Unlocking Green Metals Opportunities for a Future Made in Australia

Policy Engagement Overview

InfluenceMap’s analysis indicates that the overall engagement with the policy proposal has been supportive, with only a small portion of unsupportive responses. A total of 21 companies and industry associations in InfluenceMap’s database submitted a response to the May 2024 consultation paper. Of the respondents, 12 (57%) engaged positively and 3 (14%) engaged negatively. The other 6 (29%) engaged with mixed or unclear positions on the policy.

Policy Engagement Trends

• Multiple entities from the energy sector supported the need to decarbonize the steel industry, including the Smart Energy Council, the Clean Energy Council, the Australian Hydrogen Council, Snowy Hydro, AGL Energy, and Origin Energy. For example, the Clean Energy Council emphasized the role of green hydrogen in decarbonizing metals production overall.
• The creation of production tax credits for decarbonizing carbon intensive industries were supported by a few entities, including the Australian Aluminium Council, Rio Tinto Group, and the Smart Energy Council. A production tax credit to further incentivize recycling of steel and aluminium in Australia’s supply chains was supported by Manufacturing Australia.
• Some industry associations stressed concerns that continued fossil gas supply is needed for metals production, including the Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the Australian Energy Producers, the Australian Industry Group, the South Australian Chamber of Mines & Energy, and the Australian Steel Institute.
• The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia and the Minerals Council of Australia advocated for the continued role of fossil gas while stressing the need to maintain a ‘technology neutral’ policy approach.
• Circular economy related measures to help increase recycled content in metals production in the steel industry were supported by some entities, such as the Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the Australian Industry Group, Manufacturing Australia, the Australian Steel Institute and AGL Energy.
• Policy measures to promote new production of competitively priced fossil gas supply were supported by entities in the steel sector, including the Australian Steel Institute and Bluescope Steel. For example, Bluescope Steel appeared to indicate support for a continued role for fossil gas in direct reduced iron production by calling for the creation of a domestic gas reservation to support hard-to-abate sectors until infrastructure for renewables and green hydrogen become commercially available.