Gasgoo Munich- On August 17, CATL gathered in Ningde, Fujian, to announce a milestone: it has achieved carbon neutrality across its core operations by the end of 2025. This makes the battery giant the only company in the industry to hit this target while operating at terawatt-hour scale. Alongside the announcement, CATL laid out a systematic roadmap for achieving carbon neutrality across its entire value chain by 2035.
Zeng Yuqun, Image source: CATL
"For CATL, zero carbon is more than a mission — it is a capability honed through practice and a massive opportunity for growth," said Zeng Yuqun, Chairman and CEO. The company aims to position itself as a global leader in zero-carbon technology, driving the worldwide green transition. CATL first outlined its strategy in 2023, targeting carbon neutrality in core operations by 2025 and across the value chain by 2035. By the end of last year, 20 of its battery plants had secured ISO 14068-1 certification as zero-carbon factories, with zero-carbon electricity accounting for 100% of core operations usage.
What exactly does "core operations carbon neutrality" mean? It refers to reaching net-zero emissions within a company's own production — primarily from electricity and thermal energy consumption. The challenge scales with output: the larger the manufacturing footprint, the harder it is to eliminate emissions. In 2025, CATL produced 748 GWh of batteries. Between 2022 and 2025, its lithium-ion battery sales surged 2.3-fold, cementing its position as the global market leader. Amid this rapid expansion, CATL has validated a zero-carbon manufacturing path that is both replicable and economically viable at scale.
With core operations now carbon-neutral, CATL's next target is 2035: achieving neutrality across the entire value chain, from mineral resources to finished batteries. Currently, more than 80% of the carbon emissions over a CATL product's lifecycle originate in the supply chain — a total volume more than five times that of its core operations. No single company can shoulder this alone; achieving carbon neutrality demands collaboration across the entire industrial chain.
Image source: CATL
On the same day, CATL signed value chain collaboration agreements with suppliers covering cathodes, anodes, and current collectors. It also forged strategic partnerships with the National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation and the Shanghai Environment and Energy Exchange.
