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Batteries Can Be Part of the Fight Against Climate Change – If We Do These Five Things
Article

Batteries Can Be Part of the Fight Against Climate Change – If We Do These Five Things


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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Scientific
  • Eye Opening

Recommendation

Driving your new electric vehicle around feels good, until you realize the battery which powers it could create a negative sum impact on the environment. Jonathan Eckart explains in World Economic Forum that producing lithium-ion batteries, which energize everything from cars to homes to power plants, requires electricity, and tons of raw materials such as lithium, nickel and cobalt. Batteries continue to be an important part of the global warming solution, but public and private entities must work together to ensure they are manufactured responsibly, and recycled.

Take-Aways

  • Batteries remain valuable energy storage solutions, but they present hidden environmental dangers.
  • Electric vehicles can produce more carbon emissions than gas or diesel vehicles.
  • One way to reduce the negative environmental impact of electric cars is to extend battery life cycles.

About the Author

Jonathan Eckart is Project Specialist, Inclusive Business Strategies and Global Leadership Fellow for World Economic Forum, Geneva.