Increasing transparency in calculating the carbon footprint of lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles

The Global Battery Alliance has created a Greenhouse Gas Rulebook to provide battery value chain operators methods for calculating and tracking greenhouse gas emissions from the production of battery materials and batteries.

Harmonising the methods of collecting and tracking data in the battery value chain will increase the transparency of carbon footprint calculation for lithium-ion batteries, and reliable and comparable data can be communicated to various stakeholders.

“Establishing globally harmonised reference points, rules and parameters for the battery sector is important for increasing accountability and transparency in the value chain. As a member of the Global Battery Alliance (GBA), Finnish Minerals Group is able to promote the introduction of harmonised rules. In the battery sector, the carbon footprint is a key indicator of environmental impact. Harmonised carbon footprint calculation principles and increased transparency are essential ways of demonstrating responsibility and sustainability in material production”, says Aleksi Ojanperä, Environmental Engineer at Finnish Minerals Group.

The rules are applicable to NMC (nickel, manganese, cobalt) chemistry-based raw materials and components of the value chain for lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. In the future the rules are extended to cover also LFP (lithium, iron, phosphate) chemistry-based battery material calculation. Within the value chain, the calculation results of different materials can be utilized for the calculations of the following manufacturing steps.

Another objective for this rulebook is to create a basis for collecting data for a Battery Passport. The Battery Passport will be a key instrument to enable a responsible and circular battery value chain by monitoring the sustainability and responsibility performance based on standards, rules and guidelines providing the insights to trigger improvement actions for value chain players and education for consumers' purchasing decisions.

For more information:

Check out the Greenhouse Gas Rulebook on the Global Battery Alliance website
Finnish Minerals Group joins the Global Battery Alliance

Sini Eskonniemi, Vice President, Innovation and Technology Development
firstname.lastname(at)mineralsgroup.fi, +358 40 753 5509
 

The mission of Finnish Minerals Group is to responsibly maximise the value of Finnish minerals. We manage the State’s mining industry shareholdings and strive to develop the Finnish value chain of lithium-ion batteries. Through our work, we contribute to Europe moving towards electric transport and a more sustainable future. www.mineralsgroup.fi