EV revolution and the need to be proactive

While promoting the use of electric vehicles (EVs), the government needs to be proactive in managing the electric and chemical waste from the batteries that are used to power those EVs.

Transitioning to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, hydroelectricity, and geothermal power, and phasing out fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas is gaining global momentum lately in a bid to minimize global warming. The energy sector is responsible for approximately 75 per cent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This includes emissions from (i) electricity and heat production, (ii) transportation, and (iii) manufacturing industries. The majority of these emissions come from the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, for energy production. The energy sector is therefore a key focus area for reducing GHG emissions.

The transportation sector is found to be responsible for approximately 17 per cent of global GHG emissions. This includes emissions from cars, trucks, airplanes, ships, and other forms of transportation. The majority of these emissions come from the burning of fossil fuels in combustion engines. The transportation sector is therefore an important area within the energy sector for reducing GHG emissions and addressing the climate crisis. Strategies to reduce transportation emissions include increasing the use of public transportation and promoting the use of electric vehicles among other measures.

Current EV hype in Nepal

Electric vehicles (EVs) have gained a lot of attention and popularity in Nepal in recent years. Despite some challenges, such as the lack of adequate charging infrastructure and a limited range of EVs, there has been a steady increase in the number of EVs on Nepal's roads, particularly in the capital city. The government has also introduced various incentives, such as slashing excise and customs duty, to encourage the import and use of EVs. As a result, several private companies have started to invest in the production and distribution of EVs in Nepal. The government has been promoting the import and use of EVs as a means to reduce the country's dependency on fossil fuels and to mitigate the adverse impacts of vehicular emissions on the environment and climate.

Now, what needs to be understood is that while EVs indeed help in the fight against the climate crisis by cutting off the emissions occurring from the transportation sector, they are not a panacea as we may be thinking currently. EVs rely on batteries to store the energy needed to power the vehicle's electric motor. The battery technology used in EVs is typically lead-acid and lithium-ion which is also commonly used in consumer electronics such as smartphones and laptops. Though exact figures are not available regarding what percent of EVs use lead-acid batteries and what percent of EVs use lithium-ion and other types of batteries in Nepal, all such batteries contain a range of chemicals and metals, including lead, lithium, cobalt, nickel, and other rare earth elements. While these materials are valuable and can be recycled, the process of recycling can be difficult, expensive, and potentially hazardous to workers and the environment. While there are ongoing efforts to develop sustainable and safe recycling methods that can minimize the impact of these vehicles on the environment, battery disposal remains a challenge for the electric vehicle industry worldwide. Almost all batteries used to power our EVs currently are new but when they reach the end of their life span after some years, the problem begins. Around 11 million metric tons of lithium-ion batteries are projected to reach the end of their life span by 2030 worldwide while no such prediction is available for Nepal yet. But given the steep rise in the import and use of EVs using such batteries in Nepal, it is certain that the amount of batteries powering those vehicles reaching the end of their life span will increase in Nepal too.

Need of proactive measures

There are two options when the batteries used to power EVs reach the end of their life: disposal or recycling.

Improper disposal of EV batteries can result in several environmental and health hazards, such as the release of toxic chemicals like lead into the air, soil, and water. These chemicals can pollute nearby communities and ecosystems, posing risks to human health, wildlife, and vegetation. Additionally, batteries can also pose a fire hazard if they are not disposed of properly, as the chemicals inside them can ignite and explode.

Even the recycling process involves various risks. According to a World Health Organization (WHO) report, in countries where lead recycling is poorly regulated, it has emerged as an important source of environmental contamination and human exposure to lead which has serious consequences for human health as well. For example, in Bangladesh 3.62 per cent of death is ascribable to lead exposure that occurs because of informal and illegal recycling operations of used lead-acid batteries.

When the use of electric vehicles is so much promoted in Nepal, the government should have already started thinking about the electric waste, the chemical pollution, and the environmental hazards it may bring when the batteries used to power the EVs reach the end of their lifespan. Hence, we need to be proactive regarding the environmental challenges that such batteries may bring in the coming decade if not in a few years. The Solid Waste Management Rules (2070) provide some direction regarding chemical waste management, which also includes chemical waste arising from the EV powering batteries, but the effective management of such waste requires scientific and technical expertise as well as well-equipped infrastructures. Therefore, infrastructures to recycle and/or to dispose of the used batteries should be developed well in advance. If we do not prepare the technology and infrastructure to recycle the batteries, we will need to transport them to places where they can be recycled. This may increase the cost of recycling along with the risks to the environment during transportation.

Hence, while promoting the use of electric vehicles, the government needs to be proactive in managing the electric and chemical waste from the batteries that are used to power those EVs. There is no point if we reduce GHG emissions from the transportation sector but come up with even greater environmental hazards after a few years. Because, the aim is to solve the existing problem, not to simply shift the problem from one sector to another.