An EU Advocacy Toolkit, a comprehensive resource designed to support advocacy and public affairs activities promoting the benefits and strategic importance of lead and lead batteries in Europe, has been launched by the International Lead Association (ILA) and the Consortium for Battery Innovation (CBI).

Co-funded by the Lead REACH Consortium, the EU Advocacy Toolkit is a master deck of slides – a repository of information designed to be used by associations, companies and other stakeholders to bring to life the importance of the lead value chain in Europe. Covering topics from the economic contribution of lead and lead batteries, the role they play in defence and security, research and innovation supporting sustainable development goals, and the Industry’s voluntary initiatives, the Toolkit was designed to be the comprehensive resource on how and why lead matters.

  • The Toolkit starts with a short ‘elevator pitch’, intended as a ‘lead in five slides’ overview of the economic, political and societal importance of lead in Europe.
  • It then presents a narrative around, a deep-dive into, eight key messages on the role of lead and lead batteries to the EU’s strategic autonomy, energy security, defence, circular economy, industrial strategy, and more.
  • The narrative is complemented by information on Industry’s sustainability initiatives – including ILA’s worker exposure reduction and material stewardship programmes – market data in terms of economic contributions to Europe and key Member States, and a suite of case studies from Lead Matters, CBI, and more, bringing facts and data, evidence and examples to the fore.
  • Finally, the Toolkit contains a section on EU policy and regulatory asks relating to lead and lead batteries, and the campaign’s messages on political initiatives such as the EU Grids Package and Defence Readiness.

Lisa Allen, Lead REACH Consortium Manager, said, “This invaluable resource is the most comprehensive collection of information about lead, its uses, and its essentiality to the EU to date. It’s important for policy or regulatory decision-makers to understand the important role of lead and lead batteries in Europe. This Toolkit provides the essential information and background to help us when meeting with stakeholders in Brussels or Member States. Highlighting the broad range of applications where lead matters – from uses in the energy sector supporting Europe’s net zero targets, to lead’s role in healthcare, research and innovation, Europe’s strategic autonomy and industrial strength, and even in culture and heritage – the Toolkit provides members and stakeholders with an easy-to-use, fact-based, customisable resource to support their lead-related outreach.

The Toolkit is freely available via this WeTransfer link or by contacting the Secretariat.