Presentation short abstract

This study examines 30 ecological distribution conflicts across the social life cycle of lithium batteries in China. It documents the inequitable distribution of socio-environmental costs and benefits within the industry, offering insights for understanding China's energy transition.

Presentation long abstract

As a juggernaut in the global lithium battery industry chain, China remains a core driver of the global energy transition and electrification revolution of transportation. While obtaining cleaner transportation options with the help of lithium batteries, countless people's lives are also shaped by seemingly green and harmless lithium batteries. This article is based on the Global Atlas of Environmental Justice and combines a social life cycle perspective to collect 30 cases of ecological distribution conflicts about Chinese lithium battery industry. At the frontiers of mining, to extract the key raw materials needed to produce cathode and anode of lithium battery, the local community's water resources, cultural landscapes, livelihoods have been destroyed. In the stages of lithium battery manufacture, transportation, usage, cascading utilization, and disposal, the balance between safety and convenience is always present, and its cost is disproportionately distributed. By mapping these conflicts across the social life cycle, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of the inequitable distribution of socio-environmental costs and benefits, offering insights for more just and sustainable pathways in China’s lithium battery industry and energy transition.