CATL Joins Global Industry Leaders at Ellen MacArthur Foundation Forum on Circularity at IAA 2025

Built for Circularity: Design, Manufacture, and Infrastructure for Batteries Built for Circularity: Design, Manufacture, and Infrastructure for Batteries The first discussion explored how circularity can be embedded from the earliest stages of battery development, from design and manufacturing to the supporting infrastructure. Panelists highlighted the importance of digital traceability, material transparency, and collaborative industrial practices as key enablers for a truly circular...

MUNICH, 10/09/2025 (informazione.news - comunicati stampa - information technology)

The first discussion explored how circularity can be embedded from the earliest stages of battery development, from design and manufacturing to the supporting infrastructure. Panelists highlighted the importance of digital traceability, material transparency, and collaborative industrial practices as key enablers for a truly circular battery ecosystem.

Jiang Li , Vice President and Board Secretary of CATL, emphasized both the challenge and the opportunity ahead:

"To make circularity real at scale, the industry needs clear standards and aligned policy and financial frameworks. With more partners joining us, we are working together to build an ecosystem that makes batteries more resilient, secure, and sustainable for the decades ahead."

Daniel Schönfelder, President, Battery Materials at BASF, spoke to the role of sustainable cathode materials and industrial collaboration; Jens Rubi , Senior Manager, Head of Circularity at Mercedes-Benz, highlighted embedding circularity into OEM strategies; and Oliver Ganser , VP of Digitalisation at BMW, discussed leveraging Catena-X, the BMW-led cross-industry digital platform for automotive data exchange, to ensure supply chain transparency and traceability.

The discussion underscored that building a circular battery ecosystem requires coordinated action across manufacturers, suppliers, and technology partners, and that collaboration at every stage of the value chain is essential to make circularity scalable and practical.

The second discussion focused on the levers needed to scale circularity across the global battery ecosystem, emphasizing policy frameworks, financing mechanisms, and standardized approaches. Panelists explored how regulatory alignment, investor confidence, and tools such as the Battery Passport can create transparent and comparable metrics across jurisdictions, enabling practical, large-scale implementation of circular practices.

Emma Nerenheim, Managing Director of the European Battery Alliance, highlighted the urgency of coordinated action:

Inga Petersen , Executive Director and Board Member of the Global Battery Alliance, further emphasized the need for a harmonized global approach to circularity:

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Other panelists shared complementary perspectives: Zoe Zhang , Critical Minerals Analyst at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, provided insights on supply chain risks and the importance of transparent data for investors; and Amy Marshall , Managing Director at Xynteo, discussed multi-stakeholder partnerships and systems transformation to enable circularity.

The forum served as the first formal convening of partners under the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's Critical Minerals Program, launched in June, where CATL outlined its ambitious goal that within 20 years up to 50% of new battery production could be decoupled from virgin raw materials. Moving forward, CATL will continue working with EMF and industry partners on pilot projects and full value chain solutions, advancing a sustainable, equitable circular battery ecosystem.

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