New production pathways are breaking through, procurement rules are tightening, and expectations around carbon data and standards are sharper than ever. The momentum is real but not uniform. Some companies – many of which we count among our SteelZero and ConcreteZero members – are jumping ahead, while others are still finding their footing.
Here’s our stocktake of the key trends shaping steel and concrete in 2026 – and what's coming next.
In 2026, demand for less polluting steel and concrete isn’t just an aspirational slogan – it’s shaping how governments and major buyers purchase materials. Public construction and infrastructure procurement frameworks are moving from encouragement to expectation. They now reward transparency, prioritise low‑emissions performance, and make carbon data essential rather than optional.
The shift is visible across the board: buyer commitments through SteelZero and ConcreteZero, tighter emissions requirements, and new EU and UK policy frameworks, from the upcoming Industrial Accelerator Act to national rules – they’re rewarding cleaner industrial products. The details differ per region, but the direction is clear: carbon intensity is becoming a key competitive edge.
One to watch: The EU’s next procurement leap. Moving from disclosure to firm performance thresholds would send a powerful, market‑wide demand signal across steel and concrete.
From 2026, carbon accounting will increasingly shape companies’ ability to compete in certain markets. Work to align different standards, led by bodies such as ResponsibleSteel and LESS, are starting to influence procurement criteria, trade recognition and access to finance, bringing reporting choices into sharper commercial focus.
As this plays out, scrutiny is intensifying around which accounting approaches are applied and how they are governed. With some markets adopting methods such as mass balance, attention is shifting to governance, transparency and whether accounting frameworks are clearly linked to actual emissions reductions over time. The credibility of claims, not just their existence, is increasingly under examination.
One to watch: Convergence in carbon accounting across major steel markets leading to less trade friction and more investment in less polluting steel.
Concrete is having its ‘rethink moment’. For decades, standards focused on what had to go into the mix. Now, attention is shifting to what comes out of it. In 2026, performance-based standards and increased use of digital tools like AI-enabled mix optimisation could speed up the uptake of low carbon concrete by prioritising strength, durability and performance instead of sticking to a rigid ingredient list. That’d open the door to real innovation, allowing new blends and materials to prove themselves on results, not prescription.
It’s a shift supported by ConcreteZero’s specification guidance, which helps designers and engineers make smarter material choices early – as that’s the moment most carbon impact is locked in. As building codes evolve beyond legacy EU and UK rules, performance-based approaches are gaining ground, turning innovation into everyday practice.
One to watch: Performance-based standards becoming the default. That cultural shift could unlock scale faster than policy alone.
Green hydrogen is securing its role in primary steel decarbonisation. Hydrogen-based DRI (Direct Reduced Iron) – not without hiccups – is moving beyond theory by emitting water vapour rather than carbon as a waste product. We’re seeing new deals, like Stegra’s multi-year supply agreement with Thyssenkrupp and continued progress by SSAB as it moves from pilot production toward commercial hydrogen-reduced steel from 2026. Together, these signals point to growing commercial confidence in hydrogen-DRI as a credible pathway to near-zero primary steel.
The focus is on large-scale projects where the infrastructure pieces fit together. Success here is what investors need to see: proof that hydrogen-DRI works commercially, building the confidence to fund the next wave of projects.
One to watch: Hydrogen-DRI offtake moving from first deals to repeat buyers. Repeat contracts would be the clearest signal of scale and long-term market confidence.
The private sector is a powerful driver of low carbon concrete uptake. Developers, building owners and corporate builders are weaving embodied carbon into material choices, pushed by investor scrutiny, internal targets and the need to future‑proof assets.
Data centres are leading the charge. As hyperscalers expand AI capacity, they’re looking beyond energy needs to material footprints, including concrete. Their scale, repetition and long horizons encourage early supplier engagement and repeat use of low‑carbon concrete. These dynamics are now starting to spread across sectors.
One to watch: High‑volume low carbon concrete crossing from tech-led builds into energy and logistics. When that happens, embodied carbon will have gone fully mainstream – and we'll be in the front seat, celebrating.
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