The European Union (EU) can reduce the need for new minerals for batteries, with recycling set to halve the demand for lithium and nickel by 2040, according to a study published today.
The study indicates that it is possible to reduce the need for new mineral resources and at the same time accelerate the transition to cleaner road transport and strengthen European strategic autonomy. Through recycling alone it is possible to reduce cobalt needs by up to 70%, by 2040, says the report.
The findings have led 40 organisations to call on the EU to act on the study’s recommendations, explains Sciaena, a Portuguese NGO which promotes a sustainable marine environment.
In addition to recycling, the study identifies four further areas for action in EU policies to reduce the need for raw materials – one of which is the provision of incentives for smaller, more affordable electric vehicles.
The groups welcoming the study argue that the EU should also use the review of carbon dioxide emissions standards and the Car Labelling Directive to give greater weight to vehicle energy efficiency in policy-making criteria.
It should also make use of the EU budget for 2028–2034, the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) and Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans to boost investment in accessible public transport and active mobility.
The organisations argue that European policies should support sustainable mobility: measures such as remote working, leading to a reduction in unnecessary journeys.
The signatories of the appeal point out that Europe is preparing to take a number of decisions which, they say, will shape the approach to raw materials, transport and industrial policy.
Portugal, according to the Sciaena statement, has some of the largest known lithium reserves in Europe, one of which is in Covas do Barroso, where the local population has been protesting against mining.
Catarina Abril, Sciaena’s head of fisheries and climate policy, quoted in today’s statement, says that the protests in Covas do Barroso show that the energy transition cannot be achieved at the expense of local areas and communities.
“A truly sustainable energy transition requires not only changing the way we travel, but also reducing the resources we consume and ensuring that decarbonisation does not become a pretext for expanding mining in environmentally valuable areas,” she stresses.
The study, Decarbonising Road Transport Beyond Mining-Intensive Pathways, was carried out by the German organisation Öko-Institut Consult gGmbH at the request of three associations linked to the European Raw Materials Coalition, which now comprises more than 60 organisations.
Source: LUSA
Natasha Donn
Journalist for the Portugal Resident.