Carbon footprint distributions of lithium-ion batteries and their materials.
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 39604365.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-024-54634-y and PMC identifier 11603021.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Lithium-ion batteries are pivotal in climate change mitigation. While their own carbon footprint raises concerns, existing studies are scattered, hard to compare and largely overlook the relevance of battery materials. Here, we go beyond traditional carbon footprint analysis and develop a cost-based approach, estimating emission curves for battery materials lithium, nickel and cobalt, based on mining cost data. Combining the emission curves with regionalised battery production announcements, we present carbon footprint distributions (5<sup>th</sup>, 50<sup>th</sup>, and 95<sup>th</sup> percentiles) for lithium-ion batteries with nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC811, 8-1-1 ratio; 59, 74 and 115 kg<sub>CO2</sub> kWh<sup>-1</sup>) and lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP; 54, 62, 69 kg<sub>CO2</sub> kWh<sup>-1</sup>) cathodes. Our findings reveal the dominating impact of material sourcing over production location, with nickel and lithium identified as major contributors to the carbon footprint and its variance. This research moves the field forward by offering a nuanced understanding of battery carbon footprints, aiding in the design of decarbonisation policies and strategies.