Sustainability of the use of critical raw materials in electric vehicle batteries : A transdisciplinary review
Loading...
Access rights
openAccess
publishedVersion
URL
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
A2 Katsausartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä
This publication is imported from Aalto University research portal.
View publication in the Research portal (opens in new window)
View/Open full text file from the Research portal (opens in new window)
Other link related to publication (opens in new window)
View publication in the Research portal (opens in new window)
View/Open full text file from the Research portal (opens in new window)
Other link related to publication (opens in new window)
Date
2024-08
Major/Subject
Mcode
Degree programme
Language
en
Pages
14
Series
Environmental Challenges, Volume 16
Abstract
The expected growth of electric mobility will have major sustainability implications in societies across the globe due to a global reliance on primary natural resources and the uneven distribution of benefits and impacts. There has been a call for comprehensive assessments that account for the complex causalities between technological, environmental, social, economic, and political aspects of electric mobility. We present a literature review examining the interconnections between aspects of sustainability in the use of critical materials in electric vehicle batteries. With a holistic review of social sciences, materials science, environmental policy, and innovation management literatures, five domains of sustainability tensions were identified: 1) resource sufficiency, 2) geographical distribution and global value chains, 3) regulation and policies, 4) circular economy, and 5) emerging battery technologies. The framework explicates the wickedness and complex causalities involved in the interdependencies of multiple sustainability dimensions and the related tensions. This study extends the examination to cover political aspects and adds to techno-industrial research on battery materials, supply chains and industrial policies and land use, electricity consumption and governance in EV battery production. This study proposes pathways forward that consider various sustainability interdependencies.Description
Publisher Copyright: © 2024
Keywords
Battery, Critical raw materials, Electric mobility, Electric vehicle, Sustainability, Wicked problems
Other note
Citation
Lehtimäki, H, Karhu, M, Kotilainen, J M, Sairinen, R, Jokilaakso, A, Lassi, U & Huttunen-Saarivirta, E 2024, ' Sustainability of the use of critical raw materials in electric vehicle batteries : A transdisciplinary review ', Environmental Challenges, vol. 16, 100966 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envc.2024.100966