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The EU battery carbon footprint rules need urgent attention

Nature Energy (2025)Cite this article

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The EU Battery Regulation 2023/1542 (ref. 1) is a landmark framework aimed at ensuring batteries placed on the EU market are sustainable, safe, and recyclable. The regulation has broad implications for both the EU and global battery industries2. While primarily targeting industry compliance, the regulation also directly impacts energy research and development communities, as new batteries will need to comply with its legal requirements. Those working on battery electrochemistry, performance, safety, and design, as well as on sustainability, due diligence, reuse, and recycling, will need to align their work on resource availability, value chains and recycling with the regulation’s requirements to ensure access to the European market.

The delay in finalizing the Delegated Act on the CF declaration for EV batteries is causing significant disruption in EV battery research, supply and value chain across markets. Companies and carbon footprint practitioners face considerable uncertainty as to whether to proceed with the draft Delegated Act. This hesitation arises because the draft remains under revision and may change.

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Fig. 1: Overview of Article 7 requirements and timeline for electric vehicle (EV) batteries, industrial batteries, and light means of transport (LMT) batteries.

References

  1. Regulation (EU) 2023/ of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 July 2023 Concerning Batteries and Waste Batteries, Amending Directive 2008/98/EC and Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and Repealing Directive 2006/66/EC (European Union, 2023); https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32023R1542

  2. Melin, H. E. et al. Science 373, 384–387 (2021).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Draft Act: Batteries for Electric Vehicles – Carbon Footprint Methodology (Delegated Act) (European Union, 2024); https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/13877-Batteries-for-electric-vehicles-carbon-footprint-methodology_en

  4. Batteries for Electric Vehicles – Carbon Footprint Methodology: Feedback and Statistics: Draft Delegated Regulation (European Union, 2024); https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/13877-Batteries-for-electric-vehicles-carbon-footprint-methodology/feedback_en?p_id=32861772

  5. European Commission EUR-Lex. Internal communication, Ares(2024)3131389 (2024); https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/PIN/?uri=intcom%3AAres%282024%293131389

  6. In preparation: Batteries for Electric Vehicles – Carbon Footprint Label Classes (Delegated Act) (European Union, 2025); https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/14312-Batteries-for-electric-vehicles-carbon-footprint-label-classes-delegated-act-_en

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Green Energy & Sustainability Division, TUV SUD Ltd, East Kilbride, UK

    Mohammad Ali Rajaeifar & Martin Hanton

  2. School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

    Mohammad Ali Rajaeifar & Oliver Heidrich

  3. Sustainability Services, TÜV SÜD Product Service GmbH, Ridlerstraße, Munich, Germany

    Daniel Philipp Müller

Authors
  1. Mohammad Ali Rajaeifar
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  2. Daniel Philipp Müller
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  4. Oliver Heidrich
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Correspondence to Mohammad Ali Rajaeifar.

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Rajaeifar, M.A., Müller, D.P., Hanton, M. et al. The EU battery carbon footprint rules need urgent attention. Nat Energy (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-025-01844-3

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