CATL Fires Early Shot in Battery Passport Race as EU Deadline Looms

CATL has now taken part in all three rounds of the Global Battery Alliance’s battery passport pilot, a distinction the Chinese cell maker claims none of its competitors can match. The most recent phase brought together cell producers representing close to 80% of worldwide capacity, setting the stage for a formal certification framework expected in early 2027.

The passport concept rests on a shared methodology for tracking, measuring and verifying a battery’s environmental, social and governance performance over its entire lifespan. CATL’s submission this year supplied ESG figures spanning every link of the chain, from raw material extraction and refining through to materials processing, cell manufacturing and final pack assembly.

That level of upstream visibility is turning from a nice-to-have into a commercial necessity. Starting February 2027, EU regulation will mandate digital passports for EV batteries, a requirement that hands an advantage to suppliers able to document verified data reaching all the way back to the mine. For Chinese battery producers facing mounting scrutiny in Europe, proven traceability could be the difference between keeping and losing contracts with European automakers.

CATL has been involved since the GBA ran its initial proof of concept in January 2023. In the pilot’s second wave, the company pursued distinct passports for its Shenxing cells and its cell-to-pack architecture, with an independent auditor validating the results. The firm also maintains that its core operations have reached carbon neutrality and has set a target of a carbon-neutral value chain by 2035.

Dennis Pan, who heads sustainable development at CATL, said the GBA pilot offers the industry a workable methodology for monitoring, quantifying and demonstrating ESG performance across the battery value chain, helping companies brace for future sustainability risks and challenges.

With Brussels tightening the screws on battery traceability, CATL’s head start may prove a meaningful buffer. Verified supply-chain data is becoming a prerequisite for market access rather than a marketing extra, and the pilot’s findings will feed directly into the certification regime taking effect in 2027.