As the world focuses on the CoP-26 global climate summit in Glasgow, the dawn of the electric vehicle era is sure to be touted as a major solution to a severe emissions problem. What few policy makers and business leaders seem to acknowledge, though, is just how dirty a process making these cars has become. The transport sector is responsible for almost a quarter of direct carbon-dioxide emissions from burning fuel. Of that, passenger cars account for 45%. It goes beyond tailpipe exhaust: Every step of making a vehicle’s 20,000-30,000 parts, which involves a few thousand tonnes of aluminium, steel and other materials, produces emissions.
EVs were supposed to be the answer to this. But while cleaner cars may eventually solve the tailpipe-emission problem, they don’t address all the damage done to the environment while making them. Compared with traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, greenhouse gases released while making battery-electric cars account for a higher portion of life-cycle emissions. As the EV hype gains momentum, battery production and research is powering ahead and sales are growing. That means material emissions will rise to over 60% by 2040 from 18% today, according to McKinsey & Co (mck.co/3nYeEZI).
“The importance of supply chain decarbonization cannot be ignored," Greenpeace noted in a report published this week, which examines car companies’ commitments and actions. “Accounting for about 20% of the life cycle of [greenhouse gas]...
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