The global professional services firm KPMG and Circulor, a leading supply chain traceability solution, announced a new alliance to offer a complete package that enables customers to trace, monitor and control critical raw materials throughout their battery and other industrial value chains, from extraction to the end of a product’s... Read more →

The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) published its final rule listing Tiehm’s buckwheat as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. The Service is also designating 910 acres of critical habitat on lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management in the Rhyolite Ridge area of the Silver... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz will collaborate with Norwegian aluminum producer Hydro to reduce significantly the CO₂ footprint of aluminum in the automotive supply chain. Hydro and Mercedes-Benz will from 2023 to 2030 collaborate on a joint technology roadmap aiming to develop aluminium solutions approved for automotive applications with a CO2 footprint below 3.0... Read more →

Continental and Security Matters (SMX), an innovative tech platform specializing in digital tracking using unalterable chemical-based barcodes, have succeeded for the first time in verifying beyond doubt a marker substance for natural rubber in a tire, and thus throughout the entire production process. The dedicated marker technology, which both companies... Read more →

Following on from their joint presentation at the Future Battery Forum 2022, Ellen Carey, Vice President of Global Policy and Public Affairs at Circulor, and Fredrika Klarén, Global Head of Sustainability at Polestar, discuss the successful collaboration between their two companies, and how blockchain traceability will play a key role... Read more →

The US Department of Agriculture has awarded Bridgestone and several partners a $35-million grant to continue its investment in desert shrub guayule (earlier post) to advance a climate-smart domestic rubber industry and offer a solution for growers amid the ongoing water crisis in the Southwestern US. The grant will be... Read more →

Digital transparency company Everledger launched a battery passport pilot with leading automotive manufacturer Ford Motor Company to ensure responsible recycling of EV batteries. The pilot leverages Everledger’s technology platform to track electric vehicle (EV) batteries throughout their lifecycle to ensure responsible management during use and recycling at the end of... Read more →

The Copper Mark, an assurance framework set up to promote the responsible production of copper, is launching the pilot implementation of the Molybdenum, Nickel and Zinc Marks. Producers of these metals are able to use the Copper Mark assurance framework to achieve their respective “Mark”, thereby signaling their leadership in... Read more →

BASF, Mercedes-Benz, Pyrum Innovations AG and WITTE Automotive successfully closed a material cycle to produce automotive components from mass-balanced plastics. Pyrolysis oil from scrap tires and biomethane from organic waste can replace fossil raw materials in manufacturing plastics with virgin material properties. To produce the plastic for the bow door... Read more →

Nissan Motor is launching a sustainable finance framework to help fund its next-generation electrified vehicles, batteries, environmental technologies, and new mobility services. Proceeds from the Nissan Sustainable Finance Framework will also be used to support projects in Nissan’s use of renewable energy, clean manufacturing systems, EV re-charging infrastructure, battery re-use,... Read more →

The Audi Environmental Foundation, a subsidiary of AUDI AG founded in 2009, has joined forces with the Freiberg University of Mining and Technology to research new ways of mining high-tech elements. As depletable resources, metallic raw materials are needed for many future technologies, including electromobility; indium and germanium, cobalt, lithium,... Read more →

Teijin and Fujitsu launched a joint project to realize a blockchain-based commercial platform for enhancing the environmental value of recycled materials for manufacturers. The collaboration will promote environmentally conscious design by leveraging Teijin’s Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Calculation Method for measuring the environmental impact of manufacturing processes across the value... Read more →

DSM Engineering Materials has launched of a new, more sustainable version of its flagship product Stanyl: Stanyl B-MB (Bio-based Mass Balanced), with up to 100% bio-based content. Using the maximum possible levels of biomass-waste feedstock, it enables DSM Engineering Materials to halve the carbon footprint of this product line and,... Read more →

ArcelorMittal published a concept for a low-carbon emissions steel standard to help incentivize the decarbonization of steelmaking globally and support the creation of market demand for physical steel products which would be classified as lower, and ultimately near-zero, carbon emissions steel. The creation of clear definitions for low-carbon emissions physical... Read more →

Gevo has entered into a partner agreement with Google Cloud to measure and verify the efficacy of next-generation biofuels across the supply chain via full lifecycle sustainability data tracking. Utilizing technology developed by Verity Tracking , a division of Gevo, the collaboration is expected to enable users to track and... Read more →

As part of a broader initiative to accelerate the use of sustainable technologies in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) announced plans to debut Firestone Firehawk race tires made with guayule natural rubber grown and extracted at the company’s guayule R&D; facilities in Arizona. (Earlier post.) The guayule race... Read more →

Aston Martin announced its new sustainability strategy, Racing.Green. Launched on Earth Day, Racing.Green. formalizes core principles, aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, that reflect Aston Martin’s established approach to sustainability and sets new targets across all aspects of the business. The company is joining a list of companies committing... Read more →

Teijin Frontier Co., Ltd., the Teijin Group’s fibers and products converting company, has developed an eco-friendly staple polyester nanofiber that offers excellent performance to reinforce rubber uses in products including automotive tires, hoses and belts. Staple fibers—textile fibers of discrete length—are used to strengthen rubber in products required to withstand... Read more →

A study by three French institutes—Ifremer, the University of Bordeaux and the IRD (a public research institution)—has found that the surface water of the Atlantic Ocean is twice as polluted by cellulose fibers as it is by microplastics. This study, based on measurements taken from an offshore race boat, also... Read more →

An EIT RawMaterials-supported vanadium recovery joint venture in Finland between two Australian project development companies—Critical Metals Ltd and Neometals Ltd—plans to increase high-purity vanadium production in Europe for use in grid-scale vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs), specialty steel applications and next-generation lithium vanadium cells. The Vanadium Recovery Project (VRP) is... Read more →

ResponsibleSteel has awarded its first certification to a steelmaking site in Latin America: ArcelorMittal Tubarão. ArcelorMittal Tubarão is the third-largest Brazilian producer of rolled flat steels. The company manufactures flat steel products—primarily hot-rolled plates and coils—for both domestic and international markets. ArcelorMittal Tubarão Launched in 2015, ResponsibleSteel sets global standards... Read more →

The Audi Environmental Foundation is developing filters for urban runoff in conjunction with the Technical University of Berlin (TUB). The filters prevent tire wear particles and other environmentally harmful substances from being washed into sewers and bodies of water along with rainwater. Initial field and lab tests have now demonstrated... Read more →

The International Lithium Association (ILiA), the not-for-profit industry association representing the global lithium value chain, announced a wide-ranging agreement with TDi Sustainability to explore standards and environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues in the lithium industry. The transition to lower-carbon transport and power will require a vast quantity of lithium... Read more →

The Volkswagen Group has joined the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA), an alliance of enterprises, mining companies and non-profit organizations developing standards for responsible extraction of raw materials in mining. These standards cover a range of issues, including working health and safety and environmental protection. With its electrification strategy,... Read more →

Canada-based Rock Tech Lithium will collaborate with the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT and Circulor, the UK-based sustainable supply chain traceability provider, to achieve comprehensive CO2 transparency of Rock Tech’s lithium value chain—from the raw material, spodumene, to the end product, lithium hydroxide. Rock Tech, which... Read more →

The BMW Group has joined the cross-sector “Responsible Lithium Partnership” project. The aim of the project is to reach a shared understanding of responsible management of natural resources with local interest groups and develop a vision for the future of the Salar de Atacama salt flat in Chile. The “Responsible... Read more →

Some of the world’s leading automotive industry suppliers, including SSAB steel, Hydro renewable energy, ZF electric powertrains, ZKW control systems and Autoliv safety equipment, are joining forces with intent to collaborate on the Polestar 0 Project, which aims to develop a truly climate-neutral car by 2030 (earlier post). Polestar has... Read more →

FREYR Battery announced that the Research Council of Norway, Innovation Norway, and Siva have granted $11 million (NOK 100 million) through the Norwegian Green Platform initiative to a consortium of companies, including FREYR. The initiative is intended to provide a platform to establish sustainable battery production. The consortium of companies... Read more →

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has released a demonstration tire with 70% sustainable-material content. The 70% sustainable-material tire includes 13 featured ingredients across nine different tire components, including: Carbon black is included in tires for compound reinforcement and to help increase their life and has traditionally been made by... Read more →

Deutsche Post DHL Group is introducing a global DHL Green Carrier Certification to reward road transport subcontractors for their efforts to become more sustainable. As part of its sustainability roadmap, Deutsche Post DHL Group aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to below 29 million tons by 2030 and net-zero by... Read more →

General Motors has joined the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA), adding another element to company programs that support the sustainability and human rights of the EV supply chain. IRMA advances responsible mining practice through a comprehensive set of standards covering the four principles of Business Integrity, Planning for Positive... Read more →

FREYR Battery, a developer of clean, next-generation battery cell production capacity, has become a member of the Fair Cobalt Alliance (FCA) to underscore FREYR’s commitment to developing a sustainable global battery industry. The FCA is a multi-stakeholder action platform committed to developing responsible and fair supply of artisanal mined cobalt... Read more →

FREYR Battery, a developer of clean, next-generation battery cell production capacity and Glencore International AG, one of the world’s largest global diversified natural resource companies, have signed a contract for the supply of up to 1,500 metric tons of high-grade, sustainably-sourced cobalt metal cut cathodes made from partially recycled cobalt... Read more →

At its recent “Kia Sustainability Movement” virtual presentation, Kia Corporation announced a commitment to achieve carbon neutrality throughout its value chain by 2045. Achieving carbon neutrality will be based on three key pillars: Sustainable Mobility; Sustainable Planet; and Sustainable Energy. The pillars will guide Kia in its efforts to reduce... Read more →

The first automaker to collaborate with dairy farms on renewable energy projects, BMW of North America and California Bioenergy (CalBio) announced an expanded partnership to include Bar 20 Dairy, a farm based in Kerman, CA. The collaboration aims to power EVs in California with clean energy, and generate cleaner air... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz Vans has unveiled the SUSTAINEER (SUSTAINability pionEER) to give an impression of how sustainability in urban delivery operations may look in the future. The fully electric van—based on the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter—combines a variety of innovative solutions designed to improve the quality of life in cities; to conserve resources and... Read more →

Urbix Inc., a US-based processor of battery-grade graphite, and Circulor, a leading sustainable supply chain traceability provider, announced a strategic partnership for transparency and accountability in sourcing and processing graphite that is used in advanced batteries. Urbix will utilize Circulor’s technology to track and trace its graphite as it changes... Read more →

The Second UN Global Sustainable Transport Conference concluded with a call to accelerate progress towards achieving sustainable transport that would result in major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and in improving the lives of millions of people. The Conference participants agreed that without a profound shift to sustainable mobility, achieving... Read more →

With demand for lithium set to rise over the next decade, Roskill has examined the various ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) concerns that downstream investors and customers face in sourcing lithium products. As sustainability has been brought to the forefront of the lithium debate, producers have sought to underscore their... Read more →

Re|Source, a solution to trace responsibly produced cobalt from the mine to the electric vehicle (earlier post), acknowledged the progress made by Tesla in implementing the pilot project across its supply chain. Tesla has been a key partner in designing and implementing the solution, which was officially announced on 20... Read more →

A region of the central Pacific—the Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone (CCFZ)—is estimated to contain vast reserves of polymetallic nodules that are rich in nickel and cobalt—minerals that are commonly mined on land for the production of lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles, laptops, and mobile phones. Deep-sea-mining schemes propose sending down... Read more →

BHP will supply Tesla Inc. with nickel from BHP’s Nickel West asset in Western Australia; BHP says that Nickel West is one of the most sustainable and lowest carbon emission nickel producers in the world. Nickel is a key metal used in Tesla’s battery technology. Demand for nickel in batteries... Read more →

A new study from WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) and WWF finds that nearly 20% of tropical Intact Forest Landscapes (IFLs) overlap with concessions for extractive industries such as mining, oil and gas. The total area of overlap is 376,449 square miles (975,000 square kilometers), about the size of Egypt. The... Read more →

In an open-access study published in the journal Sustainable Cities and Society, Francesco Orsi, of the Landscape Architecture and Spatial Planning Group, Wageningen University & Research, the Netherlands, suggests that widespread adoption of electric vehicles may have a negative impact on land use. Electric vehicles (EVs) are widely regarded as... Read more →

BMW i Ventures has invested in Natural Fiber Welding, Inc. (NFW), a creator of all-natural, plastic-free alternatives to animal- or petrochemical-based materials such as leathers, foams, and textiles. The financing round will enable the company to scale from the batch processing of materials to commercial roll-to-roll production. NFW has developed... Read more →

Several companies have initiated a “Responsible Lithium Partnership” aiming to work towards responsible natural resource management, including lithium, in Chile’s Salar de Atacama. This cross-industry partnership is funded at its inception by BASF, Daimler AG, Fairphone, and Volkswagen Group. The partnership intends to foster a dialogue among local stakeholders, generating—and... Read more →

Europe’s demand for biodiesel for cars and trucks has likely wiped out forests the size of the Netherlands since the introduction of the EU’s green fuels law in 2010, according to a new study by Transport & Environment (T&E;). T&E; is calling on the EU to end support to palm... Read more →

An editorial in the journal Nature calls on policy makers, industry leaders and researchers to mitigate quickly the environmental and human costs of Li-ion batteries. Li-ion batteries currently are the indispensable enabling technology for electric vehicles and the electric grid, the latter due to the need to store energy from... Read more →

Porsche is making further efforts to reduce CO₂ emissions in its supply chain: the sports car manufacturer is calling for its around 1,300 series suppliers to use exclusively renewable energy in the manufacture of Porsche components as of July 2021. It applies to any contracts awarded for providing production material... Read more →

Ford is working with its international nonprofit and grantmaking partners to support and promote a pilot program that will empower women working in the copper and cobalt supply chains in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The region has emerged as a key resource for critical metals that have become... Read more →