Carbon emissions to triple with soaring battery demand

Demand for lithium to power modern technology will see carbon emissions triple in five years.

Soaring demand for lithium to power modern technology and innovation such as electric cars, laptops, and tools will see carbon emissions triple in the next five years, new research has found. 

Mineral consultants Roskill said emissions coming from mineral concentrate production, shipping, and refining of lithium is unsustainable on its current course, coinciding with Irish recycling body WEEE Ireland pleading for consumers to recycle their old batteries.

Lithium and cobalt are key to producing rechargeable batteries that power devices such as laptops and power tools.

Roskill said the lithium industry "has been rocked by allegations of excess water usage at brine operations, chemical contamination of local environments and poor relationships with local indigenous groups".

It added that emissions from lithium production are set to triple by 2025 and grow by a factor of six by 2030.

The firm said: "With demand for lithium set to increase sharply over the next decade and with ESG (environment, social & governance) factors becoming a more crucial determinant in a company or project’s investment appeal, scrutiny of the lithium sectors sustainability is set to grow. 

"It is, therefore, crucial for projects, as well as existing operations, to place themselves favourably against the ESG values."

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Ireland said that a "surge in sales of devices such as laptops, drones, power tools, and e-scooters" has seen demand soaring for cobalt and lithium.

Demand for e-cars, e-bikes, phones, smartwatches, and fitness monitoring devices are also putting pressure on these two key materials, WEEE Ireland said.

In the first six months of 2020 alone, WEEE Ireland reported a 50% increase in rechargeable lithium batteries entering the Irish market.

Leo Donovan of WEEE Ireland said: "The global demand for cobalt has tripled in the past five years but there is a limited supply. We need to find ways to ensure we have sustainable reserves. There’s one simple way to do this and that’s recycling our old devices.

“Many of us needlessly hold onto end-of-life gadgets that we’ve already replaced, such as phones and laptops, storing them in our attics, spare rooms, sheds, and kitchen drawers.

“By doing so, we are unwittingly contributing to an ever-growing supply problem as many of the metals and compounds can’t be recovered to be re-used in the manufacture of new batteries."