Navigating social life cycle assessment challenges in lithium-iron-phosphate batteries

The global push for renewable energy and sustainable mobility has intensified the demand for batteries, making them essential in electric vehicles, portable electronics, and stationary energy storage applications. While their environmental footprint is widely studied, the social dimensions are not well explored. This research presents a Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) of lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries at a pilot-scale, emphasizing the social sustainability aspects of battery production and supply chains.This study investigates the socio-economic implications of raw material extraction, processing, and battery manufacturing. While cobalt-free LFP batteries offer a promising alternative to mitigate sustainability concerns, challenges persist in assessing the broader social sustainability of battery production. The study applies the S-LCA framework, integrating primary data from the pilot production line with secondary and generic data. Using a monetary flow-based impact assessment, the methodology maps economic activities to social risks across the LFP battery supply chain.A key challenge in implementing S-LCA using these databases is the reliance on a baseline economic model that often lacks robust methodologies to capture the evolving dynamics of labour rights, supply chain vulnerabilities, and local community impacts. Additionally, economic factors such as raw material price volatility further complicate the interpretation of social sustainability indicators.These challenges are particularly evident in the anode and cathode production stages, which emerge as the most significant social hotspots due to risks related to labour conditions, occupational hazards, and child labour in raw material extraction. Further obstacles include data granularity limitations, stakeholder transparency issues, and methodological constraints. Addressing these concerns requires strengthened collaboration across academia, industry, and governance to ensure a socially responsible approach to battery development.