Jason Galley, director and chief executive of MPMA, responds to the UK Modern Industrial Strategy published 23 June 2025
MPMA overview:
“There are definite positives with the Industrial Strategy. While steel packaging isn’t directly referenced within the strategy, it sits within the context of the wider UK steel industry which is identified as one of the foundational industries critical to UK infrastructure and an essential enabler for economic growth.
“In theory the strategy is removing barriers for metal packaging through measures to access stable, low-cost energy and finance and investment support as well as stronger domestic steel markets. But the elephant in the room is the fact that there’s no reference to aluminium, explicit or otherwise, which is disappointing and demonstrates a lack of foresight for a material which, in our view, plays its own ‘foundational’ role within UK manufacturing.”
MPMA’s view on decarbonisation:
“Decarbonisation is an environmental priority, so it’s no surprise to see the Industrial Strategy explicitly committing to ensure that there are viable pathways for industries like steel to decarbonise. This aligns with the UK government’s substantial investment in transitioning to electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking in Port Talbot, which will include steel for packaging.
“What perhaps isn’t getting the attention it deserves is the climate leadership of the aluminium sector in decarbonising through the use of high amounts of recycled content, and huge advances in the use of renewable energy and technology, such as inert anodes at the smelting step. The beverage can, in particular, has been a beneficiary and continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in terms of container lightweighting.”
MPMA’s view on wider strategic links:
“It’s important to remember the Industrial Strategy is linked to the Steel Strategy as well as the Circular Economy Strategy where steel and aluminium packaging, respectively, will feature. Interestingly, the Industrial Strategy references circular practices like recycling as a means to build resilience across supply chains and reduce the environmental impact and, as we all know, steel and aluminium packaging are ideal materials for the circular economy.”
MPMA’s view on energy:
“Prioritising the roll-out of renewable energy signals a strong commitment to cutting manufacturing’s carbon footprint – transitioning manufacturing to renewable electricity is among the most effective paths to achieving Net Zero goals and can have a decisive impact on competitiveness.
“The strategy’s intent to reduce energy costs and embed renewable energy within the power infrastructure to drive manufacturing competitiveness can be regarded as a vote of confidence for aluminium and steel packaging.”
MPMA‘s view on UK sources of steel:
“The fact that steel is regarded as a foundational industry demonstrates the government sees a future for steel in this country particularly with the strategy referencing building in long-term resilience across supply chains. Alongside this, there’s direct acknowledgment that there’s no ready alternative to steel across a huge range of products within the manufacturing industry exemplifying why a source of UK steel is necessary.”