The industrial players united within A3M are fully committed to decarbonization.

This is implemented in 2 axis main:

• Decarbonization of our industrial activities

• Decarbonization of downstream sectors.

With its industrial members, A3M has drawn up a decarbonization roadmap whose most recent writing is accessible from the National Industry Council website here.

• The manufacturers represented by A3M are taking on their objectives and ambitions for decarbonizing their manufacturing processes. It should be noted that depending on the professions, processes and recent developments, decarbonization is sometimes only possible at the cost of a “new industrial revolution” of major magnitude, which is only possible with solid, resolute and continuous support from public authorities.
• In some cases, production processes are already largely decarbonized, or cannot be further decarbonized given the lack of reliable technologies, or even simply existing ones., the outlook for 2030 and 2050 will be of varying magnitude. Similarly, a share of "residual" carbon emissions will remain, however small it may be.
• The additional electrification of certain production processes requires access to low- or no-carbon electricity, within a pricing framework compatible with competition that is expressed on an international scale for our manufacturers.. In some cases, connection to a higher power is necessary within well-defined time frames.
• Hydrogen and biomass :
  • Access to hydrogen is also necessary for some of our industrialists. This hydrogen, which may not be totally "green" at first, aims, in the long term, to be as carbon-free as possible. Here too, a transport and cost structure must be in line with operational expectations. The whole must be and compatible with European and extra-European competition.
  • The biomass contributions, substitution or supplements traditional carbon inputs, can be a solution for some of our players.
  • These needs may come into competition with other sectors: A3M regularly invites public authorities to prioritize their actions so that the sectors with the greatest decarbonization potential can benefit as a priority from financial aid and access to these resources.
• CCUS : Carbon Capture Usage and Storage is an option that some of our members must consider when carbon emissions cannot be completely eliminated and their capture is operationally feasible. But this requires suitable and secure infrastructure and storage locations.

The decarbonization of our production processes is an immense opportunity that downstream chains based in France and more broadly in Europe can seize..

As of today, many of our members benefit from production with a more favorable "carbon signature" than many of their competitors. Whether through options taken on their production tools or more simply thanks to the French energy mix – with favourable electricity from wind, solar, hydro and nuclear sources, and options forenergy efficiency or process transformation already initiated.

Our industries have been able to benefit from French initiatives for financing and supporting decarbonization via Calls for Projects (CFPs). The complexity of the files may have nevertheless prevented some industrialists from benefiting from them.

A major action initiated at European level is the MACF – Border Carbon Adjustment Mechanism -, targeting in particular steel products and certain ferroalloys.

A3M supports the principle of MACF which aims on the one hand to preserve our planet and on the other hand to encourage European and non-European companies to take the necessary measures for decarbonisation, without the risks and costs incurred by these entities being detrimental to their competitiveness. While this mechanism has been in the test phase since November 2023,

A3M remains very vigilant about its implementation, its potential limits and unexpected consequences as well as the risks of circumventions which could arise.

A3M therefore maintains a line of communication with its members and the public services concerned so that the European tool thus designed can actually achieve the objectives originally targeted. In this context, the planned reduction in ETS rights – for the companies concerned – can only be envisaged at the rate currently provided for by European legislation, on the sole condition of a fully operational and controlled MACF and the solid and unfailing support of the Member States for their industries.

In France, it would not be reasonable to renounce or reduce indirect carbon offsetting according to the mechanism currently in place targeting the few companies that benefit from it today.

A3M also follows the work of the SNBC (National Low Carbon Strategy) and PNACC (National Plan for Adaptation to Climate Change) so that the objectives are realistic, achievable, attainable, in a voluntary dynamic and compatible with the challenges and constraints of our manufacturers.