Verónica Castro-AllendeIn a significant stride towards enhancing sustainability in the lithium industry, the International Lithium Association (ILiA) has introduced the lithium product carbon footprint (PCF) guidance. This standardized methodology, championed by ILiA’s founding chairman Anand Sheth, aims to accurately calculate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with lithium production, facilitating meaningful comparisons on a global scale. Under the stewardship of Mark de Boer from Albemarle Corporation, ILiA’s Green Lithium Subcommittee spearheaded the development process with extensive industry collaboration, garnering input from 45 organizations. The resultant guidance, succinct and comprehensive, encompasses essential details of lithium PCF calculation, including identification of GHG hotspots and co-product management strategies. Importantly, it accommodates various production methods, ensuring adaptability across salt, hard rock, and clay extraction processes. Moreover, the guidance aligns with existing standards without competition, fostering transparency and sustainability in the lithium supply chain. This release marks a pivotal moment for the lithium industry, emphasizing sustainability amidst growing demand. Sarah Colbourn of Benchmark Mineral Intelligence underscores the significance of this standardized approach in enabling precise comparisons across source materials, reflecting the industry’s commitment to sustainability.
ILiA Sets Standard: Introducing Carbon Footprint Guidance for Lithium Products
In a significant development that will strengthen the lithium industry, the International Lithium Association ( ILiA ) has released the lithium product carbon footprint (PCF) guidance.
The world lithium sector has a standardized method for figuring out the carbon footprint of the lithium carbonate, hydroxide, and other lithium products produced by ILiA’s product carbon footprint.
The guidance was emphasized by Anand Sheth, ILiA’s founding chairman, as well as the importance of having a “product carbon footprint methodology that is universal across the globe” to enable the accurate calculation of greenhouse gas ( GHG ) emissions and to make meaningful comparisons.
Development process and industry collaboration
The guidance was developed under the guidance of Mark de Boer from Albemarle Corporation, who leads ILiA’s Green Lithium Subcommittee.
The project was led by Drielsma Resources Europe, which sought input from 45 organizations in the lithium sector.
This guidance is a good starting point for anyone who wants to write a PCF for a lithium product, because it will make studies more comparable. We even ask that users make use of this advice in order to create a frequent reference and give us feedback, de Boer added.
Composite guidance structure and content
The instructions are brief and straightforward, covering all necessary details of a lithium PCF.
To make sure emissions are properly accounted for in PCF calculations, it includes a checklist of GHG hotspots in lithium production. Also, it addresses co- products and their management strategies.
Adaptability across production methods
The lithium PCF guidance is adjustable across different production methods, including salt, difficult rock, and clays.
With widespread support and a strict code of conduct, ILiA anticipates that this guidance will serve as the primary reference point for determining any lithium product’s PCF.
ILiA’s Lithium Product Carbon Footprint Guidance Sets New Industry Standard
The guidance does not compete with existing standards and allows the development of product carbon footprints in the context of the lithium industry by interpreting and adhering to them.
” It has been remarkable how ILiA guided and consulted industry players to publish the first lithium PCF guidance,” said lithium expert Peter Ehren. The objective is that, in the future, the numbers tell the tale with greatest transparency, making the lithium supply chain more green”.
The ILiA release of the lithium product carbon footprint guidance marks a turning point for the lithium industry in a time when sustainability is so important.
Sarah Colbourn, Acting Head of Sustainability at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, echoed this importance:” There is growing demand to understand the economic hotspots in lithium production.
This development of a standardized approach to carbon footprint accounting will allow for an apples-to-apples comparison between source materials.
