Governance of Waste Batteries as a Circular Resource: The Role of Policy Actors and Stakeholder Collaboration

Objectives : The study aims to address the gap in research on governance strategies for managing used electric vehicle (EV) batteries in Korea. The goal is to explore strategies that enhance governance and promote a sustainable ecosystem for used batteries, positioning them as a circular resource to aid in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector.Methods : An expert survey involving 37 respondents was conducted to gather insights into the governance models for EV battery management. The survey sought to identify key actors and preferred governance models necessary to establish a comprehensive ecosystem for used batteries.Results and Discussion : The survey results revealed that companies (54%) were identified as the primary actors needing adjustments and expanded authority in EV battery governance, followed by the central government (40%) and local governments (5%). Regarding preferred governance models, the Business-to-Government (B2G) model was the most favored (40%), followed by Business-to-Central Government (B2CG) (37%), Business-to-Local Government (B2LG) (16%), and Central Government-to-Local Government (CG2LG) (5%). These findings emphasize the importance of cooperative governance in fostering the growth of the EV battery industry.Conclusion : The study provides valuable insights for developing a sustainable ecosystem for used batteries as a circular resource. The findings offer critical evidence to inform policy formulation, underscoring the need for a collaborative governance framework to support industry growth and sustainability.