EV and Energy Storage Batteries Sustainability

We have the chance to get it right

The very much needed transition to EVs is underway, and because we are at its onset, we have the chance to get this transition right, especially if we implement proactive, science-based policies to reduce the environmental and social impacts of batteries that power EVs. These are the key ways to do this:

Minimize the minerals needed to electrify

In the transition to electrified transportation and a carbon-free energy future, we need to ensure that the minerals used in batteries—including lithium, cobalt, manganese, and nickel—are used efficiently. This means incorporating approaches that use less minerals while still electrifying transportation and getting people to where they need to go.

Approaches that will minimize the need for minerals include:

• improved EV efficiency to reduce battery size requirements
• increased charging infrastructure to decrease the need for very long-range EVs with large batteries
• battery innovation to reduce the amount of minerals needed per kWh
• high recycling and mineral recovery rates to create an alternative mineral source
• more transportation choices through affordable and convenient public transit and safe bicycle and walking paths can all help get us there

Our recent study demonstrates that these approaches result in huge mineral reductions. Specifically, UCS found that we can decrease newly mined lithium by about half from now until 2050. That equates to about 1.5 million less metric tons of lithium.

Strong environmental and social mining regulations for mining to protect people and the planet

We must scale up production of batteries in order to reach electrification goals. More batteries means new mining for battery minerals will be needed, but we can greatly limit how much we need by using minerals efficiently and recycling them.

It is also essential that mining companies use more responsible practices to protect people, ecosystems, and the environment. Robust assessments of the impacts of proposed mines, including meaningful public comment periods pursuant to the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) and other environmental laws, are essential. The main law governing mining on public lands – the Mining Law of 1872 – must be updated to increase safeguards to public health and promote justice and sustainability. This should include regulations that ensure Indigenous Peoples’ right to self-determination when mining affects their rights, lands, territories, resources, or traditional livelihoods.

Impacts from mining for materials that power EVs go beyond the United States. Measures that require mineral tracing, mine audits, and requirements for free, prior, and informed consent of local communities are needed to reduce resource extraction harms and ensure the health and well-being of mining-impacted communities around the world.

Reuse and recycle batteries to ensure the continued use of minerals

A circular economy is one in which waste is minimized through reuse, repurposing, and recycling existing materials and products. These steps are essential to increasing the sustainability of batteries and creating a circular economy.

Reuse refers to using repaired or refurbished batteries in a different vehicle. If a battery isn’t suitable for reuse in an EV, many batteries can still fulfill second-life purposes such as stationary storage. Many EV batteries have been reused to support solar arrays. Eventually, all batteries should be recycled and their minerals recovered to be used in next-generation batteries. This will reduce demand for newly-mined materials. We will need policy and regulation to ensure high recovery rates of key minerals and low environmental and community impacts.

Mineral use in new energy technologies

The steps listed above are important and applicable not only to the batteries that power EVs, but to other segments of the renewable energy sector.

A circular approach can and must also be taken with regard to the batteries that store power derived from renewable energy like the solar panels on rooftops, and even the blades of wind turbines. Clear and transparent standards for mining, repurposing, and recycling will not only reduce the lifecycle emissions of clean energy technologies, but also safeguard communities that host any part of the product’s lifecycle.

Now is the time to not only build a renewable energy future, but to also build in policies that will ensure that the infrastructure and components of renewables are as low impact as possible.

Recommendations

To create a safer and just battery supply chain, UCS recommends the following:

Strong mining standards

• Ensure National Environmental Protection Act requirements continue to apply to mining development.
• Reform the US Mining Law to safeguard public health and promote justice and sustainability, including strong environmental standards for review and permitting of mining operations.
• Ensure the protection of human rights in global clean energy supply chains. This includes measures to uphold Indigenous Peoples' right to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC).
• Create a system for mineral supply chain tracing and mine auditing to hold companies responsible for sourcing from mines using ethical practices, and incentivize EV manufacturers and mining companies to be better actors.

More efficiency and choice in the transportation system:

• Implement measures to use the least amount of minerals for batteries while still electrifying transportation and other energy uses. Specifically, this includes decreased battery pack needs through increased electric vehicle efficiency, increased charging availability, and battery density improvements.
• Invest in convenient and affordable transportation alternatives, including public transit, walking, and biking, along with more convenient community planning that allows for households to rely on fewer personal vehicles.

A circular economy through battery reuse and recycling

• Implement policy that requires battery reuse, refurbishing, and repurposing to extend the lifespan of batteries.
• Implement policy that requires recycling of batteries at their end of life.
• Ensure recycling is done using low-impact recycling processes that result in high material recovery rates.