Tectonic shifts and a trillion-euro transformation

The move from a carbon dependent economy to a carbon neutral one will be a tectonic shift unlike anything we have seen before, according to the EU Commissioner overseeing the change.

Frans Timmermans who is responsible for the EU Green Deal has earmarked an eye-watering €1 trillion to help smooth the impact of such a dramatic transition, one which will have profound implications for industry and society.

As Europeans we all have a part to play and we will all be affected. I believe our industry is well-positioned to support the ambitions set out in the EU Green Deal.

As our campaign Charge the Future explains, the EU is home to a well-established and successful lead battery industry where we manufacture some of the most technologically advanced lead batteries in the world.

We are the gold standard for the circular economy, recycling almost 100% of the batteries collected in Europe as part of a closed loop process. We are a recycling success story setting the benchmark for others to follow.

To achieve a low carbon future we need more batteries, manufactured at scale, and lots of them. We must invest in research to ensure the batteries we make in Europe continue to evolve and perform better.

The transformation the EU seeks to achieve can only be delivered in partnership with industries like ours. We are making step changes and continuously improving our manufacturing and recycling processes. Our batteries not only support greener stop-start and hybrid vehicles, the stepping stone to fully electric cars, they provide energy storage for microgrids and renewable energy sources including wind and solar power.

So, we are making high quality batteries in Europe, through a successful and responsible battery value chain. We are recycling them at the end of their life and creating and sustaining thousands of high-skilled well-paid jobs. That’s why our technology is one of the building blocks towards making a low carbon future a reality.

So my message to colleagues in the EU is continue to nurture this success story. We can – and we want to – help achieve your policy ambitions. Work with us to make the transition a reality.