US coal exports increased by 5.7 million short tons (MMst) in the 12 months after EU sanctions on coal from Russia went into full effect in August 2022, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). The increase was driven almost exclusively by a 22% jump in U.S coal exports... Read more →

Polestar has published the first Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for Polestar 4. The LCA ahows that Polestar 4 has the lowest carbon footprint of all Polestar cars to date—as low as 19.4 tons of CO2e at launch. Polestar 4 is produced in Geely Holdings’ SEA factory in Hangzhou Bay, China,... Read more →

The greenhouse gas intensity of western Canadian condensate—which averaged 35 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent per barrel (kgCO2e/bbl) in 2021—is expected to decline in the coming years as domestic supply from unconventional production in western Canada, as well as recycling, increases, according to a new analysis by S&P Global Commodity... Read more →

Mid-nickel lithium ion battery cells can have a lower carbon footprint than high nickel or lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells, according to new data from Benchmark’s Battery Emissions Analyser. While LFP cells maintain a cost advantage over the majority of nickel-based chemistries, the carbon intensity of these variants can in... Read more →

BASF and Nanotech Energy, a developer and manufacturer of graphene-based energy storage products, have agreed to partner to reduce the CO2 footprint of Nanotech’s lithium-ion batteries for the North American market. The agreement aims to close the loop for lithium-ion batteries in North America, with BASF producing cathode active materials... Read more →

Phil Ansell, an aerospace engineer at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, modeled the life cycle carbon dioxide equivalent emissions of liquid hydrogen production required to meet the fuel needs of Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) with today’s electric grid mix. His analysis found that if electrolyzed hydrogen were to be... Read more →

Shell Aviation has introduced a new lifecycle sustainability approach for its AeroShell aviation lubricants to avoid, reduce and then compensate for lifecycle carbon emissions, improving aircraft performance while helping customers meet their net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) or carbon emissions ambitions. In alignment with Shell’s target to become a net zero-emissions... Read more →

More than three-fourths of all oil and gas production in the US Gulf of Mexico has a lower greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity than the basin-wide average, according to a new S&P Global Commodity Insights analysis. The analysis is the latest in an ongoing series that utilizes a new comprehensive model... Read more →

Major ridesourcing companies Uber and Lyft have promised all-electric fleets by 2030 in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint. To understand the additional impacts of this transition, researchers from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and the University of Michigan conducted life-cycle comparisons of battery-powered electric vehicle fleets to a gas-powered... Read more →

The results of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of greenhouse gas emissions and primary energy demand of the cars tested by Green NCAP in 2022 show that the current and continuous trend towards larger and heavier cars, significantly increases the negative impact on climate and energy demand. This drives not... Read more →

Lithium chemicals derived from hard rock sources such as spodumene can be more than three times as carbon-intensive as that from brine sources, according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence’s (Benchmark Minerals’) Lithium ESG Report. Hard rock sources of lithium currently make up 60% of global mined lithium supply and are forecast... Read more →

In a new roadmap launched by the International Copper Association (ICA), members have aligned on an ambition to reach net zero in Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2050, and work toward the same goal for Scope 3 emissions. The Copper—The Pathway to Net Zero roadmap builds on previous... Read more →

SLB (Schlumberger) introduced the EcoShield geopolymer cement-free system that minimizes the CO2 footprint of a well’s construction. This innovative technology eliminates up to 85% of embodied CO2 emissions compared with conventional well cementing systems, which include portland cement. The EcoShield geopolymer cement-free system matches the rheology, thickening time, and compressive... Read more →

The BMW Group intends to source aluminum with significantly reduced CO2 emissions from Rio Tinto’s hydro-powered operations in Canada starting in 2024 and has signed a memorandum of understanding to this effect. Compared to conventionally manufactured aluminum, this approach can save around 70% of CO2 emissions. The planned supply volumes... Read more →

The TranSensus LCA project has kicked-off in Brussels, gathering 60 representatives from the project partners. The goal is to develop a standardized and transparent LCA approach to support the transition towards a climate-neutral transport system. For that to happen, the project will define and harmonize a commonly accepted and applied... Read more →

Vitesco Technologies, a leading international supplier of modern powertrain technologies and electric mobility solutions, has joined the Polestar 0 project, an initiative to create the world’s first completely climate-neutral vehicle. (Earlier post.) Vitesco Technologies has been selected as a collaboration partner to develop the power electronics with the target to... Read more →

In February 2022, GTI Energy, S&P Global Commodity Insights and the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) launched the Open Hydrogen Initiative (OHI), a collaboration to further transparency into the environmental impact of hydrogen production and help unlock its full potential as an important driver of energy transitions. According to S&P... Read more →

Euro Manganese (EMN), a Canada-based company developing the Chvaletice Manganese Project in the Czech Republic (earlier post), released the results from a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study comparing the global warming potential (GWP) of EMN’s high-purity manganese products from the Chvaletice Project with those produced by the incumbent industry in... Read more →

6K Additive, a division of 6K, a leader in the sustainable production of engineered materials for additive manufacturing and lithium-ion batteries, and Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT are collaborating to create a complete life cycle assessment (LCA) for additive manufacturing. The study will use sustainably manufactured Ni718 powder produced... Read more →

The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) has released recommended steel industry greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions calculation guidelines to provide consistent and comprehensive data across the industry on GHG emissions from steel production, with a focus on product-level disclosures and corporate-level reporting. The proposed guidelines are the result of months-long... Read more →

NTT DATA Corporation and DENSO Corporation have started to build an industry-wide ecosystem for electric vehicle (EV) batteries to create a global trusted dataspaces where only necessary data can be shared, while also protecting private data. The new battery regulation currently being reviewed in Europe will require disclosure of CO2... Read more →

Vitesco Technologies, a leading international supplier of advanced drive technologies and solutions for e-mobility has joined the Catena-X Automotive Network. Catena-X, founded in 2021, is the first comprehensive, collaborative and open data ecosystem along the entire automotive value chain. In June, Catena-X reported that it had grown to 104 members.... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) released draft guidance for a Clean Hydrogen Production Standard (CHPS), developed to meet the requirements of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), Section 40315. The CHPS is not a regulatory standard, and DOE may not necessarily require future funded activities to achieve the standard. However,... Read more →

Polestar is welcoming twelve new partners to the Polestar 0 project to develop a climate-neutral car. (Earlier post.) Each partner will focus on certain materials, components and processes involved in the production of cars. New partners, listed below, cover areas such as plastics, composites, chemicals and metals. The transport sector... Read more →

A new University of Michigan study finds that making the switch to all-electric mail-delivery vehicles would lead to far greater reductions in greenhouse gas emissions than previously estimated by the US Postal Service (USPS). (Earlier post.) In its analysis of the potential environmental impacts of the Next Generation Delivery Vehicle... Read more →

Argonne National Laboratory has published a new cradle-to-grave (C2G) lifecycle analysis (LCA) of US LDV vehicle-fuel pathways. The report was prepared by Argonne researchers and members of the US Drive Integrated Systems Analysis Technical Team. This analysis builds on a previous comprehensive life cycle analysis, updating that study’s 2016 assumptions... Read more →

Steel produced by electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmakers in the US has a carbon intensity that is approximately 75% lower than traditional blast furnace steelmakers. This is the finding of an independent study of steelmakers worldwide conducted by CRU Group, a global business intelligence firm specializing in metals manufacturing. The... Read more →

Solid-state batteries could reduce the carbon footprint of electric vehicle batteries by up to 39%, according to a study commissioned by European environmental NGO Transport & Environment (T&E) from Minviro, a company specializing in raw material life-cycle analysis, which compared emerging solid-state technology to current battery chemistries. Solid state technology... Read more →

Teijin and Fujitsu launched a joint project to realize a blockchain-based commercial platform for enhancing the environmental value of recycled materials for manufacturers. The collaboration will promote environmentally conscious design by leveraging Teijin’s Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Calculation Method for measuring the environmental impact of manufacturing processes across the value... Read more →

A study by researchers in Australia and China has determined that global food-miles account for nearly 20% of total food-systems emissions; moving fruit and vegetables in refrigerated vehicles is particularly emissions-intensive. Their paper appears in the journal Nature Food. Food trade plays a key role in achieving global food security.... Read more →

ArcelorMittal published a concept for a low-carbon emissions steel standard to help incentivize the decarbonization of steelmaking globally and support the creation of market demand for physical steel products which would be classified as lower, and ultimately near-zero, carbon emissions steel. The creation of clear definitions for low-carbon emissions physical... Read more →

Gevo has entered into a partner agreement with Google Cloud to measure and verify the efficacy of next-generation biofuels across the supply chain via full lifecycle sustainability data tracking. Utilizing technology developed by Verity Tracking , a division of Gevo, the collaboration is expected to enable users to track and... Read more →

Volvo Cars is the first car maker to sign up to the SteelZero initiative, which aims to increase demand for fossil-free steel and accelerate a transition to carbon neutrality in the global steel industry. As well as a long-term commitment to procure 100% fossil-free steel by 2050, SteelZero signatories also... Read more →

Kobe Steel will launch “Kobenable Steel” and become Japan’s first provider of low-CO2 blast furnace steel products with significantly reduced CO2 emissions during the blast furnace ironmaking process. The company plans to start selling the new products this fiscal year. Kobenable Steel is based on the KOBELCO Group’s CO2 Reduction... Read more →

Standalone Swedish premium electric vehicle manufacturer Polestar has released its second Annual Review and Sustainability report, highlighting progress towards its ambitious climate goals. In 2021, Polestar reduced greenhouse gas-emissions per car sold by 6% through its focus on increased efficiency and use of renewable energy. Polestar is targeting a truly... Read more →

Asahi Kasei has developed a system to calculate the carbon footprint of products (CFP) for the synthetic rubber and elastomers products Asadene, Tufdene, Asaprene, Tufprene, Asaflex, Tuftec, and S.O.E. with CFP data provision to customers scheduled to begin in June 2022. CFP visualization is achieved utilizing the DEEP (Data Exploration... Read more →

Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) will host a short public webinar on 11 May, 11:15am CT, on using hydrogen in businesses. Replacing fossil fuels with hydrogen could turn manufacturing and transportation into green industries. Companies can use hydrogen to reduce their carbon footprint in many ways—for example, to generate electricity; to... Read more →

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) pathways for certain biofuels that are produced from canola/rapeseed oil (earlier post) and is providing an opportunity for comment on the Agency’s lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) analysis of these pathways. With the approval, these fuel pathways... Read more →

At its first digital ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) Conference for investors and analysts, Mercedes-Benz announced aims to at least halve CO2 emissions per passenger car over the lifecycle by the end of this decade compared to 2020 levels. To achieve this goal, the key factors include: electrifying the vehicle... Read more →

The BMW Group will use cast aluminum wheels produced with 100% green power for its BMW and MINI brands from 2024 onwards. For the BMW Group, this is another step towards its goal of creating the most sustainable supply chain in the automotive industry. The transition applies, in particular, to... Read more →

Canada-based Rock Tech Lithium will collaborate with the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT and Circulor, the UK-based sustainable supply chain traceability provider, to achieve comprehensive CO2 transparency of Rock Tech’s lithium value chain—from the raw material, spodumene, to the end product, lithium hydroxide. Rock Tech, which... Read more →

Keliber, a Finnish mining and battery chemical company that aims to start the sustainable production of battery-grade lithium hydroxide, has analyzed the CO2 emissions generated by its future production using two studies. Based on the work, Keliber’s lithium hydroxide will have a smaller carbon footprint than most of the competitors’... Read more →

Researchers at the University of Michigan and Ford Motor Company have conducted a cradle-to-grave life cycle GHG assessment of model year 2020 ICEV, HEV, and BEV sedans, sports utility vehicles (SUVs), and pickup trucks in the United States. Light-duty vehicles, including sedans, SUVs, and pickup trucks, are currently responsible for... Read more →

Some of the world’s leading automotive industry suppliers, including SSAB steel, Hydro renewable energy, ZF electric powertrains, ZKW control systems and Autoliv safety equipment, are joining forces with intent to collaborate on the Polestar 0 Project, which aims to develop a truly climate-neutral car by 2030 (earlier post). Polestar has... Read more →

Teijin Limited has started to carry out a life-cycle assessment (LCA) of its carbon fibers to calculate their total carbon emissions—an industry first. Teijin previously calculated the carbon footprint of its carbon fibers used in sports, recreational and industrial applications and more recently its carbon fiber filaments used in aircraft... Read more →

Researchers from three US Department of Energy (DOE) labs—Argonne National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)—have investigated the economic and environmental implications of producing bioblendstocks for diesel fuels from two wet waste-to-fuel pathways: hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) from yellow grease and... Read more →

Over the entire lifecycle (with use over 300,000 kilometers and recycling), the new plug-in hybrid Mercedes-Benz S 580 e (earlier post) produces around 14.1 (charging with European power mix) or 36.2 percent (hydroelectric power) lower CO₂ emissions than its predecessor, the S 560 e, according to Mercedes-Benz’ 360° environmental check.... Read more →

Vulcan Energy Resources has agreed to acquire an operational geothermal renewable energy power plant in the Upper Rhine Valley at Insheim, Germany, through the acquisition of 100% of the shares in the entity which owns and operates the plant. A new Germany subsidiary of Vulcan, based in Karlsruhe, will be... Read more →

Volvo Cars has published a lifecycle analysis report on its second fully electric car, the C40 Recharge, which shows the potential CO2 reductions if a car is built and charged using clean energy sources. Key findings from the report include: The C40 Recharge has approximately 5% lower total carbon footprint... Read more →

The Biophysical Economics Institute (BPEI), a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the natural sciences into economic analysis and decision making, has partnered with Hedgerow Analysis to evaluate the implementation of SiC chips in electric vehicle usage on behalf of silicon carbide technology leader Wolfspeed, Inc. Specifically, the study estimated the... Read more →