21.11.2024 A Significant Step Towards Sustainability in the Battery Value Chain: Global Battery Alliance Annual General Meeting 2024 in Shanghai and CATL Site Visit as part of the World Energy Storage Conference in Ningde

From November 4–6, 2024, the annual meeting of the Global Battery Alliance (GBA) was held in Shanghai. Representatives from industry, government, civil society, and academia convened to discuss groundbreaking strategies for a transparent and sustainable battery production sector.

The focal point of the event was the advancement of the Battery Passport, a digital product passport designed to collect and communicate sustainability data along the battery supply chain. The GBA presented the second phase of the Battery Passport pilots (External link): 10 consortia from various member companies shared real data along their supply chains for seven raw materials (aluminum, cobalt, copper, graphite, iron phosphate, lithium, and nickel), spanning all five continents.

Other central topics included critical raw materials and circularity. GBA participants discussed the key sustainability issues impacting battery supply chains, including both primary raw material extraction and battery recycling. The potential for greater local value addition was highlighted as a legitimate strategy for raw material-producing countries.

The discussions also focused on China's role within global battery supply chains and innovative financing models for sustainable batteries.

Following the annual meeting, attendees traveled to Ningde on November 7 for the World Energy Storage Conference and were offered a site visit to the production facilities of CATL, China’s largest battery manufacturer.