CATL ESG 2025 vs 2024: What Changed

1. Headline changes

The eight largest year-on-year movements across CATL’s ESG metrics.

2. Climate and carbon

CATL achieved carbon neutrality in core operations in 2025, hitting the target it set in 2023. The company reached 100% zero-carbon electricity across its battery production bases, up from 74.51% in 2024. This was the single largest driver of the 48.7% reduction in greenhouse gas emission intensity.

Total Scope 1+2 emissions from battery production bases fell from 2,353,799 to 1,751,600 tCO2e, a 25.6% reduction — despite a 28.8% increase in total energy consumption driven by capacity expansion. The key: Scope 2 emissions collapsed 58.7% as grid electricity was replaced with zero-carbon sources, more than offsetting a 25.1% increase in Scope 1 (direct fossil fuel combustion from expanded operations).

At the Group level (including non-battery operations), total emissions declined 1.1% to 117.0 million tCO2e, with Scope 3 (value chain) accounting for 95% of the total at 111.2 million tCO2e.

Battery production base emissions — full breakdown

Metric	2024	2025	Change
Total GHG (Scope 1+2), tCO2e	2,353,799	1,751,600	-25.6 %
Scope 1, tCO2e	930,440	1,164,146	+25.1 %
Scope 2, tCO2e	1,423,359	587,454	-58.7 %
GHG intensity, tCO2e/MWh	4.56	2.34	-48.7 %
Intensity YoY decrease ratio	20.97 %	48.68 %	—

Group-level emissions — Scope 1, 2, and 3

Metric	2024	2025	Change
Total GHG (Group), tCO2e	118,302,850	117,026,506	-1.1 %
Scope 1, tCO2e	2,401,702	2,854,671	+18.9 %
Scope 2 (market-based), tCO2e	3,550,151	3,020,476	-14.9 %
Scope 2 (location-based), tCO2e	6,181,750	7,977,357	+29.0 %
Scope 3, tCO2e	112,350,997	111,151,358	-1.1 %
Scope 1 intensity, tCO2e/MWh	4.65	3.82	-17.8 %
Scope 2 intensity (market), tCO2e/MWh	6.88	4.04	-41.3 %
Scope 3 intensity, tCO2e/MWh	217.73	148.60	-31.7 %

Energy mix transformation

Total energy consumption rose 28.8% to 24,768 GWh, tracking production growth. The composition shifted dramatically: wind energy increased from 249 GWh to 4,423 GWh (a 1,673% increase), moving from 2.7% to 28.3% of clean energy consumption. Solar energy more than doubled from 793 GWh to 2,071 GWh.

Clean energy consumption as a whole grew 71.9% to 15,640 GWh. The share of hydropower fell from 37.5% to 14.3% of the clean energy mix — not because hydro declined in absolute terms (it did, from 3,416 to 2,240 GWh), but because wind and solar scaled much faster.

Energy consumption — full breakdown by type

Energy source	2024 (MWh)	2025 (MWh)	Change
Total consumption	19,233,654	24,767,520	+28.8 %
Direct energy	6,943,554	8,802,461	+26.8 %
Indirect energy	12,290,100	15,965,059	+29.9 %
Energy use intensity (MWh/MWh)	37.27	33.11	-11.2 %

By energy type:

Source	2024 (MWh)	2025 (MWh)	Change
Electricity	10,464,657	13,688,214	+30.8 %
Natural gas	4,643,143	6,404,703	+37.9 %
Coal	2,256,865	2,352,136	+4.2 %
Steam	1,825,443	2,276,845	+24.7 %
Other	43,547	45,622	+4.8 %

Clean energy mix:

Source	2024 (MWh)	Share	2025 (MWh)	Share
Natural gas	4,643,143	51.0 %	6,404,703	41.0 %
Wind	249,486	2.7 %	4,422,872	28.3 %
Hydropower	3,415,603	37.5 %	2,240,259	14.3 %
Solar	792,712	8.7 %	2,070,938	13.2 %
Other	—	—	501,022	3.2 %
Total clean energy	9,100,943		15,639,793

Carbon neutrality pathway

CATL’s zero-carbon strategy, launched in 2023, operates through six task forces: Zero Carbon Design, Zero Carbon Factories, Zero Carbon Supply, Zero Carbon Manufacturing, Zero Carbon Power, and Circular Ecosystem. Decarbonization management now covers over 98% of core operational carbon emissions.

Since 2023, CATL has completed over 1,000 energy-saving renovation projects. In 2025 alone, 272 energy-saving and optimization projects at battery bases and subsidiaries avoided approximately 172,074 tCO2e in greenhouse gas emissions.

Compared to 2022 baselines, energy consumption intensity per unit product decreased 28% and carbon emission intensity per unit product decreased approximately 77%.

The next target: carbon neutrality across the entire value chain by 2035. CATL purchased 1.55 million tonnes of carbon credits (VCS and Gold Standard) to offset residual emissions in 2025.

3. Circular economy and resources

Battery recycling

CATL’s recycling subsidiary, Guangdong Brunp Recycling, processed 210,000 tonnes of waste batteries and materials in 2025, a 63.2% increase year-on-year. The operation regenerated 24,000 tonnes of lithium salts, up 40.4%.

Metal recovery rates from waste batteries: nickel, cobalt, and manganese at 99.6% or higher; lithium at 96.5% or higher. The proportion of recycled materials in CATL’s key raw materials reached 10% for nickel, 10% for cobalt, 6% for lithium, and 35% for aluminum.

The carbon footprint of anode and cathode materials decreased 18% year-on-year, and the carbon footprint of mechanical components decreased 35%.

Waste management

General industrial solid waste increased 7.9% to 19,853,035 tonnes, but waste intensity improved 25.6% (from 35.66 to 26.54 t/MWh). The volume of general waste recycled more than doubled, reaching 2,163,401 tonnes — a 137.9% increase — with recycling growing from 271,621 to 1,339,058 tonnes as the largest category.

Hazardous waste increased 85.3% to 31,711 tonnes, tracking production expansion. Hazardous waste intensity rose from 0.03 to 0.04 t/MWh.

Waste and emissions — full data table

Metric	2024	2025	Change
Air pollutants
NOx, t	2,842	1,530	-46.1 %
SO2, t	12,067	5,857	-51.5 %
VOCs, t	1,094	1,162	+6.2 %
COD, t	95.16	175.61	+84.6 %
NH3-N, t	15.49	20.36	+31.4 %
Solid waste
General industrial solid waste, t	18,401,937	19,853,035	+7.9 %
General waste intensity, t/MWh	35.66	26.54	-25.6 %
General waste recycled, t	909,226	2,163,401	+137.9 %
Hazardous waste, t	17,120	31,711	+85.3 %
Hazardous waste intensity, t/MWh	0.03	0.04	+33.3 %
Hazardous waste recycled, t	1,454	2,777	+91.0 %

Water

Total water withdrawal increased 40.4% to 49.2 million m3, driven by production capacity expansion. CATL reported water consumption (as opposed to withdrawal) for the first time in the 2025 report: 32.1 million m3, with a consumption intensity of 42.88 m3/MWh.

4. Workforce and safety

CATL added 53,851 employees in 2025, growing the total workforce from 131,988 to 185,839 — a 40.8% increase. The workforce is 97.47% based in Chinese mainland, with 2.53% in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and overseas locations.

The age profile shifted younger: the under-30 cohort grew from 44.95% to 49.54%, while the 30–50 group shrank from 53.44% to 49.90%. The proportion of employees with a bachelor’s degree or above increased from 26.46% to 26.83%.

Employee turnover rate for 2025 was 25.66% (not reported in the 2024 ESG report). Female turnover was 20.14% versus 27.23% for male employees. Workers under 30 had the highest turnover at 32.03%.

Employee structure — by gender, age, and education

Category	2024	2025
Total employees	131,988	185,839
Female	22.22 %	21.76 %
Male	76.61 %	77.05 %
Under 30	44.95 %	49.54 %
30–50	53.44 %	49.90 %
Over 50	0.44 %	0.54 %
Doctoral degree	0.47 %	0.44 %
Master's degree	6.07 %	4.73 %
Bachelor's degree	19.92 %	21.66 %
Below bachelor's	73.53 %	73.17 %

Management diversity

Female representation in management increased from 19.55% to 20.31%. Female employees in STEM-related jobs rose from 18.80% to 19.37%. New female hires increased from 18.87% to 20.80% of all new employees.

Workplace safety

Zero work-related fatalities for the third consecutive year. The lost-time incident rate decreased from 0.124 to 0.102 cases per million hours worked. Lost workdays from work-related illness fell from 1,513 to 1,207 days. Safety drill activities nearly doubled from 15,462 to 28,667.

Safety metrics — full data

Metric	2023	2024	2025
Major safety accidents	0	0	0
Work-related fatalities	0	0	0
Lost-time incident rate (per million hrs)	0.072	0.124	0.102
Safety drill activities	8,293	15,462	28,667
Health and safety training coverage	100 %	100 %	100 %
Lost workdays (work-related illness)	1,734	1,513	1,207

Training

Employee training coverage dipped slightly from 100% to 99.24%. Average training hours decreased from 57.57 to 55.89 hours per employee. The performance and career development review rate was 99.32%, down from 100%.

5. Innovation and supply chain

R&D investment

R&D spending grew 19.0% to RMB 22.1 billion, representing 5.23% of revenue (up from 5.14%). R&D personnel increased 12.6% to 22,901, including 745 with doctoral degrees (up from 573) and 5,242 with master’s degrees (up from 5,083).

CATL holds and/or is in the process of applying for 54,538 domestic and international patents, ranking second among Chinese companies by international patent applications.

R&D and patent data — full table

Metric	2023	2024	2025
R&D investment, RMB 10k	18,356,108	18,606,756	22,146,581
R&D investment growth	18.35 %	1.37 %	19.02 %
R&D as % of revenue	4.58 %	5.14 %	5.23 %
R&D personnel	20,604	20,346	22,901
Doctoral degree holders	361	573	745
Master's degree holders	3,913	5,083	5,242
Patents granted (cumulative)	9,987	16,145	23,308
Domestic	8,137	12,834	17,813
Overseas	1,850	3,311	5,495
Patents in application	19,500	27,209	31,230

Supply chain

Total supplier count decreased from 799 to 769, with 62 suppliers eliminated (vs 83 in 2024) for non-compliance with procurement strategies and qualification requirements. All 32 newly admitted suppliers (100%) were screened using sustainability criteria across economic, environmental, and social dimensions.

CATL conducted 120 knowledge training sessions on supply chain sustainability (up from 92), while the number of suppliers with on-site mineral due diligence audits by third parties decreased from 74 to 54. The company initiated 80 due diligence audits itself, up from 118 in 2024.

Customer satisfaction

Customer satisfaction improved from 94% to 95%. Complaints received decreased slightly from 575 to 571, with a 100% settlement ratio maintained.

6. Governance

Anti-bribery and anti-corruption

The most notable governance change: corruption risk assessments expanded from 5 companies in 2024 to 52 companies in 2025, conducted systematically across the Group and key subsidiaries with reference to ISO 37001 internal audit standards. No companies were found to have major corruption risk exposure.

Anti-corruption training coverage remained at 100% across all employees, management personnel, and non-independent directors.

Information security

CATL runs company-wide phishing email simulation tests monthly. In 2025, the company introduced a semi-annual dynamic evaluation cycle for information security, with a points-based incentive system for phishing test performance. Security audits were conducted for over 30 suppliers classified as handling high-confidentiality information.

GDPR compliance training was conducted at the company’s German subsidiary, and cross-border data transfer compliance training was provided to relevant business departments at headquarters.

7. New in 2025

Commitments, milestones, and disclosures that appear in the 2025 report but not the 2024 edition.

Carbon neutrality achieved. CATL reached carbon neutrality in core operations, meeting its 2023 target on schedule. Zero-carbon electricity in core operations reached 100%, from 74.51% in 2024.

Climate scenario analysis. The report includes detailed physical risk (IPCC RCP 4.5/8.5) and transition risk (NGFS NZE 2050, DT, NDCs) scenario analyses with quantified financial impact assessments — a significant expansion of climate disclosure. CATL’s Zero-Carbon Strategy positions core operations on a 1.4C pathway aligned with the Paris Agreement.

Ellen MacArthur Foundation partnership. In March 2025, CATL joined the EMF Strategic Partners Network and launched the Global Energy Circularity Commitment (GECC) — the first Chinese enterprise to initiate an international public welfare project on circular economy for batteries.

EU carbon compliance flagged. The transition risk analysis specifically identifies EU carbon compliance costs as demanding “particular attention,” noting that higher carbon prices in Europe drive up marginal emission reduction costs for European subsidiaries.

IFRS S1 and S2 alignment. The 2025 report is prepared with reference to IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards for the first time, alongside existing GRI, SZSE, and HKEX frameworks.

S&P Global and FTSE4Good inclusion. CATL was included in the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook 2026 (Global Edition) and the FTSE4Good Index Series for the first time.

Water consumption reporting. The report discloses total water consumption (32.1 million m3) and water consumption intensity (42.88 m3/MWh) for the first time, separate from water withdrawal.

Employee turnover disclosure. Turnover rates are reported for the first time, with breakdowns by gender, age, and region. Overall turnover: 25.66%.

Contemporary Green Energy scale. The subsidiary’s renewable energy portfolio is disclosed in detail: 5,368 MW centralized renewable quota secured, 893 MW grid-connected, with 158,670 MWh of on-grid electricity consumed by core operations.

8. Sources