Swiss building materials group worked with Swedish startup Paebbl and contractor Goldbeck on the scheme, using a concrete mix that incorporated Paebbl Rebond, a material made through accelerated mineralisation of captured CO2 into a stable powder rich…

Australia could transform its freight rail system by transitioning to battery-electric locomotives, aiming to cut costs, lower emissions, and reduce reliance on imported fuel amidst a fleet renewal cycle. Australia could cut its exposure to imported fuel shocks, trim freight emissions and lower long-term transport costs by making battery-electric locomotives the default for rail freight, according to a recent essay on the ASPI Strategist website. The argument comes at a time when Canberra is once again being reminded how exposed the economy is to disruption in global oil markets. Diesel remains central to the country’s freight system, with road and…

South Korea’s Ulsan port is accelerating the green ammonia economy with groundbreaking import and bunkering operations, positioning the country as a key player in the shift towards low-carbon maritime fuels. South Korea is rapidly turning Ulsan into a live testbed for the ammonia economy, with a pair of firsts underscoring how quickly the country is building the infrastructure needed to move low-carbon fuels from production to use at sea. In March, LOTTE Fine Chemical said it had completed what it described as the world’s first commercial cross-border import of green ammonia, bringing cargo from Envision Group in China into its…

The UAE’s industrial firms are shifting from pilot projects to embedding AI into core operations, boosting efficiency, reducing emissions, and enhancing resilience across sectors. The UAE’s industrial sector is moving beyond pilot projects and into day-to-day use of artificial intelligence, with manufacturers and energy companies increasingly treating AI as core operating infrastructure rather than an experimental add-on. In practical terms, that shift is showing up in quality inspection, predictive maintenance, supply-chain planning and production control. Computer vision systems are being used to spot defects earlier in the manufacturing process, while analytics tools are helping engineers anticipate equipment failures before they…

Moeve and Accenture collaborate to provide industrial companies with integrated energy and digital tools to cut emissions across value chains, focusing on hard-to-abate sectors and Scope 3 challenges. Moeve and Accenture have unveiled a partnership designed to help industrial companies cut emissions across their value chains, with a particular focus on hard-to-abate sectors and Scope 3 challenges. The collaboration brings together Moeve’s energy supply capabilities and Accenture’s digital and strategic advisory work. Under Moeve’s “Moeve decarbonize” initiative, industrial customers will be offered access to renewable electricity, biomethane and hydrotreated vegetable oil, alongside tools aimed at improving energy efficiency and controlling…

Three industry groups have called on the UK government to prioritise industrial decarbonisation as essential for national security and economic resilience, warning current policy delays threaten Britain’s industrial future. Three industry groups have urged the government to treat industrial decarbonisation as a matter of national security, arguing that Britain cannot meet its net zero goals if its manufacturing base continues to erode. In a joint letter to Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, the Carbon Capture and Storage Association, Hydrogen UK and Electrify Industry warned that the UK is “at risk of further decline in its critical industrial base” unless ministers provide…

The Trump administration launches a consultation to explore small modular nuclear reactors as a revolutionary solution for powering ships, potentially disrupting global maritime fuel and manufacturing practices. The Trump administration has moved to test whether small modular nuclear reactors could one day power commercial shipping, opening a formal industry consultation that could reshape efforts to cut fuel use and extend vessel range across the U.S. maritime sector. On 7 May, Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and the Maritime Administration launched the initiative, saying the aim is to develop a commercially viable SMR concept for deployment on ships and across the…