Interest in strengthening cooperation between IES and the steel industry in China

Representatives from the China Iron and Steel Association, China Baowu Group, and other stakeholders visited EPD International AB in Stockholm, Sweden, and officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Friday, 16 September, 2024. The MoU aims to explore the potential for mutual recognition of the respective systems and the steel Product Category Rules (PCRs) through a one-year cooperation. As the key programme operator for the Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and Product Category Rules (PCRs), the International EPD® System plays an indispensable role in global sustainable development with its credibility and authority. EPD International AB has always placed great importance on the development of the Chinese market, establishing a service desk in China several years ago to provide Chinese companies with EPD services based on international standards, and to support the globalisation from the Chinese markets.

EPD International AB consistently upholds an open attitude, strengthening cooperation with various parties in China. Sebastiaan Stiller, CEO of the EPD International AB, is highly optimistic about the development of the Chinese market and actively promotes the application of EPDs in China. Sebastiaan visits China annually to engage in strategic dialogues with key stakeholders and industry leaders, such as the China Iron and Steel Association and the China Electricity Council, to address how EPDs can facilitate the achievement of broader sustainability goals. By leveraging the global network of the International EPD System, Sebastiaan is committed to enhancing the collaboration within the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) sector to continuously supporting China’s sustainable development.

There have been, nonetheless, some misused terms identified in the media coverages on the visit of the China Iron and Steel Association and the China Steel Full Industry Chain EPD Platform. The misused terms include“the Swedish EPD Platform”as opposed to “the International EPD System”, and the wrong claim of signing a“Multilateral Recognition Agreements (MRA)”with the International EPD System as opposed to the actual Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that was signed on 16 September, 2024. The Secretariat at EPD International AB would like to make such clarifications to avoid potential misinterpretation and false claims in the market. We at EPD International AB firmly believe that trust, transparency, and mutual respect are the foundation for future collaboration. In order to jointly advance cooperation and progress in the steel industry, we hope to enhance mutually-agreed communication to prevent similar misunderstandings in the future.