On August 17, during the 2026 CATL Core Operations Carbon Neutrality Launch Event, themed "Zero-Carbon Origin · New Life," CATL Chairman and CEO Zeng Yuqun stated that the world has witnessed Europe enduring its hottest June on record, with Paris temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, underscoring that climate change is a real crisis.

He noted that the rapid advancement of industrialization, electrification, and artificial intelligence is continuously driving up global energy and electricity demand. As power consumption rises, so too does carbon emissions. Zeng emphasized that achieving zero-carbon is not just a mission but also a capability.

Zeng Yuqun predicted that batteries lacking zero-carbon credentials will ultimately be phased out by the times. He further highlighted that zero-carbon represents a significant market opportunity. In the fossil fuel era, reducing carbon emissions often meant incurring costs rather than generating profits, and controlling emissions frequently meant curbing development opportunities rather than fostering growth.

However, technological progress is steadily lowering the cost of green energy, making the economics of zero-carbon increasingly clear. While energy costs can now be lower than those in the 1980s, Zeng pointed out that further research is needed to determine if the costs of production processes can also be reduced.