By Nick Carey
LONDON, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Chile's SQM , the
world's second-largest lithium producer, has partnered with
blockchain startup Circulor to map emissions across the lithium
supply chain for carmakers like Volvo Cars , the
two companies said on Wednesday.
Legislative pressure is rising on electric vehicle (EV)
makers and battery producers to track the human rights and
environmental impact of their supply chains.
SQM and Circulor say they have been working together on
"end-to-end lithium supply chain traceability" since last year,
tracking lithium from Chile all the way to an EV battery, which
should provide carmakers with greater accuracy in calculating
the embedded carbon footprint of their products.
"We have the lowest CO2 and water footprint of any lithium
producer in the world, and Circulor's technology will now enable
us to demonstrate this at every stage of the value chain," SQM
chief executive Ricardo Ramos said in a statement.
Circulor uses blockchain technology to map supply chains for
companies pursuing greener, more sustainable production. The UK
startup is working with a number of carmakers including Volvo
and Polestar .
The company also recently announced a partnership with
StoreDot, an Israeli startup developing fast-charging batteries.
The carbon footprints of rechargeable EVs, light transport
and industrial batteries sold in Europe must be disclosed from
2024, and they must comply with a CO2 emissions limit from 2027.
(Reporting by Nick Carey
Editing by Mark Potter)
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