EMSTEEL reinforces its low-carbon steel mission with industry award
Middle East industrial group EMSTEEL has been honoured for its success in reducing emissions and leadership in low-carbon steel production.
The Abu Dhabi-headquartered company was named 2026 Steel Sustainability Champion by the World Steel Association for the third consecutive year.
The industry-wide recognition comes after EMSTEEL delivered a 34% reduction in absolute emissions in 2025, compared to its 2019 baseline.
Efficiencies driving growth with fewer emissions
EMSTEEL operates 14 plants, producing 3.5 million tonnes of steel and 4.6 million tonnes of cement annually.
The group recorded its lowest emissions intensity levels, reaching 0.637 tCO₂e per tonne of steel and 0.638 tCO₂e per tonne of cementitious material. It said the figures demonstrate an ability to decouple growth from emissions through sustained efficiency improvements.
EMSTEEL is one of the largest publicly traded steel and building materials manufacturers in the MENA region, and the only steel company to receive the World Steel distinction. The award recognises companies that demonstrate exceptional commitment to sustainable development and best practices.
A year defined by execution
The milestone reflects EMSTEEL’s continued efforts to further embed sustainability across operations and its leading role in sustainable steelmaking, low-carbon steel, and industrial decarbonisation.
It advanced its decarbonisation roadmap, scaled innovative technologies, and strengthened operational performance across the steel and cement businesses to translate long-term strategy into measurable results.
Clean energy played an increasingly central role, as 88.7% of total electricity consumption in the steel business and 28.6% in the cement business was covered by clean energy certificates. This substantially reduced Scope 2 emissions on a market-based basis.
Carbon capture continued to make meaningful contributions to reducing Scope 1 emissions, while targeted energy efficiency programmes delivered environmental and economic value.
Ongoing decarbonisation initiatives
EMSTEEL’s Group CEO, Eng. Saeed Ghumran Al Remeithi said that again being recognised as a Sustainability Champion reflected its “tangible progress” in advancing lower-carbon steel production.
“Sustainability is at the core of how we operate, innovate, and grow, and this milestone reinforces the strength and consistency of our approach,” he said.
“In 2025, we moved from ambition to execution, advancing key decarbonisation initiatives while maintaining strong operational performance.”
Al Remeithi added: “Our focus remains on delivering practical and scalable solutions that support the transition to lower-carbon industries and create long-term value.”
Among EMSTEEL's industrial innovations was the launch of its first Electric Process Gas Heater (ePGH), progress on green hydrogen initiatives, and scaling circular solutions that convert industrial by-products into valuable low-carbon inputs through its TrueGreen framework.
