News & Blogs

Published - 29 August 2025 - 5 min read

Battery Passports: International Standards and Industry Implications

Battery passports are rapidly becoming a cornerstone of global sustainability frameworks, providing traceability, transparency, and accountability throughout the lifecycle of batteries.

With growing international focus on decarbonisation and circular economy models, these digital tools are not just regulatory requirements but strategic enablers for industries, governments, and consumers.

From regulatory frameworks to technological harmonisation, this article explores the international standards shaping battery passports, examines their industry implications, and illustrates how the BASE EU Project is preparing for a globally connected battery ecosystem.

The Importance of International Standards

The success of battery passports depends on common rules and frameworks that enable interoperability across borders and industries. Several international organisations are shaping these standards:

  • ISO Standards: The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) has introduced a number of relevant standards, such as ISO 14040/14044 on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), ISO 14067 on carbon foot printing, and ISO 9001 on quality management systems. These provide essential methodologies for measuring environmental impact and ensuring data quality within battery passports.
  • IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission): Sets technical standards for electrical and electronic systems, which include safety and testing requirements for batteries.
  • UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) Regulations: Focuses more on regulatory frameworks for transport and trade, ensuring batteries are moved safely and legally across borders.

These standards ensure that data captured in battery passports is not only accurate but also comparable, fostering trust between stakeholders across the battery value chain.

Life Cycle Assessment and Sustainability

One of the most critical aspects of battery passports is their ability to integrate lifecycle assessment (LCA). LCAs help quantify the environmental footprint of batteries, from raw material extraction to recycling. This allows manufacturers, regulators, and consumers to better understand the environmental impact of battery production and usage.

For example:

  • ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 provide guidance on conducting LCAs, making them central to evaluating battery sustainability.
  • LCAs also underpin compliance with the EU Battery Regulation (2023/1542), which mandates detailed reporting on carbon footprint and material sourcing.

Embedding LCAs into battery passports will help companies track not only compliance but also progress toward circular economy goals such as reducing emissions, improving recycling efficiency, and promoting reuse.

Regional Adoption of Standards

Implementation of battery passport standards varies across regions, reflecting different regulatory priorities:

  • European Union: The EU Battery Regulation requires a digital battery passport for all industrial and electric vehicle (EV) batteries above 2 kWh by 2027. This includes mandatory disclosure of carbon footprint, supply chain traceability, and recycling rates.
  • United States: While no federal regulation currently mandates battery passports, initiatives like the Department of Energy’s Battery Workforce Initiative and the Inflation Reduction Act’s emphasis on clean energy highlight the growing push for traceability.
  • Asia (China, Japan, South Korea): These regions are investing heavily in battery passport pilots, with China focusing on traceability for EV batteries under its extended producer responsibility (EPR) framework, and Japan exploring blockchain-enabled solutions for circularity.

These regional efforts illustrate a trend towards convergence but also highlight the need for stronger international coordination to avoid fragmented systems.

Industry Implications and Comparisons

Industry players have approached battery passports with varying levels of ambition and focus:

  • Automotive manufacturers are primarily focused on compliance and supply chain visibility to meet EU regulatory requirements.
  • Battery producers are developing digital solutions to optimise lifecycle management and recycling.
  • Technology providers are advancing platforms that integrate blockchain, cloud computing, and IoT sensors to ensure data integrity and security.

From the BASE EU Project’s perspective, resolving these issues requires close cooperation between policymakers, technology providers, and manufacturers. Our work focuses on building a scalable, interoperable digital battery passport (DBP) architecture that aligns with both the EU regulation and potential international standardisation.

The Role of Digital Technologies

To make standards practical and enforceable, technological feasibility is essential. Digital twin models, distributed ledger technologies, and distributed data spaces are being developed to embed standards into real-world systems securely. For instance, blockchain-enabled traceability paired with digital twin monitoring can provide trust, trackability, and protect data integrity.

BASE is piloting these solutions, enabling seamless data exchange while rigorously maintaining data security and privacy. This approach supports environmental sustainability, regulatory compliance, and cross-border data governance.

Renewable Energy Integration

Battery passports must reflect the role of batteries in renewable energy integration. Standards are increasingly applied to batteries used in grid-based storage or smart energy systems, not just mobility.

Accurate reporting on battery use in renewables, including efficiency, degradation, and provenance, supports policy alignment, technical standardisation, and international recognition of battery technologies that support net-zero goals.

BASE’s battery passports include data categories that document a battery’s role in renewable energy systems. This feature helps utilities and grid operators verify compliance, monitor system performance, and demonstrate environmental benefits.

Consumer Impact and Market Evolution

Transparent battery passports shaped by international standards benefit end-users and consumers. With access to verified passport data, consumers can compare:

  • Sustainability credentials
  • Recycled material content
  • Expected battery longevity and safety

This level of transparency enhances trust and encourages more sustainable purchasing decisions. By supporting data interoperability across jurisdictions, BASE and like-minded initiatives help deliver consumers easier access to consistent, comprehensible battery information.

Closing Thoughts

Battery passports represent a transformative step in creating a transparent, sustainable, and circular battery value chain. The integration of ISO standards, lifecycle assessments, and digital technologies ensures that passports provide meaningful insights and support global environmental goals. While regional approaches vary, the alignment of international standards will be critical in avoiding fragmentation and enabling truly global interoperability.

For the BASE EU Project, the challenge lies not only in supporting regulatory compliance but also in shaping a framework that fosters trust, sustainability, and innovation across the battery ecosystem. By actively contributing to the development of harmonised standards and promoting advanced digital solutions, BASE aims to help accelerate the adoption of battery passports worldwide.

References

Share this post