CATL announced it achieved core operational carbon neutrality by the end of 2025, becoming the world's only battery manufacturer to reach this milestone at TWh-scale production. All 20 plants received ISO 14068-1 certification with 100% zero-carbon electricity, while the company unveiled its full value chain carbon neutrality roadmap toward 2035.
A Global First: TWh-Scale Carbon Neutrality
On August 17, CATL held its Core Operational Carbon Neutrality Conference in Ningde, Fujian, officially announcing that it had achieved core operational carbon neutrality by the end of 2025. This accomplishment makes CATL the only battery manufacturer globally to reach carbon neutrality at a TWh-scale shipment level.
Core operational carbon neutrality refers to net-zero carbon emissions from a company's own production and operations, primarily from electricity and thermal energy consumption at manufacturing facilities. The larger the scale, the more challenging it becomes. In 2025, CATL produced 748 GWh of batteries, with annual capacity approaching 1 TWh. From 2022 to 2025, the company's lithium-ion battery sales volume increased 2.3-fold, maintaining its global market leadership. Achieving carbon neutrality amid such rapid growth carries significance far beyond a single enterprise.
Scaling Zero-Carbon Plants Systematically
By the end of 2025, all 20 CATL battery plants received ISO 14068-1 certification as zero-carbon facilities, with core operational zero-carbon electricity usage reaching 100%. This outcome was not achieved overnight but built upon systematic methodological foundations.
CATL began by mapping carbon emission sources, conducting detailed surveys across nearly 40 battery production processes and upstream materials, and launched the "Times Carbon Chain" carbon management tool in 2022. Currently, this platform covers battery production and key upstream suppliers, accumulating over 1,000 product and raw material models.
Building on this data foundation, CATL established six specialized initiatives to drive decarbonization:
- Zero-carbon design
- Zero-carbon manufacturing
- Zero-carbon plants
- Zero-carbon supply chain
- Circular ecosystem
- Zero-carbon electricity
Data shows that since 2023, CATL has cumulatively used over 18 billion kWh of zero-carbon electricity. By 2025, energy consumption per unit of battery production decreased by 28% compared to 2022, carbon emission intensity dropped by approximately 77% over two years, and cumulative carbon reductions exceeded 10 million tons of CO₂ equivalent.
| Metric | 2022 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Output | ~325 GWh | 748 GWh | +130% |
| Energy per Unit | Baseline | Down 28% | Significant improvement |
| Carbon Intensity | Baseline | Down ~77% | Sharp reduction |
| Zero-Carbon Electricity | Gradual increase | 100% | Full coverage |
| Cumulative Reduction | — | Over 10M tons CO₂e | Milestone |
From Corporate Practice to Industrial Ecosystem
CATL Chairman and CEO Robin Zeng stated at the conference: "Zero-carbon is not only a mission for CATL but also a capability developed through practice, and an enormous opportunity for growth." He emphasized that batteries without zero-carbon credentials will be phased out by the market.
Another highlight of the conference was the first systematic disclosure of CATL's full value chain carbon neutrality action plan targeting 2035, signaling a shift from corporate-level decarbonization to industrial ecosystem collaboration.
Over 80% of a lithium battery's lifecycle carbon emissions originate from supply chain stages. CATL's next phase aims to achieve full value chain carbon neutrality from mineral resources to finished batteries by 2035, with supply chain collaboration as the critical enabler. The company has built the battery industry's first full-chain carbon data traceability platform covering "mining—refining—material synthesis—component manufacturing," completing carbon footprint assessments for over 100 core tier-1 suppliers.
Zero-carbon practices have expanded to diverse scenarios: replacing diesel generators with "PV plus storage" in Peru's Amazon rainforest; achieving 100% green electricity for direct power supply, heat, and steam at a Shandong plant; and one facility achieving 30% annual electricity cost savings through AI-driven power trading.
Implications for Global Battery Supply Chains
CATL's carbon neutrality practice provides a replicable, economically viable zero-carbon manufacturing pathway for the global battery supply chain. For automotive manufacturers and dealers in Central Asia, Russia, and emerging markets dependent on Chinese battery supply chains, this milestone means:
- Significantly enhanced traceability of carbon footprints in battery procurement
- Zero-carbon batteries likely becoming an entry requirement for markets like the EU
- Green transformation of supply chains driving overall cost structure optimization
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