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Title Determining requirements and challenges for a sustainable and circular electric vehicle battery supply chain: A mixed-methods approach
ID_Doc 6285
Authors Gebhardt, M; Beck, J; Kopyto, M; Spieske, A
Title Determining requirements and challenges for a sustainable and circular electric vehicle battery supply chain: A mixed-methods approach
Year 2022
Published
DOI 10.1016/j.spc.2022.06.024
Abstract Limited transparency on the sustainability of the lithium-ion battery supply chain (LIBSC) could impede a rapid scale-up of the electric vehicle battery ecosystem, which is required for the decarbonization of the transportation sector. A comprehensive and commonly accepted framework to assess the sustainability of this industry is cur-rently missing. To address this research gap, a mixed-methods approach comprising a literature review, several expert interviews, two workshops, and a two-round Delphi study is conducted. 29 aspects concerning the LIBSC's sustainability are derived and prioritized according to their importance and ease of implementation. Further-more, 30 barriers for establishing the required transparency in the LIBSC are identified. The results show that a broad range of criteria has to be incorporated to comprehensively evaluate battery sustainability. Thereby, green-house gas emissions, circularity indicators, and human rights and safety issues are considered the most crucial, while the least importance is attributed to economic aspects. A broad range of barriers to such assessments are identified, many of which stem from the interaction and relationships among supply chain tiers or originate at one tier and affect another upstream or downstream counterpart. Overall, the study's results indicate that assur-ing compliance with existing sustainability standards might be a feasible and pragmatic approach to cope with the considerable variety of important sustainability aspects. Moreover, the identified barriers imply that mean-ingful assessments can only be achieved via cross-tier assessments and considerable collaborations among the stakeholders of the rapidly evolving LIBSC.(c) 2022 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Author Keywords Lithium-ion battery; Electric vehicles; Sustainability assessment; Circular economy; Mixed-methods; Delphi study
Index Keywords Index Keywords
Document Type Other
Open Access Open Access
Source Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED); Social Science Citation Index (SSCI)
EID WOS:000829301500011
WoS Category Green & Sustainable Science & Technology; Environmental Studies
Research Area Science & Technology - Other Topics; Environmental Sciences & Ecology
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