July 3, 2025: Chinese battery giant CATL has outlined plans to “decouple” 50% of new battery production from the use of primary raw materials within 20 years.

The sustainability pledge was announced on June 24, during London Climate Action Week, as part of a collaboration with the non-profit Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

Jiang Li, CATL vice president and board secretary, said the company had been working with the foundation for several months on how to apply circular economy principles to the battery value chain.

Jiang said the global battery recycling market is expected to exceed RMB1.2 trillion ($165 billion) by 2040. The battery value chain could generate more than 10 million jobs — over half of which would be in developing countries, he said.

CATL’s goal is derived from principles adapted from the foundation’s ideals and designed to guide transformation across mining and battery manufacturing to mobility and energy systems.
Meanwhile, Jiang claimed CATL operates the world’s largest battery take-back network which, in 2024 alone, recycled around 130,000 tonnes of end-of-life batteries, recovering 17,000 tonnes of lithium salts.

“The circular battery system won’t be built in a lab or a boardroom — it will be shaped through collaboration, testing, and shared effort,” he said.