The Global Battery Alliance (GBA) of stakeholder organisations said it launched the proof of concept for its Battery Passport at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos.
The GBA said the Battery Passport is key to facilitating the rapid scaling of sustainable, circular and responsible battery value chains that are needed to meet the targets of the Paris Agreement through electrification of the transport and power sectors.
It has been developed over three years by GBA members prominent throughout the value chain from manufacturing to recycling, and includes many international NGOs such as UNICEF. It has the support of government institutions like the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.
Batteries are resource-intensive and have inevitable social and environmental impact throughout the value chain. This includes greenhouse gas emissions during material sourcing, processing and manufacturing of batteries and issues of child labour and human rights violations.
The GBA said “Bringing transparency to battery value chains through the introduction of the battery passport is a critical step towards establishing sustainable battery value chains in a rapidly growing industry.”
It will collect, exchange, collate and report trusted data among all lifecycle stakeholders on the material provenance, the battery’s chemical make-up and manufacturing history and its sustainability performance, said the GBA.
Data will be standardised, comparable and auditable.
A battery passport will become a mandatory requirement in the EU by 2026 with other regions likely to follow, said the GBA.
Ferdinand Maubrey, Head of Responsible Sourcing, Battery Supply Chain & Battery Minerals, at car maker Tesla, said: “Tesla piloted the Battery Passport and collected the relevant environmental and social data points on our cobalt supply chain. While a lot more work needs to be done to cover all relevant areas across battery mineral supply chains, standard reporting across a level playing field certainly has a role to play in the transition towards sustainable energy.”
Pilot passports from car makers Audi and Tesla are available here.
