Martin Kopf, chairman of the Hot-Dip Galvanizing Industry Association, opened the industry event Hot-Dip Galvanizing 2023, which took place in Berlin on May 25 and 26, 2023, with the words: "Hot-dip galvanized steel already meets all the requirements placed on a circular material in the best sense. It is durable, reusable, repairable and infinitely recyclable, making it an enabler of climate protection and transformation." Kopf emphasized to the 200 guests that decarbonization will make hot-dip galvanizing an even more sustainable corrosion protection option.
However, decarbonization represents a Herculean task for the hot-dip galvanizing industry. In the panel discussion on energy policy and the circular economy, Anja Karliczek, member of the German Bundestag (CDU) and former federal minister, and Kai Seppeler, board member of Industrieverband Feuerverzinken e.V., were among those who discussed the necessary conditions within a political framework. In his speech, Martin Kopf also referred to the association's efforts to address these issues more strongly with the help of the Rezink campaign, the associated Zinktank podcast and the decarbonization roadmap.