The Copper Mark and Global Battery Alliance (GBA) have signed a memorandum of understanding that will see the two organisations collaborate to advance copper traceability and responsible sourcing in battery value chains.
Copper is a key input for the batteries required for electric vehicles, energy storage and other technologies and systems underpinning the global transition towards electrification.
Digital product passports and product level assurance and certification schemes, such as the GBA Battery Passport, provide an efficient tool for tracing, verifying and creating transparency to the origin and production conditions of battery-related copper. While Copper is not currently among the battery raw materials specifically covered by the EU Batteries Regulation’s battery due-diligence requirements, the GBA is exploring the potential inclusion of copper within future voluntary certification scope of its Battery Passport certification framework.
The Copper Mark’s Chain of Custody Standard provides a clear framework for verification and reporting on the flow of responsible producer copper and other metal products across the value chain. The organisation’s Responsible Metals Value Chain Platform provides a network and forum for companies across the supply chain to work together to enhance transparency and responsible sourcing practices.
Under this agreement, the parties will promote efficiencies and synergies between their respective tools and approaches, with the aim of supporting traceability and chain of custody for copper products in the battery value chain. The parties will also seek to attach responsible production and sustainability credentials to the traceability systems through recognition of Copper Mark standards in the GBA Battery Passport. The agreement also provides for collaboration on circularity and carbon footprint metrics, as well as joint outreach and piloting.
“Copper is an essential part of the battery value chain, but connecting battery-level sustainability information with credible, verified information from further upstream remains a significant challenge. Our collaboration with the Copper Mark is about building on established standards and assurance systems rather than duplicating them and making trusted copper traceability and sustainability information usable within battery-level reporting and certification. By creating stronger links between upstream assurance and the GBA Battery Passport, we can help make battery value chains more transparent, efficient and responsible,” said Inga Petersen, Executive Director of the Global Battery Alliance.
“Copper is critical to battery value chains. Through our work with Copper Mark Partner companies, we see increasing demands from downstream customers and regulators to better understand and engage with minerals and metals supply chains. We look forward to working with GBA to bring more transparency and traceability to the copper products required for battery technologies and broader electrification,” said Michèle Brülhart, Executive Director of the Copper Mark.
About the Copper Mark
The Copper Mark is the leading assurance framework to promote responsible practices across the copper, molybdenum, nickel and zinc value chains. The organisation works with companies and organisations throughout these metals’ value chains to enable them to better understand and meet the increasing demands for independently verified responsible practices, and to contribute positively to sustainable development. For more information, visit: www.coppermark.org.
About the Global Battery Alliance
As the world’s largest multistakeholder initiative bringing together the entire battery value chain, the GBA sets the global benchmark for sustainability and transparency in battery production and use. Since its inception in 2017, the GBA has brought together a unique and growing coalition of public and private stakeholders, united by a common vision: to establish sustainable, responsible, and circular battery value chains by 2030. For more information, visit: www.globalbattery.org.