Reflections from China: ResponsibleSteel's CEO Annie Heaton discusses building interoperability across global standards
Reflections from China: ResponsibleSteel's CEO Annie Heaton discusses building interoperability across global standards
Reflections from China: ResponsibleSteel's CEO Annie Heaton discusses building interoperability across global standards
Interoperability: Building a bridge between global standards
ResponsibleSteel's quest for a coherent market for decarbonised steel in 2026 got off to a constructive start this month. Following the announcement of our landmark agreements with the Chinese Iron and Steel Association (CISA) and the Low Emission Steel Standard (LESS) at COP30, ResponsibleSteel was in China in January to kick off our work on interoperability with CISA. This work in China complements our parallel project with Brussels-based LESS.
The goal? To build trusted data and claims on decarbonisation.
During our trip, our Director of Programmes, Amy Jackson, our Decarbonisation Lead, Alli Devlin, and myself had the opportunity to:
- Present to the Chinese steel value chain our C2F (China's low-carbon emission steel standard) interoperability MoU at CISA's annual LCA conference.
- Connect with our Chinese members, including SKF, World Resources Institute (WRI), Climate Group, VAMA (Valin ArcelorMittal Automotive JV), Penglai Dajin, and some of our certification bodies working in China, including Afnor and China Quality Certification Centre (CQC).
- Get to work on our C2F-ResponsibleSteel Interoperability Project, structuring the discussions around our Framework for Credible Interoperability.
- Visit the 15mtpa Zhanjiang steel plant, where a new DRI-EAF line was launched in Dec 2025. This has involved the production to date of iron reduced with hydrogen in a 1mtpa DRI plant. Whilst this is currently produced from refined coke oven gas, the project is a hugely significant demonstration of the potential to produce hydrogen-based DRI at an industrial scale.
.jpg)
What do ResponsibleSteel's interoperability projects look like in practice?
In short, it means measuring emissions using rules that are as aligned as possible, and recognising the differences, to enable comparison on a like-for-like basis. Imagine the benefit this would bring for anyone wanting to distinguish what good looks like, for example, procurement teams, investors, and policymakers.
But making interoperability work in practice requires a lot more if we want a reliable, credible and sustainable system that generates high-quality, comparable data.
We've outlined the key components of this in our Framework for Credible Interoperability, which will inform both our work with LESS and CISA:
- Aligned GHG accounting rules
- A reliable calculation tool
- A robust assurance mechanism
- Credible claims protocols
- Good governance, oversight and resourcing
- Appropriate data management
- Strong operations management systems
This is how markets are built: first with innovation, then with the necessary rules and systems that enable good information to flow – so that steel buyers can understand, investors can evaluate, and steelmakers can compete, based on emissions performance that everyone can trust.
Matthew Wenban-Smith has worked in the area of voluntary sustainability standards and conformity assessment since 1994, when he began working with the newly established Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). In 2006, he founded the independent consultancy OneWorldStandards, providing services to established and emerging sustainability standards initiatives, and completed a variety of projects in the mining, minerals and metals sectors.
Matthew worked for several years with ResponsibleSteel, developing the ResponsibleSteel International Production Standard. He continues to work with ResponsibleSteel and others as a consultant. Read more from Matthew here.
