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EV Battery Circularity: the next frontier of Sustainability

The adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs) has been increasing over the past few years with the objective of decarbonizing the transport sector. However, simply adopting EVs is not the panacea it may seem to be. The challenge lies in the process of decarbonizing the generation of electricity which these EVs use. The biggest challenge lies in decarbonizing the battery production and recycling process and making it sustainable. 

The need for ever increasing raw materials, manufacturing of new batteries and growing recycling is obviously not going to be sustainable in the long run. Therefore attaining 100% circularity in the EV battery ecosystem is the next frontier in sustainability. 

EV Battery Circularity

True circularity aims to reduce the carbon footprint, minimizing waste by reuse or recycling and resulting in cost saving as a bonus. The ideal scenario would involve a closed loop where there is no need for new resources as they can all be replenished from existing sources or by recycling. When full circularity is achieved, it will be sustainable. Attaining full sustainability is a progressive process and will take several years to attain. However, being able to achieve total sustainability will take us to a new frontier.

Supply chain

The process of mining Lithium, Cobalt and other materials required for manufacturing EV batteries is a dirty process. The mining operation itself spews PM2.5 into the atmosphere, degrading the natural environment. Transportation to refining facilities, the refining process itself and packaging for further transport to battery manufacturing facilities is completely unsustainable. It relies heavily on fossil fuels, and fresh water. Unless the supply chain can be cleaned up, this whole thing is going to blow up in our faces. It’s a disaster waiting to happen. 

Raw Material Supplies

Supply of raw materials is the most significant challenge for EV battery manufacturers. Materials used in EV batteries must be of high quality, safe, as well as cost-effective. The lack of reliable and sufficient raw material sources can result in supply chain risks such as price fluctuation and inventory management.

Carbon Footprint of Materials and Manufacturing

This aspect is another important consideration in determining the battery supply chain. Recycling also has its own set of perils, including damage and depreciation to the equipment, cost of removing contaminants from recycled materials and processing costs associated with recycling facilities. The entire process can be very expensive–and sometimes impossible! On top of it is the cost to the environment. Manufacturing batteries and obtaining raw materials is a complex and often toxic process. At any point a leakage into the environment can have disastrous effects.

Manufacturing & Operations

The sustainability of large-scale battery production has been hotly debated

There are many factors that make the recycling process difficult and complex, including:

  • The size and weight of batteries.
  • Non-Standardization of batteries between vehicles
  • Varying types of Charging equipment needs for various types of batteries.
  • Varying Storage capacity.
  • The energy required for recycling and procedures for safe disposal.

To address these challenges, manufacturers have developed recycling programs that allow consumers and businesses to send back used batteries for proper disposal and recycling. These programs are available in many countries around the world. While these open up a new business opportunity, it comes with several extreme challenges.

Each of these challenges must be addressed individually. Every aspect is a step towards attaining sustainability and a misstep anywhere can completely dismantle the objective of achieving sustainability. 

Marketing & Sales

Battery marketing and sales activities have to be in tune with achieving sustainability goals. These kinds of strategies are already in place in the soft drinks (soda) industry. Something similar may be developed for the EV battery industry. 

In the United States, for example, battery manufacturers have teamed up with retailers and distributors to create a program called Call2Recycle. This program allows consumers to bring their used batteries (including car batteries) to one of over 3,000 drop-off locations around the country. The batteries are then recycled in an environmentally friendly manner. In addition, many states have laws that require businesses that sell batteries to offer recycling programs as well.

Sustainable R&D and Product Development

Recycling and Recyclability

Since EV batteries are made with materials that only store energy, they aren’t easily recycled. Some of the materials have extreme corrosive properties, are highly toxic and require special equipment to be put back into use. Extensive R&D is required to simulate and determine the carbon footprint as well as the environmental cost, financial cost and sustainability of each individual aspect of the recycling process. In this case trial and error is not an option as the cost of errors is just too great to bear.

The R&D needs to be focused on sustainability and sustainability alone, because this is the one thing that will make or break the EV as a plausible alternative.

Sustainability must be introduced into the entire battery manufacturing method, right from the get-go. Designing batteries to be interchangeable between vehicles, developing protocols like the ones in place in the consumer batteries sector and such will eventually lead to sustainability. Extensive R&D is required to determine the path forward and to facilitate adoption of these protocols. Product development must be done keeping sustainability in the forefront. As we understand, sustainability is key to the entire concept of EVs being a viable alternative at all. 

Mobility services and vehicles

An innovative experiment has been underway in lots of different cities across the world. This is a model where mobility is a service. People do not buy their personal vehicles anymore but use Electric vehicles as a rental service. This is a possible means to achieve sustainability, however, what remains to be seen is the success of this approach, as vehicle ownership comes with its own set of conveniences and is something people have been used to for decades. Vehicle ownership has become a habit that is hard to break. Mobility as a service may be a good idea, if it happens to become mainstream.

In this model, vehicles are standardized, with very few variations among them. This is a great step towards achieving battery circularity and sustainability. However, challenges remain as various variables such as reliability, availability, personal preferences etc. will determine if this model is widely adopted by people.

A) Role of Technology

Mitigation through Tech 

Technologies such as AI/ ML and Data Design and Analysis can address most of these challenges by analyzing the supply chain. Data on the availability and supply of raw materials, inventory of components, various battery types, their capacities, recyclability etc. can eliminate costs and risks. Risk simulation of methods and strategies can give manufacturers a heads-up and identify potential pitfalls in meeting their KPIs. Amplo Global is at the forefront of these technologies, helping businesses assess their challenges and finding ways to meet them with the help of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Every business has its own unique challenges and Amplo Global is the perfect consultant to mitigate those challenges.

The future of the EV battery industry is fraught with challenges. Finding the most efficient and effective production processes for an increasingly complex manufacturing process will be critical to ensuring that batteries become profitable and sustainable in the long run. It is imperative to mitigate these challenges with advanced algorithms and data design for the battery industry to be sustainable, environmentally safe and attain full circularity in the long run.

B) Business Risk Management

Mitigation by business risk management

Pressure on businesses to adopt more socially conscious practices, to reduce their carbon footprint, to be conscious of their brand reputation, to retain the best talent and to craft an approach to governance that continues to evolve with the market is continuously growing. The increasing role of stakeholder capitalism across industries has led to businesses reporting on nonfinancial metrics and the value they create beyond financial profit. Mitigation of sustainability pitfalls by business risk management will vary from business to business. Each business must assess its risk and determine how it can manage such risks and yet strive towards sustainability.

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Equations

Equations is an organization based out of Bangalore which works on promoting equitable tourism and protection of the community and the environment. It envisions a just and equitable world, where all people have the freedom and the right to determine their lives and future. Equations is keen on developing an app/ AI-based solution to create a database of the assets of the families living in disaster-prone areas in the states the organization. The database will be prepared to supplement and guide the government data for compensation estimate of those families, post-disaster, to prevent subsequent spiraling poverty.


Since Amplo Global has its proficiency in providing AI-based solutions, it will be a perfect platform to reduce strategy development time and decision-making errors and increase capacity, enable sustainable operations. Amplo Global’s platform will be helping Equations to create a survey tool in the source area to understand the impact of climate change & migration on tourism. It will be a guided synthesis tool for tracking and maintaining these records.

Empowering the underprivileged of Sundarbans

PROVIDING THE SCOPE FOR EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING, EMPOWERMENT OF LOCAL TEACHERS AND GIVING POST-SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT TO THE CHILDREN OF HINGALGANJ IN NORTH 24 PARGANAS

Amplo Global CSR Team, with the initiative, support and partnership of Dishari Welfare Society, came out in the open to help the villagers in North 24 parganas of West Bengal, with special focus on their education and employment opportunities in order to bring about a complete community development. Amplo Global has promised to give full support to Dishari foundation by conducting an in depth visioning exercise, conceptualizing a road map, developing proposals, designing implementation strategies and training the Dishari team for effective implementation of the plan. Dishari with the help of Amplo Global CSR Team are trying their level best to impart post school tuition support to the children, create a base and scope for experiential learning so that the students get ample opportunity for employment in future. Not only children but the CSR Team is also making endeavors for the education and empowerment of the teachers so that they become aware of the practical ways and methods of teaching these village kids. Efforts have been made to build a trust factor between the teachers and the parents so that both can influence the kids to become educated through experiential learning so that they can lead a sustainable life in near future.

Our Story

Journey so far

Our Story

Amplo Global Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) wing started its journey with the purpose of helping communities for transformation through a holistic approach. The focus is to create an eco-system leading to a self-sustainable value chain. Amplo Global’s social entrepreneurial mindshare along with various social impact start-ups are making a mark towards a better planet to live in.

Our first initiative has been shaking hands with Ahana, the first ray of the sun, a non-profit organization of Kolkata, West Bengal. We have been associating with Ahana from its inception, mentoring and guiding it, assisting to collaborate with various government and non-governmental organizations to conduct different programs related to empowerment and revival of traditional forms of art which are losing their relevance in this fast-growing world.

Amplo Global CSR & Ahana together took an initiative in Surulia village of Purulia district in West Bengal, to rejuvenate the traditional form of the art of making artefacts from molten zinc or brass or copper. We organized workshops where women artisans of Malohar community were given training for learning this art. Moreover, we also took necessary actions for official documentation of these till date unidentified group, so that they get the minimum government benefits allotted for them.

Knowledge development and enablement towards sustainability has been a key goal for AG CSR. To achieve this, AG CSR has planned to take up various projects. One such is conducting a workshop on ‘Gender equality gender justice: the rightful way towards sustainable social development’ with the students of Berhampore Girls’ College at Murshidabad. A one-day workshop has been organized with almost 300 students where a holistic vision on gender, sex and sexuality has been imparted to them. Along with that, they were given knowledge on relevant legal as well as social rights prevalent for them and also against cyber bullying and stalking. They were made aware of the rights available for them which will help them to develop social sustainability to deal in future.

Another knowledge building program has been taken up by AG CSR team in collaboration with a Kolkata-based non-government organization, Kolkata Sanved, working in the field with the survivors for almost twenty years, using Dance Movement therapy for psycho-social rehabilitation and social transformation. Kolkata Sanved wants to prepare a digital archive, consisting of the huge data of their functioning for last two decades, that will be a source of information and knowledge for any individual/organization who wants to work in this field in future. Amplo Global CSR team is supporting KS to curate and host digital archive representing Kolkata Sanved’s works and achievements since its inception.

Empowerment of women and children from the marginalized community and enabling them towards sustainability has always been the major goal of Amplo Global CSR wing. In order to achieve this, AG CSR team has been meandering its path through different projects. The collaboration with organizations like Dishari and Samabedan has been done with this target in mind. Though at the initial stage, AG CSR team is working with these two organizations to strengthen its structure with technical support. This includes helping them to finalize vision-mission statements for strategic management, developing proposals for mobilizing resources and guide them with proper implementation plan.

Along with empowerment of women, AG CSR also works towards the revival and preservation of traditional form of art. A very comprehensive program has been taken up by AG CSR team in association with Ahana and INTACH and with full-fledged support and cooperation of HSWS in the Kalimpong district of West Bengal. Workshops have been arranged in which women of the hills, having knowledge and skill of weaving in traditional handlooms. They were given training on new techniques and methods by professional designer cum trainer, whereby they were taught how to improve their skill and make more variety of products which have huge demand in the market. The aim is to showcase the right path in front of these women which will help them to reach the goal of sustainable livelihood in future.

Samabedan

Samabedan Trust Founded in 2019 and registered in 2020 under Society Registration Act with the mission to fight against social inequities. The organization aims at improving the living standards of people living in slums and marginalized areas of Kolkata through entrepreneurship programs, vocational training, technical skills training and financial management support. They have started its journey through initiating an income generation program for the women and youth of few areas in Kolkata, West Bengal. The overall objective of this project is to create an enabling environment for the people living in the communities of Kolkata so that they can be self – dependent and self – reliant, thus making them self-employed in the long-run through inculcating entrepreneurial skill.


AGI has initiated partnership with Samabedan Trust to establish a mutually beneficial collaboration. AG’s role in this arrangement is to strengthen its organizational growth path with technical support and thus ensure holistic development of the marginalized community. This includes help them to work on vision-mission statement for strategic management and guide them with proper resource mobilization and implementation plan.

Institutions

PROMOTING GENDER EQUALITY AND GENDER JUSTICE AT BERHAMPORE GIRLS’ COLLEGE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AGI has joined hands with Berhampore Girls’ College to establish a mutually beneficial community collaboration. AG’s role in this arrangement is to train and build capacity of students of the college in the field of gender rights, awareness and legal information related to gender issues.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amplo Global CSR Team has taken a step forward to make 300 attendees in the workshop aware of the concepts of gender, sex and sexuality at Berhampore Girls’ College. An open conversation was made on local issues in the society by the CSR Team of Amplo Global INC. The students in BGC were given a relevant topic to debate. They were also encouraged to write a screenplay on the present-day problems of our society. The CSR Team has taken an initiative to tutor the students about cyber-bullying and stalking. In this way the Amplo Global CSR Team has chosen a rightful path towards sustainable social development so that our future generations can lead a safe and blissful life.

Kolkata Sanved

Kolkata Sanved, an organization that uses Dance Movement therapy for psycho-social rehabilitation and social transformation. Founded in 2004, Kolkata Sanved, a women-led organization works towards psycho-social rehabilitation of survivors of marginalization and gender-based violence, prevention of violence and poor mental health and promotion of mental wellbeing through the medium of DMT.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amplo Global CSR team has already started their program with Kolkata Sanved of creating the digital archive for the latter. AG CSR team is helping the organization in envisioning the milestones of its journey in terms of creating a representative digital documentation, creating system of data collection, collation of the data through meta-data sheet, designing and curating user-friendly digital archive and to train the Kolkata Sanved team in maintaining and updating the archive for future.

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Empowering the women of slums of Kolkata

STRIVING TO PROVIDE A BETTER LIVING FOR SLUM DWELLERS IN KOLKATA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The CSR Team of Amplo Global joined hands with Samabedan Trust of Kolkata to improve the living standards of slum dwellers in Kolkata through technical skill training, vocational training and financial management support. Amplo Global has promised to take care of these people by conducting an in-depth visioning exercise, executing a resource mobilization plan, conceptualizing a road map and designing an implementation strategy. All these efforts have been made in order to enable an environment of people living in the slum area to have a self-dependent, self-reliant and self-employed life to ensure sustainability in years to come.

Revival of traditional art

In a growing technology-run and industrialized world, people are increasingly forgetting the traditional crafts and moving towards new innovation. Due to this, artisans are moving to alternative income generation methods, for instance — daily wage labour and farming; and art is losing its grip. Preserving and protecting the skills and knowledge of traditional crafts is a growing challenge.

Amplo Global CSR team has taken this vow to take necessary initiatives to protect this cause of revival and conservation of traditional form of art and also the artisans, who are compelled to look for alternative livelihood options due to lack of the knowledge of marketability and demand of the products they create.

Kalimpong

TRAINING THE WOMEN OF HILLY REGION TO BECOME FINANCIALLY INDEPENDENT

Earning a livelihood has always been difficult in the hilly regions. Women in the rural areas of the hilly regions in Kalimpong do not get proper opportunities and as a result find it hard to become financially independent. Amplo Global CSR in collaboration with Ahana Foundations and INTACH and with the initiative and support of Hill Social Welfare Society (HSWS) have taken up the program for intervention with marginalized and vulnerable women from the hill tribes of Darjeeling district in the northern part of West Bengal, with the purpose: –

 

 

 

  • To empower and collectivize the women living in the Lopchu and Peshok tea gardens of Rangli-Rangliot district of Darjeeling through SHGs
  • To train these women into weaving dresses, shawls, stoles using the dying local traditional weaving techniques using traditional motifs.
  • To help them with design inputs so that the products can find a larger market outside the local niche market.
  • To connect the local community of artisans to the online marketing platforms and various state emporiums like Biswa Bangla or artisan’s forum like Dastkaar etc.
  • To establish self- sustaining alternative livelihoods for poor women so that they are capable of coming out of rural poverty as well as the familial control and live a life with dignity.

 

 

 

They have already conducted workshops in two phases where professional trainer has been appointed to give training inputs and guidance to these women artisans to nurture and enhance their already existing weaving skill and develop expertise so that they can manufacture better quality products which have got high market demand.

At present, the AG CSR team is trying to organize for more such workshops so that increased number of women can be benefitted from the program.

 

 

 

         

Purulia

COMMITMENT TO PROVIDE IDENTITY TO THE WOMEN ARTISANS OF MALOHAR COMMUNITY IN PURULIA, WEST BENGAL

Malohar or Malakar is a caste-community that can be found in several blocks in Purulia, who are very less in number and scattered all across the district. Malohars has the long-cherished tradition of making artefacts for daily use as well as artistic production out of molten zinc or brass or copper. The artefacts they produce include ‘Sher-pai” (a measuring cup), Diyas or lamps, bells for the domestic animals etc. However, the practice currently is on wane as there is no demand except occasionally. The women, though know the art of making them, don’t practice as they are not aware of what to do with this skill.

 

The Malohars are extremely poor with little or no citizenship documents although they are residing in the villages where we found them (in Bonbohal in Purulia 1 block or Raghunathpur in Manbazar 2) since quite a long time. That is why they do not receive any benefits from government programs. 

 

Amplo CSR Team and Ahana have joined hands together to help in the empowerment of women artisans of Malohar community in Surulia village of Purulia district, West Bengal, who are struggling to get a dignified livelihood. In order to preserve the heritage of these lost artforms, our CSR team and Ahana are working diligently towards mentoring these families through the following actions:

 

  • Resource identification and analysis to conduct training workshops for the artisans.
  • Creating opportunities for group empowerment and personal leadership.
  • Providing financial literacy education for women with special emphasis on developing bank linkages.
  • Providing skill training that reflects job market realities. Link with the private sector for placement assistance. Partner with product development and marketing agencies to ensure sustainability of livelihood programs.
  • Encouraging women to work cooperatively in the development of sustainable micro enterprises that will be viable in the current market.

Initiatives have also been taken on their behalf to get their official identification done which will enable them access their documents and government benefits that come with it. It will also ensure their children to get educational and nutritional aids in schools.

Ahana

Ahana is an Indian, voluntary, not for profit organization. Ahana, literally meaning the first ray of the Sun, is dedicated towards uplift, welfare and empowerment of women and girls living in harmful and precarious situations. Women who have been subjected to either torture or discrimination can’t utilize the proper resources they have, for their own growth. Ahana is dedicated towards enabling those women and girls by creating a conducive ecosystem where they can realize their potential to the fullest. Ahana envisions a world free of discrimination and violence against women and girls where every woman and girl will get equal opportunity to thrive in society as an equal human being.


Amplo Global CSR team has initiated partnership with Ahana to establish a mutually beneficial community collaboration. AG’s role in this arrangement is to mentor, train and build capacity of Ahana in successful execution of welfare projects. Further, AG will also provide technical, financial and human resources towards development of Ahana’s programs.

 

AG CSR team has been associated with Ahana since its inception, helping it to grow at every step, guiding and mentoring it in planning, implementation and execution. AG CSR team has already started their journey with Ahana by helping in multiple projects, starting from revival of traditional form of art in Purulia and Kalimpong, to empowerment of women in Kalimpong, and so on.

INTACH

Headquartered in New Delhi, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) was founded in 1984 with the vision to lead heritage awareness and conservation in India. Over last 31 years, INTACH is performing its task of preservation of traditional art and culture of India across the country through over 170 chapters. One of the important missions of INTACH is to provide expertise in the field of conservation, restoration and preservation of specific works of art, and encourage capacity-building by developing skills through training programs, initiate collaborations and generate sponsorships for conservation and educational projects.


Amplo Global CSR team got associated with INTACH as the missions of both are aligned with each other. AG CSR aims not only to preserve the traditional form of different arts, but also thrives to revive and develop it to make it sustainable in the long run. AG CSR has already collaborated with INTACH to conduct few projects to meet this target.

Kolkata Sanved

Founded in 2004, Kolkata Sanved, a women-led organization works towards psycho-social rehabilitation of survivors of marginalization and gender-based violence, prevention of violence and poor mental health and promotion of mental wellbeing through the medium of Dance Movement Therapy. The organization works across South Asia in partnership with community-based organizations, civil society networks, rights groups and government institutions. Kolkata Sanved conducts DMT sessions in shelter homes, hospitals, govt. institutions, schools, etc. The organization has implemented their program in collaboration with local organizations in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Indonesia, Jordan and Thailand.


AGI has initiated partnership with Kolkata Sanved to establish a mutually beneficial community collaboration. AG’s role in this arrangement is to curate and host digital archive representing Kolkata Sanved’s works and achievements since its inception

Dishari

Dishari Welfare Society Founded in 2020 and registered in 2020-21 under Society Registration Act, works for and with the villagers with special focus on Education, Health and Income Generation by addressing school drop-out rates, increasing access to health facilities and creating employment opportunities, thus laying a ground for overall community development. The organization has implemented their program in collaboration with several local organizations in different districts of North 24 Parganas.


AGI has initiated partnership with Dishari Welfare Society to establish a mutually beneficial collaboration. AG’s role in this arrangement is to strengthen its structure with technical support. This includes helping them to finalize vision-mission statements for strategic management, developing proposals for mobilizing resources and guide them with proper implementation plan.

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