The Carbon Ledger of a Battery: As the EU Compliance Timetable Tightens, Who Is Sprinting Ahead and Who Is Falling Behind
The EU's New Battery Regulation carbon footprint requirements are being phased in: from February 2026, third-party verified carbon footprint declarations must be submitted; from 18 August, A-to-E class labels must be affixed; from August 2027, the battery passport takes effect; and from 2029, products exceeding limits will be banned from sale. About 40% to 50% of a power battery's carbon footprint comes from upstream mining and smelting, making it hard to meet the standard through factory green power alone. Leading players are sprinting ahead through green power substitution, closed loops of recycled materials, sodium-ion innovation and cascading carbon data upstream, while smaller suppliers' data capabilities and standard-setting influence have become key variables.
14011 hours ago
