Towards an understanding of Voluntary Sustainability Initiatives in the extraction and processing of lithium-ion battery cathode precursor materials: Preliminary results

Towards an understanding of Voluntary Sustainability Initiatives in the extraction and processing of lithium-ion battery cathode precursor materials: Preliminary results

Bernardo Mendonca1 *, Stephen A. Northey1, Damien Giurco1 1

Institute for Sustainable Futures. University of Technology Sydney Bldg 10, 235 Jones St, Ultimo NSW 2007 *

Corresponding Author. Email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract: Decarbonizing transportation is inducing a shift towards the adoption of electric vehicles (EV) and demand growth for commodities used in battery production such as lithium, cobalt, and other specialty metals, which will require new mining operations and expansion of existing ones increasing the related potential social and environmental impact. This study examines and synthesizes the drivers and barriers that might lead extractive companies to voluntarily adopt sustainability practices, including certification, to increase value-chain transparency related to social and environmental impact. Through a thematic analysis, drivers and barriers are surfaced and classified against their respective agents across the lithium-ion battery value-chain. This research aims to provide a system level perspective of factors influencing the adoption of voluntary sustainability initiatives related to raw material extraction and processing within lithium-ion battery supply chains. A preliminary analysis of two key themes emerging from this research is provided.

Keywords: Voluntary Sustainability Initiatives, Mining, System Analysis, corporate social responsibility (CSR)