Advancing interoperability: ResponsibleSteel and CISA convene in Shanghai

On 26 May 2026, ResponsibleSteel and the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA) co-hosted a technical workshop in Shanghai, bringing together steelmakers, downstream users, verification bodies and policy stakeholders to advance the development of an interoperability mechanism between decarbonisation approaches in ResponsibleSteel International Production Standard’ and CISA's C2F Steel Standard.

The workshop is the latest step in a collaboration that began with our landmark COP30 agreements and our visit to China in January to kick off the interoperability project. China accounts for the majority of global steel production, making alignment between the ResponsibleSteel standard and C2F on decarbonisation one of the most significant pieces of work underway in the global move toward low-emission steel.

The day covered several key topics, including: 

• what credible interoperability claims could look like in practice; 
• findings from the comparative analysis of the two standards, focusing on emissions accounting (Criteria 10.4 and 10.6) and disclosure requirements (Criterion 10.7); 
• deep dives into emissions accounting and metrics, and into disclosure, transparency and assurance; 
• and next steps toward a pilot programme.

Participants emphasised the importance of practical solutions that work across different markets and operating contexts. The discussions also engaged openly with the challenges of aligning site-based and product-based approaches to emissions measurement — questions that will require continued technical work to resolve, and that the workshop made useful progress in understanding.

The discussions reinforced that interoperability creates a pathway toward more comparable, trusted emissions claims across borders; different classification systems can co-exist, and carefully designed co-calculation and assurance tools will support data flow between suppliers and customers.

The outcomes of the workshop will inform final proposals for operationalising the interoperability programme, including pilot audit design and governance framework. 

‍Learn more about the ResponsibleSteel International Production Standard