Core Viewpoint - China's new energy vehicle production and sales have ranked first globally for ten consecutive years, leading to a significant phase of "retirement" for power batteries, raising discussions on recycling and reducing reliance on raw mineral resources and carbon emissions [2] Group 1: Global Energy Circular Economy Plan - CATL and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) have launched the "Global Energy Circular Economy Plan," aiming to promote a comprehensive battery circular economy and eliminate dependence on raw mineral resources for new battery production [2][3] - This plan is the first circular economy public welfare project initiated by a Chinese enterprise and covers the entire new energy industry chain, involving multiple stakeholders including government and academic institutions [2] - CATL's Vice President, Jiang Li, stated that within the next 20 years, 50% of new battery production globally will move away from mineral extraction, driving a systematic transition towards a more efficient, low-carbon, and sustainable energy system [2] Group 2: Battery Recycling Industry Growth - The number of battery recycling-related enterprises in China has been steadily increasing, with 14,600 registered by April 2025, marking a 13.9% increase compared to the same period in 2024 [2] - The global battery recycling market is projected to exceed 1.2 trillion yuan by 2040, creating over 10 million jobs within the battery value chain [3] Group 3: Four Action Guidelines - The "Global Energy Circular Economy Plan" includes four key action guidelines: 1. Restructuring the value chain to enable low-carbon development across the battery industry [3] 2. Integrating circular economy principles from the design stage, focusing on modular design and ease of disassembly for better recycling [3] 3. Redefining the business model from traditional product sales to a service-oriented model [3] 4. Establishing an efficient and large-scale recycling system to enhance recycling efficiency and material reuse [3] Group 4: Current Achievements and Future Directions - CATL has built the world's largest battery recycling network, recycling approximately 130,000 tons of used batteries in 2024 and producing 17,000 tons of lithium salt [3] - The company has introduced the "Times Carbon Chain" management system to integrate circular economy concepts into every aspect of the value chain, promoting systematic carbon reduction and efficient resource allocation [3] - The battery recycling industry faces challenges such as the prevalence of "bad money driving out good" and a decline in enthusiasm among some recycling enterprises due to falling upstream material prices [4] - By transforming the entire lifecycle of batteries from design to recycling, the battery circular economy is expected to open up vast market opportunities, with China's lithium-ion battery recycling capacity projected to reach 11.09 million tons per year by 2030 [5]