A stepwise approach for determining absolute environmental sustainability targets for an electric vehicle battery

The transition from the ‘Holocene-like’ interglacial state towards the Anthropocene epoch, driven by human activities, poses risks of triggering tipping points of the Earth system. Such risks create the need for target-based product design strategies, that are aligned with the environmental carrying capacities, such as the planetary boundaries framework. In this study, we introduce a stepwise approach to determine absolute environmental sustainability targets during the product development process. The approach integrates top-down factors such as planetary boundaries, IPCC carbon budgets and sharing principles shaping these targets. Furthermore, we assess the influence of bottom-up factors such as the selection of raw material suppliers and production location in achieving them. The application of the approach is illustrated for the case study of a traction battery. The potential future applications and limitations of the proposed stepwise approach are discussed.

Electric vehicle; Sustainable development; Absolute sustainability