The environmental costs of EV batteries that politicians don't tend to talk about
To unlock the 250,000 jobs and $48 billion that the EV battery supply chain will add to the Canadian economy, the industry will have to deal with some thorny environmental issues, such as what to do with millions of spent EV batteries and whether we should develop one of the world's largest carbon sinks.
![The environmental costs of EV batteries that politicians don't tend to talk about](https://i.cbc.ca/1.6936253.1692048015!/cpImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/ont-volkswagen-20230421.jpg)
![Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford during an announcement on a Volkswagen electric vehicle battery plant at the Elgin County Railway Museum in St. Thomas, Ont., Friday, April 21, 2023. Men sit in a line clapping hands.](https://i.cbc.ca/1.6936253.1692048015!/cpImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/ont-volkswagen-20230421.jpg)
To unlock the 250,000 jobs and $48 billion that the EV battery supply chain will add to the Canadian economy, the industry will have to deal with some thorny environmental issues, such as what to do with millions of spent EV batteries and whether we should develop one of the world's largest carbon sinks.