According to pandaily.com, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) has declared that batteries failing to meet zero-carbon criteria will be excluded from its supply chain — with binding carbon-footprint requirements for new suppliers taking effect in 2027.
Carbon as the new competitive threshold
CATL chairman Zeng Yuqun stated plainly at a core-operations carbon-neutrality briefing:
“A battery that performs well and costs reasonably may still fail to sell — if it isn’t low-carbon enough.” — Zeng Yuqun, Chairman of CATL
He added, “I believe that in the future, non-zero-carbon batteries will be eliminated by the era.” This marks a strategic pivot: while safety, performance, cost, and delivery have long defined battery competitiveness, carbon footprint is now a decisive lever — driven by tightening global decarbonization rules.
CATL’s analysis shows that more than 80 percent of a battery’s total lifecycle carbon emissions originate in raw material sourcing — over five times the emissions from CATL’s own core manufacturing operations. Energy-intensive processes such as cathode and anode sintering — often conducted at temperatures between 700 and 1,000 degrees Celsius for tens of hours — amplify upstream impact. Suppliers unable to verify credible carbon-footprint data or green-power usage directly compromise their customers’ carbon accounting, risking tender disqualification and contract termination.
Systemic enforcement across the value chain
CATL launched its full-chain carbon-accounting platform in 2022, covering mining, refining, materials, and components. To date, it has audited real carbon data from more than 100 tier-one suppliers and aims to extend coverage to all key upstream companies. Its green-energy arm is deploying wind-solar-storage parks, regional green industrial grids, distributed rooftop photovoltaics, and pooled green certificate purchases — targeting 100 percent green power across the supply chain by 2035.
The company also initiated a zero-carbon supply-chain enablement program with 30 core suppliers and proposed a global lithium-battery zero-carbon ecosystem platform. Under its Green Procurement Guide, new suppliers must submit verified carbon-footprint data starting in 2027; annual audits will assess renewable-energy share and per-unit energy consumption. Low-carbon suppliers gain preferential order allocation and longer-term agreements — making decarbonization contractually binding, not voluntary.
From factory floors to global buyers
CATL’s product-level carbon tracing — integrated with green power and low-carbon materials — generates a verifiable “carbon passport” demanded by international clients including BMW and Seres. The company targets carbon neutrality in its core operations by 2025, supported by 20 zero-carbon factories, 100 percent green power, and net-zero core operations. Its broader value-chain carbon neutrality goal is set for 2035, backed by approximately 100 billion yuan in R&D investment over ten years — a commitment that may widen the industry’s performance gap and redefine market entry criteria.
Source: pandaily.com
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
