Carbon footprint distributions of lithium-ion batteries and their materials

Leopold Peiseler; Vanessa Schenker; Karin Schatzmann; Stephan Pfister; Vanessa Wood; Tobias Schmidt

doi:10.1038/s41467-024-54634-y

Carbon footprint distributions of lithium-ion batteries and their materials

Nat Commun. 2024 Nov 27;15(1):10301. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-54634-y.

Authors

Leopold Peiseler^{1

2

3}, Vanessa Schenker⁴, Karin Schatzmann^{5

6}, Stephan Pfister^{6

4}, Vanessa Wood^{7

6}, Tobias Schmidt^{5

6}

Affiliations

¹ Energy and Technology Policy Group, ETH Zurich; Clausiusstrasse 37, CH-8092, Zurich, Switzerland. pleopold@ethz.ch.
² Materials and Device Engineering Group, ETH Zurich; Gloriastrasse 35, CH-8092, Zurich, Switzerland. pleopold@ethz.ch.
³ Institute of Science, Technology and Policy, ETH Zurich; Universitätstrasse 41, CH-8092, Zurich, Switzerland. pleopold@ethz.ch.
⁴ Chair of Ecological Systems Design, ETH Zurich; Laura-Hezner-Weg 7, CH-8093, Zurich, Switzerland.
⁵ Energy and Technology Policy Group, ETH Zurich; Clausiusstrasse 37, CH-8092, Zurich, Switzerland.
⁶ Institute of Science, Technology and Policy, ETH Zurich; Universitätstrasse 41, CH-8092, Zurich, Switzerland.
⁷ Materials and Device Engineering Group, ETH Zurich; Gloriastrasse 35, CH-8092, Zurich, Switzerland.

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^th, 50^th, and 95^th percentiles) for lithium-ion batteries with nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC811, 8-1-1 ratio; 59, 74 and 115 kg_CO2 kWh^-1) and lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP; 54, 62, 69 kg_CO2 kWh^-1) 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.