A global battery passport will track sourcing, emissions and labor practices, aiming to curb pollution, prevent abuses and make the clean energy transition more transparent, ethical and sustainable.
A new global initiative is set to transform the booming battery industry with a “battery passport,” a digital record tracking each battery from raw material mining to recycling. The move aims to tackle environmental damage, human rights abuses and promote sustainable production.
The issue is urgent in Bangladesh, where informal battery recycling and processing factories have triggered a lead pollution crisis. Experts estimate that around 36 million children are at risk of lead poisoning, threatening their health and future. Without stricter oversight, the human cost of the global battery boom will continue to rise.
Global demand for electric vehicles and renewable energy storage is surging, often creating a market where the cheapest products dominate at the expense of people and the planet. Inga Petersen, Executive Director of the Global Battery Alliance (GBA), said, “Right now, it’s a race to the bottom. We want products to compete on sustainability, not just price.”
The GBA, an international partnership of businesses, governments and civil society, is developing a framework linking every battery to a digital passport. This passport contains verified data on raw material origin, labor practices, greenhouse gas emissions and recycling prospects. Pilot programs are already underway with major battery manufacturers.
The European Union is leading by example. From 2027, all batteries sold in the EU must carry a digital passport. Experts say the system is particularly important for communities in the Global South, where much of the world’s battery raw materials are extracted.
The Battery Digital Product Passport is accessible via QR code and tracks a battery’s material provenance, carbon footprint and sustainability performance. It encourages transparent supply chains, low-carbon manufacturing and efficient recycling and reuse. By 2026 to 2027, it will be required for EV batteries, industrial batteries over 2 kWh and light means of transport.
While the passport cannot instantly eliminate mining or labor abuses, it improves transparency, helping regulators, companies and consumers make better-informed decisions. Petersen added, “Battery passports can transform an industry central to the clean energy transition, making it ethical, transparent and sustainable.”
Over the past decade, battery deployment has grown twentyfold, fueled by electric vehicle sales and renewable energy storage. However, this rapid expansion has exposed environmental and social risks. Mineral extraction from South America to Zimbabwe and Indonesia has caused pollution, deforestation, human rights violations and social conflict. In Europe, production plants face local opposition over pollution concerns. Petersen stressed that transparency is crucial to managing these risks.
The GBA was established in 2017 after reports of child labor in cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Today, the alliance is developing a certification scheme recognizing batteries that meet strict environmental, social and governance standards along the entire value chain. Participating mines, factories and recycling facilities must provide data on emissions, biodiversity, pollution, labor and community impacts. Data will be independently verified, scored and recorded on the battery passport.
More than 30 companies, including CATL, BYD, Samsung SDI, Siemens, Rio Tinto, Denso and Tesla, are participating in the largest pilot to date. Petersen said this sends a strong signal of commitment to a sustainable and responsible battery value chain.
The certification also helps companies comply with EU regulations and rewards manufacturers that go beyond minimum standards. It could influence public procurement, investor decisions and consumer choice, encouraging responsible practices across complex supply chains.
In Bangladesh, where lead pollution has already affected millions of children, the initiative is especially welcome. Sohanur Rahman, Executive Coordinator of YouthNet Global, said, “Battery passports are a critical tool to ensure that communities most affected by resource extraction are protected. Transparency in the supply chain can help prevent exploitation and make the clean energy transition truly just.”
The battery passport initiative represents a shift toward a global clean energy market where sustainability and social responsibility matter as much as price, giving ethical producers an edge while pressuring others to improve standards.
