Presentation was held on Tuesday, January 12, 2021, 1:00-2:00pm (Pacific Time)
EV Battery Supply Chain Sustainability
The global transition from fossil fuel-powered vehicles to battery electric vehicles (EVs) will require the production of hundreds of millions of batteries. This massive deployment frequently raises questions from the general public and critics alike about the sustainability of the battery supply chain, from mining impacts to vehicle carbon emissions.
This talk will describe a Berkeley Law stakeholder-led research initiative focused on identifying strategies to improve sustainability and governance across the EV battery supply chain. It is based on the report “Sustainable Drive, Sustainable Supply: Priorities to Improve the Electric Vehicle Battery Supply Chain,” which identifies key challenges and possible responses that industry, government and nonprofit leaders could take to ensure battery supply chain sustainability.
Bio
Ethan Elkind is the Director of the Climate Program at the UC Berkeley School of Law, with a joint appointment at the UCLA School of Law. He researches and writes on law and policies that address climate change. He previously taught at the UCLA law school’s Frank Wells Environmental Law Clinic and served as an environmental law research fellow. His book Railtown on the history of the modern Los Angeles Metro Rail system was published by University of California Press in January 2014. He is also a co-host of the weekly call-in radio show “City Visions” on the San Francisco NPR affiliate KALW 91.7 FM, airing Monday nights at 6pm, and a frequent guest host on KALW’s “Your Call” morning call-in show. He received his B.A. with honors from Brown University and graduated Order of the Coif from the UCLA School of Law.