Derivation of requirements for life cycle assessment-related information to be integrated in digital battery passports

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a growing demand for transparency throughout supply chains, driven by various stakeholders, including society and regulatory authorities. Data transparency platforms and Digital Product Passports (DPPs) have been proposed as potential solutions sharing products specific information along the value chain, including environmental impacts like the carbon footprint, as e.g. demanded by the upcoming EU Batteries Regulation. For the calculation of environmental impacts, the methodology of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a recognized international standard, the complex implementation of which must now be transferred into DPPs. Therefore, this study analyses the requirements of all stakeholder groups regarding the integration of LCA in data transparency platforms based on the use case of batteries. The identification of these requirements is achieved through a comprehensive literature review. The requirements are then categorized as related to the individual phases of an LCA, secondary data usage as well as data exchange options. Finally, potential areas of conflict regarding the integration of LCA into DPPs are discussed, and further areas of research are highlighted. Efforts should be made to ensure that the workload for companies is minimized while at the same time providing incentives to reduce environmental impacts and create further added value.