Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL), the global battery giant, and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation have jointly unveiled an ambitious vision to decouple battery production from virgin raw material extraction, signalling a pivotal step toward a circular battery economy. The announcement was made during London Climate Action Week, underscoring a growing commitment to sustainable innovation in the energy storage sector.
Since the formation of their strategic partnership earlier this year, CATL and the Foundation have collaborated to explore how circular economy principles can be applied across the battery value chain. Jiang Li, Vice President and Board Secretary of CATL, introduced the shared ambition at a high-level panel, stressing that circular models must drive future battery growth to align economic value with ecological responsibility.
To anchor this ambition, CATL has set a bold directional goal: by 2045, half of all new battery production should be independent of virgin materials. This long-term objective will shape investment in circular business models, systems innovation, and partnerships.
Four core principles adapted from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s circular framework were introduced: Rethink Systems, Redesign Products, Rethink Business Models, and Recycle Materials. These principles are already in practice at CATL — from deploying a Carbon Chain Management System to recycling 130,000 tons of batteries in 2024 alone, recovering 17,000 tons of lithium salts.
In parallel, CATL is advancing the Global Energy Circularity Commitment (GECC), a collaborative platform uniting stakeholders across academia, industry, and government to pilot circular solutions.
Jiang Li emphasized, “The circular battery system won’t be built in a lab or a boardroom — it will be shaped through collaboration, testing, and shared effort.” The partnership, rooted in transparency and collective action, is poised to redefine the future of battery production for a more sustainable planet
