#None #CATL #EV Batteries #Ellen MacArthur

CATL and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's Groundbreaking Initiative

In a landmark event at the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation made a defining move in the realm of electric vehicle (EV) battery sustainability. They unveiled a transformative white paper titled 'Leading The Charge: Turning risk into reward with a circular economy for EV batteries and critical minerals.' This white paper not only marks a critical milestone in their partnership but also presents the first actionable roadmap for a circular economy specifically designed for EV batteries, incorporating practical industrial practices.

The Need for Circularity

The current global transition towards electric vehicles demands an urgent shift to a circular economy model, particularly for the materials used in battery production. The essential minerals for batteries, such as lithium and cobalt, are facing a depletion crisis due to surging demand. CATL’s collaboration with over 30 leading organizations—including DHL, Volvo, and JLR—demonstrates a comprehensive approach to redefining how batteries should be designed, used, recovered, and reintegrated into the market to maximize their value and minimize systemic risks across the entire supply chain.

Key Takeaways from the White Paper

The white paper identifies five interdependent actions necessary for maintaining high-value battery material usage and enhancing system resilience:
1. Design Batteries for Circularity: Shifting from a linear model to one that prioritizes recycling and reuse from the design phase.
2. Rethink Battery Maintenance: Implementing systems that optimize the lifecycle and maintenance of batteries within energy mobility frameworks.
3. Scale Circular Business Models: Treating batteries as long-term assets rather than disposable components.
4. Invest in Circular Infrastructure: Building and collaborating on regional infrastructure that supports circular battery economies.
5. Enable Circular Operations: Utilizing data, standards, and policies to facilitate efficient circular operations.

CATL's Commitment and Innovations

CATL is already putting these recommendations into practice across its operations. By decoupling battery management from vehicles, the company enhances asset centralization—leading to increased utilization, scheduled maintenance, and predictable recovery once the batteries reach the end of their life cycle. Currently, CATL operates over 1,000 battery swap stations for passenger vehicles and around 300 for commercial ones, forming a robust ecosystem supported by more than 100 partners. This system integration permits high-quality, large-scale battery recovery with impressive recycling rates—99.6% for nickel, cobalt, and manganese, and 96.5% for lithium—capable of processing 270,000 tons annually.

Moreover, CATL has started exploring alternative chemistries such as sodium-ion batteries, which rely on more abundant materials, and can cut carbon emissions across the lifecycle by as much as 60% per kilowatt-hour. These innovations significantly reinforce the circular performance of batteries in energy storage, mobility, and swap applications.

The Path Forward

Speaking at an informational session organized by the Foundation, CATL's Vice President, Jiang Li, emphasized that this report represents a notable step toward a global circular economy for batteries. He highlighted the need to upscale circular battery systems across regions and industries, from electric vehicles to energy storage solutions, adapting them to varying market contexts.

Wen-Yu Weng, an executive at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, noted that as the adoption of electric vehicles accelerates, establishing circular economies for batteries and critical minerals is no longer optional; it is essential for sustainability, resilience, and long-term growth while mitigating environmental and societal impacts.

Conclusion

The publication of this white paper signifies a pivotal step towards bolstering collaborations aimed at enhancing the circularity of critical minerals. The next phase will involve crisis simulations that test these approaches in real-world scenarios, investigating how various stages—design, usage, extension, collection, and recycling—interoperate on a grand scale. For CATL, this strategic direction aligns closely with its commitment to achieving carbon neutrality across its operations and the entire value chain by 2035.

The partnership with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation exemplifies a forward-thinking approach to battery sustainability, ultimately advocating for the need to maintain the value of strategic battery assets and ensuring that essential minerals do not end up as waste.