World Economic Forum’s First Movers Coalition (FMC) has concluded a landmark two-day workshop in Adelaide to unlock the Asia-Pacific region’s potential as a first mover in clean industrial exports.
The workshop was attended by senior leaders from government, industry, and finance, and Australia’s leading academic and research institutions
The workshop, Positioning APAC as a First Mover Region for Green Iron, sought to bridge supply and demand, foster models for regional cooperation, and set a roadmap positioning APAC as a global leader in decarbonized industry and green iron.
It focused on the enabling policies, rapid technology advances and scalable finance solutions for clean industry needed to make this happen.
Academic experts played a central role in highlighting breakthrough technology pathways, underlining the importance of research-driven innovation in achieving commercial viability at scale.
With iron and steel production responsible for up to 9% of global emissions, scaling green iron is critical to achieving net zero while unlocking billions in new clean industry investment and growth.
Participants agreed that Australia and the broader APAC region are uniquely positioned to lead in supplying the low-emissions industrial materials of the future.
The workshop also reinforced the huge economic opportunity for APAC with the potential to generate hundreds of billions in new export revenues, create high-quality jobs across the region, and cut up to four per cent of global emissions if scaled.
The discussions highlighted that capturing this opportunity will depend on APAC positioning itself as a trusted supplier of low-emissions industrial materials, underpinned by regional collaboration, shared standards and clear demand signals from international buyers.
Seizing this opportunity will depend on innovative policy frameworks, targeted investment, and strong collaboration across industry, finance, government and international partners.
A critical next step identified was the early delivery of one or two lighthouse projects before 2030 – projects that can prove commercial viability, showcase breakthrough technologies at scale, and build investor and buyer confidence.
Achieving early success would send a powerful market signal, reduce risk for future investments, and position the Asia-Pacific at the forefront of emerging green iron trade corridors.
Head of the First Movers Coalition, Noam Boussidan, said the organisation was created to send a powerful demand signal for the breakthrough technologies needed to decarbonize heavy industry - and green iron is at the heart of that mission.
He said coordinated action to enable one or two lighthouse projects could help build confidence, reduce risks, and unlock further sector investment.
The Adelaide workshop, delivered in partnership with the World Economic Forum’s First Movers Coalition, marked the third and final event in the Green Iron Summit series.
Greenhouse chief partnership officer, Harry Guinness, said with decisive government action, Australia has the potential to create a $400 billion green iron export industry over the coming decades, built on the nation’s natural endowment of minerals, wind, and sun.
“Without comprehensive action, we risk losing this opportunity to global competitors, just as revenue from coal and gas faces terminal decline,” he said.