The International Lithium Association (ILiA) has launched lithium product carbon footprint (PCF) guidance in a significant development that will enhance the lithium industry.
ILiA’s product carbon footprint provides the global lithium sector with a standardised approach to calculating the carbon footprint of producing lithium carbonate, hydroxide, and other lithium products.
Anand Sheth, ILiA’s Founding Chairman, emphasised the significance of the guidance: “It is important to have product carbon footprint methodology that is consistent across the globe to allow for the accurate calculation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and for making 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 Sustainable Lithium Subcommittee.
Engaging input from 45 organisations within the lithium industry, the project was overseen by Drielsma Resources Europe.
“We encourage anyone who intends to create a PCF for a lithium product to use this guidance because it will increase the comparability of studies. We also invite users to reference this guidance in order to create a common reference and provide us with feedback”, said de Boer.
PCF guidance structure and content
The guidance is a concise and practical document covering all essential aspects of a lithium PCF.
It features a checklist of GHG hotspots in lithium production to ensure emissions are accurately accounted for in PCF calculations. Additionally, it addresses co-products and their management strategies.
Adaptability across production methods
The lithium PCF guidance is adaptable across various production methods, including brine, hard rock, and clays.
With wide participation and adherence to established standards, ILiA anticipates this guidance to emerge as the foremost point of reference for calculating the PCF of any lithium product.
Alignment with existing standards
The guidance allows product carbon footprints to be developed in the context of the lithium industry by interpreting and complying with all relevant standards and does not compete with existing ones.
Lithium expert Peter Ehren commented: “It has been remarkable how ILiA guided and consulted industry players to publish the first lithium PCF guidance. The objective is that, in the future, the numbers tell the tale with maximum transparency, making the lithium supply chain more sustainable.”
In an era where sustainability is paramount, ILiA’s launch of lithium product carbon footprint guidance marks a pivotal moment for the lithium industry.
Sarah Colbourn, Acting Head of Sustainability at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, echoed this importance: “There is growing demand to understand the environmental hotspots in lithium production.
“This development of a standardised approach in carbon footprint accounting will allow for an apples-to-apples comparison between sources of material.”
To read and download the complete guidance, please visit https://lithium.org/
