The battery legislation is an important complement to the European Green Agreeme
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2020/12/18 18:05:07
Global decarbonisation efforts often encounter resistance, with technology itself driving carbon reductions.A major example is battery technology, which has raised concerns about resource extraction, manufacturing energy needs and recyclability.
Now the European Commission, which wants to build enough battery production capacity in Europe to meet demand on the continent, has proposed new battery regulations to make products more sustainable.The commission reports that about 800,000 tonnes of car batteries, 190,000 tonnes of industrial products and 160,000 tonnes of consumer energy storage equipment enter the EU each year -- figures that are on the rise.
Frans Timmermans, executive vice-president of the Council's European Green Agreement, said: "Clean energy is the key to the European Green Agreement, but our growing reliance on batteries such as transport should not harm the environment.The new battery regulations will help reduce the environmental and social impact of all batteries throughout their life cycle.Today's proposal allows the EU to expand the use and production of batteries in a safe, recycled and healthy manner."
Under the current decarbonisation plan, the Commission expects global battery demand to increase 14-fold between 2018 and 2030, making such legislation an important complement to the European Green agreement.
Under the commission's vision, the new regulations aim to harmonize requirements for battery products and to deal with hazardous substances such as mercury and cadmium.The plan also aims to set rules to minimise the environmental impact of batteries by introducing carbon footprint statements starting in July 2024.Then, from January 2026, batteries will be labeled with a carbon intensity, and a maximum carbon threshold will be in place from July 2027.
Recharge Europe's Lithium-ion battery industry Body does not refute-additional regulations; instead, welcomes this proposal."To date, the efforts of European participants have been undermined by a clear lack of due diligence and carbon intensity in this comprehensive framework," says Patrick de Metz, President of Recharge."The carbon footprint and due diligence measures have the potential not only to prevent under-performing batteries from entering the EU market but also, at the product level, to contribute to the EU's climate and sustainable Development goals."
Thierry Breton, European Internal Market Commissioner, said: "Europe needs to improve its strategic capabilities for new, enabling technologies such as batteries, which are essential to our industrial competitiveness and our green ambitions."Through investment and appropriate policy incentives, including today's proposal for a new regulatory framework, we are helping to build the EU's entire battery value chain: from raw materials and chemicals to electric vehicles to recycling."
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