Chinese battery and new energy technology firm CATL said that it achieved carbon neutrality in its core operations last year, while also taking steps to support the development of a circular battery economy.
In its 2025 Annual Report, CATL said that its Global Energy Circularity Commitment (GECC) saw it recycle 210,000 tonnes of spent batteries last year, an increase of 63.2% year-on-year, with the firm regenerating 24,000 tonnes of lithium salts, up 40.4%.
Earlier this year, CATL and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation published a white paper outlining a circular value-chain roadmap for EV batteries: Leading The Charge – Turning risk into reward with a circular economy for EV batteries and critical minerals.
Battery swapping
Elsewhere, the group expanded its battery-swapping network across China, with 1,000 Choco-Swap stations for passenger vehicles situated across 45 cities in China, along with more than 300 battery swapping stations for heavy-duty trucks.
CATL is also developing China’s first off-grid zero-carbon industrial park in Shandong, powered entirely by direct green electricity, which will support a 40 GWh lithium-ion battery plant – one of many zero-carbon energy projects undertaken by the firm.
Last year, CATL achieved an MSCI ESG rating of AA and was included for the first time in both the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook (Global Edition) and the FTSE Emerging Index.
‘Looking ahead, CATL will continue to build on technological innovation and product leadership, while expanding its ecosystem and global customer base,’ it noted. ‘By strengthening this innovation-driven growth cycle, the company aims to reinforce its position as a globally leading zero-carbon technology company’.
Full-year performance
CATL reported full-year revenue of RMB 423.7 billion in 2025, a 17% increase on the previous year, while net profit attributable to shareholders rose 42% to RMB 72.2 billion and net cash flow reached RMB 133.2 billion. CATL invested some RMB 22.1 billion in research and development in 2025, bringing cumulative investment in R&D to more than RMB 90 billion.
The firm captured 39.2% of the global battery market, with its systems installed in more than 24 million vehicles worldwide. Read more here.
