Consultancy Opportunity: Assessing the environmental and social impact of rising demand for minerals for battery technology

WWF and Greenpeace are promoting greater uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) in the UK and across Europe, to both reduce carbon emissions in line with the ambition of the Paris Agreement, and to support the reduction of air pollution to safe and legal limits. The Paris Agreement requires the near-total decarbonisation of the energy sector, with increasing contributions from variable wind and solar technologies balanced out by a range of behavioural and technical solutions, including battery storage.

Batteries are therefore a critical technology for the UK's low carbon transition, for both EVs and stationary power storage. They will also be important in many other countries around the world as they seek to meet their Paris Agreement commitments and air quality objectives.

However, battery production requires minerals, such as cobalt and lithium for lithium ion batteries, and mineral extraction can often have detrimental social and environmental impacts. It is important to manage the increase in demand for batteries to minimise the risk of undermining broader sustainable development objectives.

This research project will assess the potential risks for people and nature arising from a surge in battery demand, and inform policy recommendations to mitigate these risks. This project seeks to assess the risks for people and nature arising from a surge in battery demand.

WWF and Greenpeace have already undertaken desk-based research into the subject (which we will make available to the supplier), highlighting concerns with lithium ion battery production, particularly the environmental impacts of lithium extraction in South America and the social impacts of cobalt extraction in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This project will determine the scale of these risks and inform policy recommendations to mitigate them.

We expect the assessment to be delivered in the form of a written report (pdf) and summary presentation (ppt). We may opt to publish the report in full, and/or to produce separately branded materials highlighting the report's key conclusions.

Given the breadth of research required for this project, we are open to joint or partial proposals from consultants with niche expertise in the social or environmental impacts of battery production Additional information: To respond to this opportunity, please send a proposal to DBates@wwf.org.uk to include a method statement for delivering the research, breakdown of costs and demonstration of relevant skills and experience. Given the breadth of research required for this project, we are open to joint or partial proposals from consultants with niche expertise in the social or environmental impacts of battery production.