Green Steel, Aluminium and Carbon Footprint. Decarbonisation Reaches Industrial Subcontractors

Green steel and aluminium are gaining importance

Steel and aluminium are among the key materials used in industry, while their production is also highly energy-intensive. This is why Europe’s industrial transformation is focusing, among other things, on developing low-emission production technologies, using hydrogen, increasing the share of recycled materials and expanding the use of low-carbon energy sources.

For subcontractors, this means that not only the price and quality of a material matter increasingly, but also its origin and carbon footprint.

CBAM is changing import rules

Since 1 January 2026, the definitive phase of the CBAM – Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism has been in force. It covers, among other things, imports of iron, steel and aluminium into the European Union.

The mechanism links import costs to the emissions generated during the production of materials. As a result, information on carbon footprints is becoming an increasingly important element of cooperation between manufacturers, importers and suppliers.

Carbon footprint may influence supplier selection

Traditionally, price, quality, delivery times and technological capabilities have been the main criteria when selecting a subcontractor. Today, environmental factors are increasingly being added to this list.

Customers may expect information on the origin of raw materials, the share of recycled content, energy consumption or emissions associated with the production of a specific component.

A company that can reliably collect and provide such data may gain a competitive advantage when bidding for contracts.

European manufacturing may benefit

Decarbonisation is also becoming increasingly closely linked to European industrial policy. Initiatives such as the Clean Industrial Deal and the Industrial Accelerator Act, proposed in 2026, are intended to support the development of low-emission manufacturing in Europe.

For Polish manufacturing companies, this may create new opportunities. Being based in the EU, having shorter supply chains, access to European materials and the ability to document environmental parameters may become increasingly important business advantages.

New opportunities for industrial subcontractors

The green transition does not only create additional requirements. It also generates demand for machinery, components and services needed to modernise steelworks, the energy sector, hydrogen infrastructure, energy storage facilities and power grids.

This creates new opportunities for companies offering metalworking, component manufacturing, assembly and specialised industrial services.

For subcontractors, the key question is therefore increasingly not whether decarbonisation will affect their business, but how they can use it to win new contracts and build a competitive advantage.

Subcontracting is a meeting place for companies looking for exactly these capabilities and for partners in modern, resilient and increasingly low-carbon supply chains.

Source: European Commission