Mapping Controversies: New Method Reveals Hidden Social Impacts of Battery

A new study from Finland’s Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT) argues that the common social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) method misses key social impacts tied to battery supply chains. Published in the Journal of Industrial Ecology, the research says S-LCA focuses on production stages and overlooks contentious processes that occur before ore is extracted. Led by Anni Orola with Laura Kainiemi, Jarkko Levänen and Ville Uusitalo, the team proposes “controversy mapping” to capture public disputes over time. The approach, drawing on actor-network theory, was applied to Finland’s emerging battery materials industry.