ERG endorses ten key principles by the UN’s Global Battery Alliance

Officially announced at the World Economic Forum 2020, ERG together with 42 international organisations endorsed ten guiding principles to fostering the creation of a sustainable global battery value chain. The ten principles are an important first step in realising the Global Battery Alliance’s 2030 vision. According to a recent study, batteries can reduce transport and power sector emissions by 30%, create up to ten million safe jobs and provide electricity to 600 million people. In the next decade, batteries will be a major driver in reducing the carbon footprint of the transport and power sectors, which are currently responsible for 40% of annual carbon emissions globally.

The ten guiding principles are:

Embedding circular economy approaches to become a major driver to achieve the Paris Agreement by:
1. Maximising the productivity of batteries
2. Enabling a productive and safe second life use, circular recovery of battery materials

Creating new jobs, additional economic value and contribute to establishing a low-carbon economy by:
3. Ensuring transparency of greenhouse gas emissions
4. Securing their progressive reduction
5. Prioritising energy efficiency measures
6. Increasing the use of renewable energy
7. Fostering battery-enabled renewable energy integration, high quality job creation and skills development

Safeguarding human rights and economic development consistent with the UN Sustainable Development Goals by:
8. Eliminating child and forced labour
9. Protecting public health and the environment
10. Supporting responsible trade and anti-corruption practices, local value creation and economic diversification

ERG received excellent exposure in many publications including Power Technology, ESI-Africa, Mining.com and Merkur.