Clarios CEO says 'accelerate our green batteries stewardship'

by John Shepherd
Clarios CEO Mark Wallace. Photo: ELBC
The CEO of US battery giant Clarios today issued a clarion call for the industry to promote its environmental activities and "accelerate” its campaign to clamp down on illegal recycling practices.

Mark Wallace told the virtual European Lead Battery Conference and Exhibition (ELBC) that "managing the lead battery lifecycle is not a luxury, but a necessity”.

"Transparency is no longer an option, but a requirement for all businesses,” said Wallace.

"The future is calling with greater markets for our products and solutions, but there are great challenges and we cannot shy away from the chance of eradicating informal, illegal and sub-standard recycling practices of lead batteries.”

The Clarios Foundation recently joined US non-profit Pure Earth and the United Nations Children's Fund, Unicef, as founding partners of the ‘Protecting Every Child’s Potential’ initiative – aimed at preventing children’s exposure to lead from illegal and informal activities.

'EVs still need lead batteries'

Wallace said "only we can manage the lifecycle responsibly” and he praised battery recyclers and industry bodies including Battery Council International, Eurobat and the International Lead Association, "for their leadership in driving material stewardship standards across our industry”.

"This is work that must not only continue, but accelerate,” he added.

On the industry’s future, Wallace said "lead batteries will remain essential in all types of new vehicles”. Electric vehicles and hybrids "are still going to need critical systems power – needs best addressed by lead batteries”.

Wallace said projections indicate that the "global car park may reach 1.9 billion by 2035, driving the need for an additional 200 million batteries”. "As an industry, we are strategically positioned to serve this growing demand.”

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