Decarbonisation and raw material independence at stake

On the occasion of the European Industry Summit and the Antwerp Call, Einar Glomnes, CEO of Speira, states,“In order to maintain strategic advantage in the circular economy and contribute to decarbonisation and raw material independence, immediate and sustainable steps towards European competitiveness and future-proof planning security are required. Especially as an aluminium recycler, our processes enable us to avoid up to 95 per cent of CO2 emissions compared to primary production, and our circular customer relationships allow us to keep this strategically important industrial metal as a valuable resource here in the loop. This capability is under serious threat from high energy prices and regulations that do not effectively prevent scrap from being exported to other regions of the world.”

For 2026 aluminium market outlook, download our report TOC: Global Aluminium Industry Outlook 2026

At the European Industry Summit, the signatories of the Antwerp Declaration called on EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, other commissioners and European heads of state and government to take tangible action and lamented the slow pace of implementation to date. Deloitte’s new study, ‘Antwerp Declaration Monitoring Report,’ shows no progress or even deterioration for 83 per cent of the key competitiveness indicators. 

Also Read: Aluminium with nothing to hide

Speira is one of the first signatories of the Antwerp Declaration outside the chemical industry. “The factor for us to join is that the Declaration combines and supports the Green Deal and our business. We are part of the solution and are committed to building a circular world that works. As an industrial frontrunner that shapes and drives transformation towards decarbonisation and circularity, we are eager to work closely with the EU and national legislators to build European framework conditions that increase global competitiveness for European industries. We believe in the power of approaching and thinking about commodity, energy, climate and industrial policy in an integrated way”, Glomnes already stated when signing in February 2024.

The Antwerp Declaration calls to EU member state governments, the European Commission and Parliament to put the industrial agenda at the core of the European Strategic Agenda for 2024 to 2029. This means a comprehensive action plan to elevate competitiveness as a strategic priority and create the conditions for a stronger business case in Europe. The action plan needs to include measures to eliminate regulatory incoherence, conflicting objectives, unnecessary complexity in legislation and over-reporting.

Don't miss out- Buyers are looking for your products on our B2B platform