Operationalizing the environmental safe operating space into target distributions for mobility and batteries

A safe operating space (SOS) for human activities was proposed to safeguard the Earth system’s resilience. However, translating such SOS into actionable targets remains challenging. The goal of our work is twofold: (1) introduce a methodology for the derivation of SOS-based targets for mobility and electric vehicle batteries; (2) demonstrate target sensitivity to downscaling assumptions and parameters. We derive climate impact and freshwater use targets for mobility and batteries in Germany and Canada in 2030, 2035, and 2050. Target distributions range from 1 to 47 kg CO2-eq/kWh and 0.1–2.0 m3 water/kWh in 2030, and shrink to 0.4–12 kg CO2-eq/kWh and 0.1–1.1 m3 water/kWh in 2050 across location and battery sizes. We discuss challenges in deriving sustainability targets and compare them with existing regulatory and company-level product targets, with the perspective of operationalizing SOS-based pathways for mobility.