Industrial Accelerator Act supports EU industry, but must strengthen demand for low-carbon production
Brussels, 4 March 2026 – Published today, the European Commission proposal for an Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) aims at strengthening the competitiveness and resilience of the EU manufacturing sector while accelerating decarbonisation in strategic sectors. This is an important step forward in advancing the objectives of the Clean Industrial Deal and climate neutrality. However, to unlock large-scale investment in low-carbon industrial production, it must deliver stronger and more comprehensive lead market measures.
In recent years, the EU has increased support for clean industrial production. But demand for low-carbon products remains weak. As ZEP outlined last year, there is a clear need for demand-side measures to advance low-carbon industrial production in Europe. The introduction of mandatory green public procurement with both low-carbon and EU origin requirements for some industrial sectors can provide an important first market signal and reduce early investment risks.
However, in the current approach, requirements only apply to a narrow range of industrial products; namely, steel, concrete and mortar, and aluminium. Moreover, it is limited to public procurement and other government intervention procedures, with no demand-side mandates for private buyers. To ensure low-carbon products become competitive and investment is sustained over time, the framework should be broader in scope. This would enable more industrial sectors to benefit while catalysing private, as well as public, sources of demand.
The Industrial Accelerator Act provides an important first step in supporting lead markets for low-carbon industrial production in Europe, where no measures currently exist. But to better support competitiveness and climate neutrality objectives, co-legislators must now reinforce the IAA with more sectors and stronger demand-measures.
– Eadbhard Pernot, Secretary-General, Zero Emissions Platform
The Industrial Accelerator Act aims to strengthen the competitiveness of the low-carbon industry. To succeed, both private and public demand are neededto create stronger market signals and drive effective competition and investment in clean industrial production.
– Cristiana Foglia, Policy Officer, Zero Emissions Platform
Reinforcing demand for low-carbon products is key to scaling up industrial carbon management technologies, which are essential to decarbonise energy-intensive sectors. Broad coalitions of industry, manufacturing, research, and civil society have already called for the introduction of robust lead market measures in 2024, as well as recently in an open letter and a joint statement coordinated by ZEP and E3G.
As the legislative process begins, the European Parliament and the Council have the opportunity to reinforce the framework with private-demand measures to reduce financing barriers and regulatory asymmetries affecting low-carbon products. This is key to positioning the EU as a leader in net-zero industrial production while delivering its climate targets.
About the Zero Emissions Platform (ZEP)
ZEP is the official advisor to the European Union on Industrial Carbon Management. Its mission is to enable and accelerate the deployment of industrial carbon management across Europe in line with climate neutrality. Its technical work and policy advice build on a broad and diverse member base across the carbon management value chain.
For press enquiries: Amelie Tremolieres, amelie.tremolieres@zeplatform.eu
Learn more: www.zeroemissionsplatform.eu | LinkedIn
Authors
Eadbhard is the Secretary General of the Zero Emissions Platform. In this role, he oversees the management of the secretariat team and the health of the organisation. Eadbhard has a background in energy and climate law and has worked to advance carbon management as a climate mitigation tool in Europe for several years, previously leading the European policy work at the climate NGO, Clean Air Task Force. Originally from Ireland, Eadbhard is half-Dutch and can be contacted in English, German, possibly Dutch and maybe even French if he ever bothers to learn it.
Cristiana Foglia is a Policy Officer at ZEP, where she supports the organisation’s work on advancing evidence-based policy advice to the EU on industrial carbon management. She contributes to ZEP’s policy work, helping shape positions and recommendations on key EU files, including the CO₂ market and transportation infrastructure legislative initiative, lead markets (including the Industrial Accelerator Act), the Net-Zero Industry Act, the EU Climate Law, as well as International Environmental Treaties and Protocols (e.g. London Protocol)
A key part of her role is coordinating and consolidating input from ZEP members, translating diverse and technical feedback into aligned messages. She ensures ZEP’s policy outputs are technically robust, data-driven and clearly framed for engagement with EU institutions and other stakeholders.
Cristiana has a background in European and international law, holding a master’s degree in EU environmental law. Before joining ZEP, she worked in an environmental law firm in Italy, where she gained experience in EU and national environmental and climate legislation. Cristiana is an Italian native speaker; she speaks four languages and is passionate about EU affairs and climate action.
Amélie Trémolières is the Communications Manager at ZEP, where she leads the organisation’s communications strategy across institutional communications, policy communications, events, and media relations. She ensures ZEP’s work on climate policy and carbon management technologies is clearly framed, visible, and reaches the right audiences to support ZEP’s objectives.
Before joining ZEP, she worked in several European policy environments, including think tanks such as the Centre for European Policy Studies, government institutions including the French Consulate, and the General Secretariat of the Council of the EU as a digital communications trainee. She also spent two years as Communications and Events Operations Lead at a Brussels-based European association.
She has expertise in media relations, social media strategy, website management, and branding. Amélie holds an academic background in EU studies and political and public communication, is a native French speaker, and has a strong interest in climate and EU policy.