The Impact of Carbon Neutrality on Human Resources in the Metallurgy Industry

Abstract

The greatest challenge for the metallurgy industry today is to adapt to the EU’s stricter climate policy. The European Commission’s aim to achieve neutral CO2 emissions by 2050 will have a huge impact on the sector. The methods of achieving this aim will determine the fate of steel production in Europe. If European policy further weakens the competitive position of European smelters by giving preference to producers in China, Russia or the USA, the vast majority of production will move from Europe to third world countries. Steel companies in the Czech Republic are still attempting to limit the impact of their activities on the environment. Billions of crowns invested into reducing emissions from operations in the Moravian-Silesian Region led to a significant decrease in harmful emissions into the air. Although the industry is still a major source of pollution, its proportion of dust emissions, for example, has declined. The objective of carbon neutrality by 2050 will have a major impact on employment and the prosperity of industrial regions. The transformation to carbon-free industry entails the need for higher skills and sometimes even complete retraining of employees. The article analyzes the present impact of carbon footprint reduction on employment in the industry. The authors also predict further development in relation to human resources. The work takes into account external influences such as competition, the labor market and labor productivity.