Electric vehicle battery manufacture research (FOI)

Request

Prior to the past promotion on the sale of electric vehicles and the potential planned further promotion through grants; what research has the Government undertaken to understand the environmental supply chain impacts of the raw materials required to manufacture the batteries for the vehicles, including the environmental sustainability of the local communities involved in the manufacture and processing of lithium and cobalt which affects the air, soil and water quality of those communities as well as often exploiting children as young as eleven years old with little to no health and safety in order to facilitate that production?

Response

Extensive policy development work fed into the drafting of the Carbon Neutral Roadmap and this considered consultation responses from the public and other stakeholders, as well as questions from Ministers, regarding the life-cycle environmental and social impacts of electric vehicle batteries.

Policy officers keep up to date on internationally published research and evidence on a wide range of decarbonisation options, including electric vehicles, through their professional networks and memberships such as the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA).  They also complete specific desk-based research as required to inform policy development.  

The impact of lithium and cobalt mining remains a consideration and officers are keeping a watching brief on new types of battery design that do not require these metals, as well as more modern and sustainable lithium and cobalt extraction methods and improvements to due diligence strategies adopted by vehicle manufacturers to ensure responsible supply chains.