Global approach is needed on battery regulation

New European Union regulations on batteries could offer a huge boost to the global decarbonisation mission - but only if it leverages its political and economic weight to ensure a fairer global marketplace. According to a team of scientists and researchers writing in Science , the new regulations, due to come into force from January 2022, have the potential to unify policy on approaches such as recycling, use of recycled raw materials, and creating a circular economy. Contributing to the study were experts at Newcastle University , the University of Birmingham, Circular Energy Storage Research and Consulting , University of California, Davis and the National Institute of Clean and Low Carbon Energy (NICE) America Research. The European Union is a significant market for Electric Vehicles globally, and the effects of its regulation will be felt by battery supply chains in many other countries, including the United Kingdom, even though it has left the European Union. Although these rules are both necessary and welcome, whilst well-intentioned, the researchers argue, their effects are hard to predict and could result in a competitive disadvantage for European companies. This is because the EU must operate in the global marketplace where there is an imbalance between new and mature markets and uncertainty caused by the rapid rate of growth and innovation in the lithium-ion battery (LIB) market. China, for example, has a well-developed LIB market, with relatively strict regulations around recycling and decarbonising the supply chain.