Citizens’ Demands for ‘Green Steel’ Spread Toward Hyundai Motor Group – 75,000 Racers Join Campaign in Just 4 Weeks
April 10, 2025, Seoul – While Hyundai Motor Group is capturing visitors’ attention with next-generation vehicles featuring cutting-edge technology and mobility vision at the “2025 Seoul Mobility Show,” critics are pointing out that behind the glamorous exteriors lies a “carbon-intensive reality” as these vehicles are still manufactured using coal-based steel that accelerates the climate crisis.
Global climate group Action Speaks Louder (ASL), Korea Federation for Environmental Movements, and Big Wave held a joint press conference in front of KINTEX Exhibition Hall 1 in Ilsan, where the Seoul Mobility Show is taking place. They demanded that the Hyundai Group (Hyundai Motor, Kia, and Genesis) stop using coal-produced steel and transition to green steel.
The groups emphasized that they are conducting a digital citizen campaign called “Steel Rally” to show how far behind Hyundai Motor Group is in eco-friendly transformation compared to competitors. They highlighted that the campaign has attracted 75,000 racers in just four weeks, demonstrating citizens’ expectations for Hyundai Motor Group to genuinely reinvent itself as an eco-friendly automaker.
ASL Senior Green Steel Strategist Kim Kinam stated, “Hyundai Steel’s renewable energy usage rate for 2022-2023 is 0%, among the lowest levels globally. As the world’s third-largest automobile sales company, such figures are truly embarrassing,” adding that “Hyundai’s future cars are not futuristic.”
The steel industry accounts for approximately 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, making the energy transition in the automotive industry urgent. While Hyundai Motor Group has been very slow in this transition, major automakers like Volvo and Mercedes have already announced plans to use eco-friendly steel, accelerating their decarbonization efforts.
During the press conference, these organizations demonstrated the digital campaign. The digital game “Steel Rally” uses a retro car racing format to symbolically show Hyundai Motor falling behind competitors in the decarbonization race.
The groups also pointed out that as carbon border adjustment mechanisms (CBAM) like those in the European Union are formally introduced, companies dependent on coal-based steel will inevitably lose price competitiveness.
Big Wave activist Sun Eun said, “When trade policies like Europe’s CBAM are fully implemented, high-carbon emission products will lose price competitiveness due to high tariffs. Relying on free allocation of carbon credits has limitations, and without fundamentally transitioning to zero-carbon energy, companies cannot lead the global market.”
Hwang Sung-ryeol, Representative of Chungnam KFEM, stated, “Hyundai Motor’s recent investment decision in the United States should not be limited to a market strategy to eliminate trade barriers. It should be a policy that preserves domestic jobs through balanced domestic and international investments while achieving carbon neutrality through energy transitions such as green steel.”
Criticism also continued regarding Hyundai Motor Group’s ongoing LNG power plant construction project. Fossil fuels, including natural gas, are identified as major contributors to climate change.
Kim Jung-jin, Secretary General of Dangjin KFEM, emphasized, “Hyundai Motor Group must first stop using fossil fuels. Hyundai Steel’s plan to build an LNG power plant should also be canceled. What is needed now is active investment in renewable energy and concrete preparation for green steel transition.”
More information about the ‘Steel Rally’ campaign can be found at steelrally.com.
