Addressing societal needs in batteries research: Insights from the social sciences and humanities task force

Advancing battery technologies is vital for sustainable development, underpinning transport electrification, renewable energy integration, and decarbonization. However, the life cycle of batteries poses challenges due to the exploitation of critical raw materials like cobalt and lithium, leading to environmental degradation, health risks, and social inequities, particularly in resource-rich countries. The battery supply chain also faces significant ethical issues, including child labour, gender discrimination, and geopolitical inequalities. Despite these hurdles, opportunities exist to develop a circular battery value chain, reduce energy poverty, and enhance public trust through transdisciplinary collaboration and robust regulatory frameworks. The Batteries Europe Task Force on Social Sciences and Humanities advocates for integrating societal demands into battery research & innovation to address these issues. By developing methods like Social Life Cycle Assessment with wider work on value-sensitive design, energy justice and responsible research and innovation, a deeper understanding of how battery designs can be fairer - from extraction to recycling - is possible. This promotes participatory approaches with stakeholders to enable more equitable and inclusive policies and design. The Task Force envisions a sustainable, human-centric battery ecosystem, addressing challenges to social acceptance of batteries, aligning innovation with societal well-being, environmental conservation, and economic equity, and urging stakeholders to embed the social demands at every stage of the energy transition process.