Japan has promoted the optimization of manufacturing process, the recovery of waste heat and by-product gas, and the recycle of waste plastic since oil crises in 1970's. As a result, according to the study of the Research Institute of the Innovative Technology Earth (RITE), the iron and steel industry in Japan is the most energy-efficient in the world. Therefor it is recommended that the emerging countries, which have potential for the introduction of energy-saving technologies, introduce Japan’s energy-saving measures and technology to further reduce CO2 emissions released from their iron and steel industries. 

The iron and steel industry in Japan has pushed ahead with the decarbonization in its own country and has also contributed to the reduction of CO2 in the world through bilateral cooperation with China and India in which steel industries grow rapidly and multinational cooperation with ASEAN countries as well. In 2013, ISO14404, the international standard for calculation method of carbon dioxide emission intensity from iron and steel production, of which development Japan took the lead, was issued. Currently the transfer of energy-saving technology of Japan’s iron and steel industry has been promoted to other countries and regions by proposing the appropriate energy-saving technology to the country concerned through the steel plant diagnosis based on ISO14404.

In May 2014, the Japan Iron and Steel Federation and ASEAN Iron Steel Counsil (AISC) have signed the memorandum aiming to exchange knowledge and experiences in the field of environment, standardization and trade. As an initiative in the environment field, the public-private platform, The ASEAN-JAPAN Steel Initiative (AJSI) was launched in corporation with the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry.

CEFIA has pushed forward the energy-efficiency and decarbonization of Southeast Asian countries through the flagship project, “SteelEcosol”. Japan Iron and Steel Federation leads this comprehensive project with three pillars, such as 1) Steel Plant Diagnosis, 2)Technology Customized List(TCL), and 3)the Public-Private Dialogue. At the 3rd CEFIA Government-Private Forum held in February 2022, “SteelEcosol” was welcomed as a new flagship project.