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UNEP and IRMA announce collaboration to advance responsible mining practices

11 February 2026By

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) have announced a collaboration on the environmental dimensions of responsible mining, focusing on the improvement of transparency and environmental performance in the mining sector.

As digital transformation and decarbonization efforts drive an unprecedented demand for minerals and metals, the extractive sector is under increasing pressure to minimize environmental impacts, such as deforestation, land degradation and pollution, while strengthening transparency,  environmental and social performance as well as  traceability.

This partnership brings together UNEP’s mandate as the leading global environmental authority with IRMA’s experience in promoting responsible mining and the sustainable use of minerals. IRMA’s comprehensive, multi-stakeholder system transparently assesses the performance of industrial-scale mine sites against a voluntary best practice mining standard.

Through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the two organisations agreed to a strategic partnership focused on the exchange of expertise on responsible mining topics, including voluntary sustainability standards, multi-stakeholder governance models and the verification of standards claims.

The partnership will also foster dialogue among stakeholders and contribute to the identification of best practices and gaps in the sector. Research and data will be disseminated through platforms such as UNEP’s Digital Knowledge Hub on the Environmental Aspects of Minerals and Metals.

The partnership aims to contribute to the implementation of the guiding principles and actionable recommendations of the UN Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals.

It will also advance the work of the UN Task Force on Critical Energy Transition Minerals, launched on 10 December 2025 during the seventh session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) to coordinate UN activities across all principles and actionable recommendations. The Task Force is chaired by UNEP, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

“As the demand for critical minerals grows, it is imperative that extraction processes do not come at the cost of environmental or community well-being,” said Sheila Aggarwal-Khan, Director of the Industry and Economy Division at UNEP. “Partnering with IRMA allows us to strengthen and promote best practices in responsible mining, as well as assurance and verification. We look forward to working together to strengthen the knowledge base and governance frameworks necessary for a responsible mining sector.”

“IRMA provides an independent measure of social and environmental performance at the mine site that is credible across all mining-affected stakeholder and rightsholder sectors,” said Kristi Disney Bruckner, Policy Director of IRMA.“By connecting IRMA’s system with UNEP’s global mandate, we help support the implementation of the UNSG Panel’s recommendations and increase the likelihood that the materials required for the energy transition are sourced in a way that better protects both people and the planet.”

This MOU is non-exclusive and establishes a framework for cooperation and dialogue between the two organizations. It serves as a structural foundation for activities and projects that may be defined in separate agreements.

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

UNEP is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system, and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment.

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Mining Indaba 2026 eramet irma interviewMining Indaba 2026 eramet irma interviewAfrica

Senegal’s Landmark IRMA-Assessed Mine: A New Era for Responsible Mining in Africa

10 February 2026By

[This is a reproduction of an article on the Mining Indaba website. View the original.]

In this exclusive Mining Indaba TV interview, Mathilde Jean, NGO and Civil Society Dialogue Manager at Eramet, and JJ Messner, Lead for Purchasing at the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA), discuss the successful implementation of global mining sustainability standards in Africa.

Reflecting on the landmark IRMA assurance of Eramet’s Grande Côte operation in Senegal — the first IRMA-assured mine in West Africa and the first mobile mineral sands operation to reach this level — they share insights into the motivations, challenges, and tangible impacts of undergoing a rigorous independent assessment.

The conversation explores what downstream buyers are looking for from responsible mining operations, how IRMA standards have influenced workforce practices, community engagement, and environmental management, and the lessons this collaboration offers to other mining companies and governments across the continent.

Looking ahead, they discuss how broader adoption of responsible mining standards could strengthen investor confidence, expand market access, and support long-term sustainable development outcomes for African economies.

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GCO operation. Credit: ErametGCO operation. Credit: ErametAudits

Eramet’s Grande Côte Operation completes first IRMA audit in Senegal

5 February 2026By
Senegal’s first mineral sands mine reaches IRMA 50 when audited against the world’s only equally governed mining standard

5 Feb 2026 – Today the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) released the audit of the Eramet Grande Côte Operation (EGC), the Senegalese subsidiary of the Eramet Group, against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. Independent audit firm SCS Global Services (SCS) assessed EGC at IRMA 50 when measuring its performance against the Standard’s best practice social and environmental criteria.

Achieving IRMA 50 means SCS verified that EGC at least substantially met all 40 critical requirements of the IRMA Standard, as well as scored at least 50% in each of Standard’s the four principle areas: social responsibility, environmental responsibility, business integrity and planning for positive legacies.

The full audit reports (in English and French) are available on the EGC audit page on the IRMA website: https://responsiblemining.net/egc

The information stakeholders need to decide what’s going well — and what may require more attention.

“This report demonstrates that mines can point to transparent, independent evaluations of their environmental and social performance,” said Aimee Boulanger, Executive Director of IRMA. “Through detailed IRMA audit reports, mining companies, communities and companies that purchase mined materials can gain the information they need, to decide what’s going well — and what may require more attention — at specific mines.”

The IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining is recognized and adopted around the globe, where audits like EGC’s are steps in a deepening dialogue between mining companies and those affected by their operations.

“An increasing number of community members and workers are engaging in IRMA audits, and they’re using the audit reports to communicate directly with the mining company about their priorities for improvement,” Ms. Boulanger said. “If readers find results inconsistent with their experience, we encourage them to share their perspectives with IRMA and the company so that we can improve the audit review process and support continuing improvement at the site—as community members and NGOs have already done in this case.”

“Achieving IRMA 50 is a powerful validation of the progress made by Eramet Grande Côte Operations and of the Group’s commitment to Act for Positive Mining,” said Virginie de Chassey, Chief Sustainability and External Affairs Officer at Eramet Group. She continued, “IRMA provides the most comprehensive, transparent, and rigorous standard in our sector, and this assessment confirms that our responsible mining practices are delivering measurable outcomes on the ground. This milestone reflects not only the work of Eramet Grande Côte’s teams, but also our ambition to build trust by operating to the highest international expectations.”

Including the EGC operation, 27 industrial-scale mines worldwide are within the IRMA independent assessment system. After an initial self-assessment, a participating mine engages a third-party audit firm — trained and approved by IRMA — to conduct a detailed independent evaluation, including on-site visits to the mine and nearby communities. Following the release of the initial audit, a shorter surveillance audit checks on the mine’s performance. Three years after the initial audit, the operation is fully audited again. (Note: The first mines audited in the IRMA system have had extensions to this timeline due to Covid delays and launch-phase learning; updated full reviews will be required to maintain or increase achievement scores.)

The independent IRMA system is the only global mining standard that provides equal power to the public sector (communities and Indigenous rights holders, mine workers, and environmental and human rights advocates) alongside the private sector (mining companies, mined materials purchasers and investors).

For More Information:

About IRMA
IRMA is a nonprofit organization working to protect people and the environment directly affected by mining by creating financial value for industrial-scale mining operations independently assessed against IRMA’s best practice Standard for Responsible Mining. For more information, visit: responsiblemining.net

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GCO operation. Credit: ErametGCO operation. Credit: ErametAudits

L’exploitation Grande Côte d’Eramet réalise son premier audit IRMA au Sénégal

5 February 2026By
La première mine de sables minéralisés du Sénéral a obtenu le score d’IRMA 50 après avoir été auditée à l’aune de la seule norme minière au monde régie de manière équitable

5 février 2026 — L’Initiative pour l’assurance d’une exploitation minière responsable (IRMA) publie aujourd’hui l’audit de Grande Côte Opérations d’Eramet (EGC), la filiale sénégalaise du Groupe Eramet, réalisé par rapport à la Norme IRMA pour une exploitation minière responsable. Le cabinet d’audit indépendant SCS Global Services (SCS) a attribué le niveau IRMA 50 à EGC après avoir mesuré ses performances par rapport aux critères sociaux et environnementaux des meilleures pratiques de la norme.

L’attribution du niveau de conformité IRMA 50 signifie que SCS a vérifié que l’exploitation satisfaisait au moins de manière substantielle à l’ensemble des 40 exigences essentielles de la Norme IRMA, et obtenait une note d’au moins 50 % dans chacun des quatre domaines principaux de la Norme : responsabilité sociale, responsabilité environnementale, intégrité de l’entreprise et planification pour un héritage positif.

Les rapports d’audit complets sont disponibles sur la page d’audit d’EGC1 du site Internet de l’IRMA : https://responsiblemining.net/egc

Les informations dont les parties prenantes ont besoin pour déterminer ce qui fonctionne bien et ce qui nécessite davantage d’attention.

« Ce rapport démontre que les mines peuvent se prévaloir d’évaluations transparentes et indépendantes de leurs performances environnementales et sociales », déclare Aimee Boulanger, directrice exécutive de l’IRMA. « Grâce aux rapports d’audit détaillés de l’IRMA, les entreprises minières, les communautés et les entreprises qui achètent des matériaux extraits peuvent obtenir les informations dont elles ont besoin pour déterminer ce qui fonctionne bien et ce qui nécessite davantage d’attention dans une mine particulière. »

La Norme de l’IRMA est reconnue et adoptée dans le monde entier. Ainsi, les audits tels que celui d’EGC constituent des étapes dans l’approfondissement du dialogue entre les entreprises minières et les personnes touchées par leurs activités.

« Un nombre croissant de membres des communautés et de travailleurs participent aux audits de l’IRMA et utilisent les rapports d’audit pour communiquer directement à l’entreprise minière leurs priorités en matière d’amélioration », explique Mme Boulanger. « Si les lecteurs constatent des résultats qui ne correspondent pas à leur expérience, nous les encourageons à partager leur point de vue avec l’IRMA et l’entreprise afin que nous puissions améliorer le processus de vérification des audits et soutenir l’amélioration continue sur place, comme l’ont déjà fait les membres des communautés et les ONG dans le cas présent. »

« L’obtention du score d’IRMA 50 constitue une validation convaincante des progrès réalisés par Eramet Grande Côte Opérations et de l’engagement du Groupe à poursuivre son projet d’entreprise minière responsable, Act for Positive Mining », déclare Virginie de Chassey, directrice du développement durable et de l’engagement d’entreprise du Groupe Eramet, avant d’ajouter : « L’IRMA fournit la norme la plus exhaustive, la plus transparente et la plus rigoureuse de notre secteur, et cette évaluation confirme que nos pratiques minières responsables produisent des résultats mesurables sur le terrain. Cette réussite reflète non seulement le travail accompli par les équipes d’Eramet Grande Côte, mais aussi notre ambition d’instaurer la confiance en satisfaisant aux attentes internationales les plus élevées. »

Le système d’évaluation indépendant de l’IRMA concerne 27 mines d’échelle industrielle, GCO comprise, réparties à travers le monde. Après une autoévaluation initiale, une mine participante engage un cabinet d’audit tiers, formé et approuvé par l’IRMA, pour mener une évaluation indépendante détaillée, comprenant des visites du site de la mine et dans les communautés voisines. Après la publication de l’audit initial, un audit de surveillance plus court vérifie les performances de la mine. Trois ans après l’audit initial, l’exploitation fait à nouveau l’objet d’un audit complet. (Remarque : les premières mines auditées selon le système de l’IRMA ont bénéficié de reports de ces échéances en raison des retards occasionnés par la COVID et de l’apprentissage inhérent à la phase de démarrage ; des révisions complètes actualisées seront nécessaires pour maintenir ou augmenter les niveaux de conformité atteints.)

Le système indépendant de l’IRMA constitue la seule norme minière mondiale qui accorde les mêmes pouvoirs au secteur public (communautés et titulaires de droits autochtones, travailleurs de la mine, défenseurs de l’environnement et des droits humains) qu’au secteur privé (entreprises minières, acquéreurs de matériaux extraits et investisseurs).

Pour plus d’informations :

About IRMA
IRMA est une organisation à but non lucratif qui œuvre à la protection des personnes et de l’environnement directement touchés par l’exploitation minière en créant une valeur financière pour les opérations minières à échelle industrielle évaluées de manière indépendante selon la norme IRMA relative aux meilleures pratiques en matière d’exploitation minière responsable. Pour plus d’informations, rendez-vous sur : responsiblemining.net

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Minas-Rio iron ore mine. Credit: Anglo AmericanMinas-Rio iron ore mine. Credit: Anglo AmericanAudits

Mina de ferro Minas Rio da Anglo American conclui auditoria de vigilância IRMA

20 January 2026By

(english)

Em 20 de janeiro de 2026, a Iniciativa de Asseguração de Mineração Responsável (IRMA) publicou o relatório de auditoria de vigilância da mina de ferro Minas Rio da Anglo American, localizada no estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. A empresa de auditoria SCS Global Services, aprovada pela IRMA, conduziu a auditoria e avaliou o progresso feito no plano de ação corretiva que a operação se comprometeu a cumprir no relatório de auditoria inicial.

O ciclo de avaliação independente da IRMA ocorre em três etapas: (1) auditoria inicial, (2) auditoria de vigilância e (3) auditoria de reavaliação. As minas no sistema IRMA devem passar por uma auditoria de vigilância durante cada ciclo de auditoria de três anos, e essa auditoria deve ocorrer entre 12 e 18 meses após a divulgação pública do relatório da auditoria inicial. As auditorias de vigilância não são auditorias completas, o que significa que não é necessário restabelecer a conformidade com todos os requisitos analisados na auditoria inicial. Normalmente, durante uma auditoria de vigilância, a equipe de auditoria verifica se os sistemas e controles da mina ainda estão em vigor e funcionando de forma eficaz, e se não ocorreram mudanças significativas desde a auditoria inicial que afetem negativamente o desempenho da mina. A auditoria de vigilância inclui entrevistas confidenciais com trabalhadores e o envolvimento com detentores de direitos indígenas e partes interessadas da comunidade. Os relatórios da auditoria inicial e de vigilância da IRMA para a operação estão disponíveis na página de auditoria da mina Minas Rio no site da IRMA.

Como o Padrão IRMA é reconhecido e adotado em todo o mundo, essas auditorias são etapas importantes em um diálogo mais profundo entre as empresas de mineração e as pessoas afetadas por suas operações. Como o processo IRMA está sempre melhorando com base na experiência da auditoria mais recente, os resultados da auditoria devem ser revisados e interpretados de acordo.

O sistema independente IRMA é o único padrão global de mineração que oferece poder igual ao setor público (comunidades e detentores de direitos indígenas, trabalhadores de minas e defensores dos direitos humanos e ambientais) e ao setor privado (empresas de mineração, compradores de materiais extraídos e investidores).

Para obter mais informações:

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Minas-Rio iron ore mine. Credit: Anglo AmericanMinas-Rio iron ore mine. Credit: Anglo AmericanAudits

Anglo American’s Minas-Rio Iron Ore Mine Completes IRMA Surveillance Audit

20 January 2026By

(português)

On 20 January 2026 – the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) released the surveillance audit report of Anglo American’s Minas-Rio iron ore mine, located in Brazil’s state of Minas Gerais. IRMA-approved audit firm SCS Global Services conducted the audit and assessed the progress made on the corrective action plan that the operation committed to in the initial audit report.

IRMA’s independent assessment cycle occurs in 3 stages: (1) initial audit, (2) surveillance audit, and (3) reassessment audit. Mines in the IRMA system must undergo a surveillance audit during each 3-year audit cycle, and this audit must occur between 12 and 18 months after an initial audit report has been publicly released.

Surveillance audits are not full audits, meaning that conformance with all requirements reviewed in the initial audit does not need to be re-established. Typically, during a surveillance audit the audit team verifies that the mine’s systems and controls are still in place and are functioning effectively, that no major changes have occurred since the initial audit that negatively affect the mine’s performance. The surveillance audit includes confidential interviews with workers and engagement with Indigenous rightsholders and community stakeholders. The initial and surveillance IRMA audit reports for the operation are available on the Minas-Rio mine audit page on the IRMA website.

As the IRMA Standard is recognized and adopted around the globe, these audits are important steps in a deepening dialogue between mining companies and those affected by their operations. Because the IRMA process is always improving from the experience of the most recent audit, audit results should be reviewed and interpreted accordingly.

The independent IRMA system is the only global mining standard that provides equal power to the public sector (communities and Indigenous rights holders, mine workers, and environmental and human rights advocates) alongside the private sector (mining companies, mined materials purchasers and investors).

For More Information:

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Kamativi Mining Company Source:KMCKamativi Mining Company Source:KMCAudits

Kamativi’s lithium operation to be audited

12 December 2025By

Kamativi Lithium Mining Operation to be independently audited against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining

Kamativi Mining Co, owned by Yahua Group, has signed agreements with IRMA and IRMA-approved audit firm Resilience Environmental Assurance (REA) to independently assess its Kamativi lithium mining operation against the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. The Kamativi mine is located in the Hwange District of Zimbabwe’s Matabeleland North Province.

The assessment includes a desk review (stage 1) followed by an on-site audit (stage 2) Stage 2 includes confidential interviews with local communities and workers without mine management present. After the on-site audit REA will draft an audit report which IRMA and Kamativi will then review, after which the company may choose to release the report or take up to twelve months to implement corrective actions first. When complete, IRMA will publish the final audit report in which REA assigns an overall IRMA Achievement Level, and explains how and why they scored Kamativi against each of the 400+ requirements of the IRMA Standard.

Stakeholder engagement in the assessment

Interested stakeholders and members of the public can sign up to receive updates about the Kamativi independent assessment (e.g., the timing of the stage 2 onsite visit, link to public summary of audit results). The Mines Under Assessment page of IRMA’s website will also provide up-to-date information on all assessments.

Members of the community, public officials, workers and representatives of the workforce, or other organizations are invited to submit comments regarding how the mine site is managing their impacts to the environment including air, water, waste, greenhouse gases, and ecosystems; how the mine supports their workforce; and how the mine interacts with the surrounding community, and how it impacts the community, positively or negatively.

Interested parties may contact the independent audit firm, REA, to share comments or to ask to be interviewed as part of the audit process. The audit firm can be reached via:

Email: stakeholderInput@resilience-assurance.com

Web form

or

REA QR code for webform

WhatsApp: +27 73 112 5526

or

REA QR code for WhatsApp

Please share this announcement, and feel free to contact REA directly to provide names and contact information for other REA stakeholders who may be interested in knowing about and participating in the mine site assessment process.

More Information 
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Chain of Custody Standard

From Mine to Market and Source to Store: Why IRMA’s Chain of Custody Standard Matters

10 December 2025By

Minerals power the modern world, from the batteries that drive electric vehicles to the metals in wind turbines, phones, and medical equipment. But as demand increases, so does the pressure to ensure these materials are sourced responsibly.

IRMA’s independent, community- and worker-centered mine-site audits address one part of this challenge: verifying responsible practices at the mine itself. Yet for many companies and consumers, a key question remains:

How do we know the minerals in a finished product actually came from an IRMA-assessed mine?

The answer lies in a chain of custody. IRMA’s Chain of Custody (CoC) Standard, launched in 2024, is designed to carry trust beyond the mine and into the complex networks of processors, refiners, manufacturers, and brands.

Why Chain of Custody Is Essential

Once minerals leave the mine, they often enter global systems where materials are blended, transformed, or routed through multiple facilities. A CoC standard closes this gap by enabling companies to make verifiable sourcing claims linked directly to IRMA-audited mines. As transparency becomes a regulatory expectation and a growing consumer demand, this link is more important than ever.

New EU rules, including the Critical Raw Materials Act and the 2025 mineral-supply-chain transparency platform, signal that traceability is rapidly shifting from a voluntary gesture to a regulatory requirement. Companies importing or using critical minerals will increasingly need credible systems to demonstrate where materials come from and how they manage associated risks.

Recent New York Times reporting also highlights the human cost of opaque supply chains, documenting how recycled battery lead has poisoned communities. It is a stark reminder that reliable chain-of-custody systems like IRMA’s are no longer optional but essential.

A Step Toward More Transparent Minerals

The IRMA CoC Standard outlines five models, a flexible structure that meets companies where they are while maintaining transparency and credibility:

Identity Preserved: Minerals stay physically separate and traceable from mine to final product.

Segregated: IRMA-assured materials from different mines can be mixed, but never combined with non-assured material.

Controlled Blending: Allows mixing with non-assured material while maintaining clear controls and limits.

Mass Balance: Tracks inputs and outputs over time, offering flexibility where physical separation is not possible.

Book & Claim: A credit-based model enabling support for responsible mining even when physical traceability is highly complex.

Together, these models give companies flexibility in how they track materials, and the pilots now underway are helping IRMA understand which approaches work best across different supply-chain contexts.

Next Steps for IRMA

IRMA has developed and published the Chain of Custody Standard, including guidance on assurance and on how the IRMA seal enables credible, transparent claims about responsibly sourced materials. Building on this foundation, IRMA has launched pilots across different mineral sectors and industries to test how the CoC models work in practice and what companies need for effective implementation. As these pilots progress, IRMA is now working to formalize the resulting data into a materials registry that will allow participating companies to make verified chain-of-custody claims with confidence.

Piloting the CoC Standard with mining companies, processors, and downstream buyers to test feasibility across different supply-chain contexts.

Integrating feedback from pilot participants, auditors, and technical experts to strengthen clarity and usability.

Creating tools and templates that support consistent data collection and transparent sourcing claims.

The chain of custody alone cannot solve every supply-chain challenge. But it plays a crucial role in linking responsible mining practices with the products people rely on every day. It supports stronger procurement decisions, clearer consumer communication, and more consistent accountability across the value chain. These efforts mark real progress toward knowing where your phone battery comes from—from mine to market, and source to store.

If your company would like to join the brands already piloting the IRMA CoC Standard and explore how it could work in your supply chain, I’d welcome a conversation! Feel free to reach out.

 

coc@responsiblemining.net

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Communities

Bridging the Gap: How IRMA Helped Rebuild Trust Between Mine and Community

5 December 2025By

Cover of Unki Case StudyEarlier in 2025, IRMA published a case study of the IRMA audit of the Unki mine in Shurugwi, Zimbabwe: Bridging the Gap: How IRMA Helped Rebuild Trust Between Mine and Community, excerpted below.

In the Beginning, Voices Were Lost in Translation

Before the audit, community members rarely had a seat at the table. Now, they bring the chairs.

That’s how it feels in Shurugwi, Zimbabwe, where a shift in how mining is done – and who gets to speak about it – has started to take hold.

The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA), a global standard for more responsible mining, played a big role in that shift. IRMA is not just about emissions or tick-box safety, but the full picture: labor, land, community, biodiversity, water, human rights. It brings companies, workers, communities and civil society to the same table, and it doesn’t just ask for compliance — it pushes for better.

The audits are independent, the findings are public, and the focus is on shared progress. Change doesn’t come from slogans or public relations campaigns. It comes from patient work: dialogue, discomfort, and the simple act of being heard.

Read the rest of the Unki case study.

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UNEP-IRMA Side Session. Photo Credit: Brendan SchwartzUNEP-IRMA Side Session. Photo Credit: Brendan SchwartzBlog

IRMA Engagement at IGF Annual General Meeting

13 November 2025By

This November IRMA participated in the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals, and Sustainable Development (IGF) 21st Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. IGF’s 86 Member Countries met with participants from around the world to discuss “Value Beyond Extraction: Rethinking Mining for a Resilient Future.”

The IGF AGM offers an opportunity for IRMA to gather with IRMA Members and AGM participants from around the globe and to contribute to discussions on key topics. This year IRMA’s contribution to the IGF AGM focused on organizing and co-facilitating a Partner-led Side Session with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

The UNEP-IRMA Side Session “Strategies for Strengthening Traceability and Circularity,” provided an overview of emerging strategies and partnerships for traceability and circularity, emphasizing opportunities to advance the General Principles and Actionable Recommendations from the UN Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals. The session outlined UNEP’s work on traceability and circularity, including the implementation of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) 6/5 Resolution on environmental aspects of minerals and metals; strategies from the African Union, G7, and G20; examples of approaches of voluntary standards; and a discussion of opportunities to build coherence to amplify positive impacts.

UNEP’s Charlotte Ndakorerwa opened the session with a summary of the UNEA Resolution 6/5, including development of a knowledge hub, and Colombia’s resolution for UNEA-7 on traceability and other aspects of minerals and metals. IRMA’s Law and Policy Director, Kristi Disney Bruckner, provided a brief overview of IRMA and examples of the many new initiatives in development, including the Future Minerals Forum Sustainability Framework, the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Global Alliance for Responsible and Green Minerals, the G7 Critical Minerals Action Plan and recently launched Roadmap, International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards development, emerging national standards, and others. “This is an opportunity moment to build partnerships and coherence to amplify the positive impacts of these initiatives,” she said, “including to advance the UN Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals Guiding Principles and Actionable Recommendations.”

Marit Kitaw of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and Former Interim Director of the African Minerals Development Centre (AMDC) provided an overview of the African Union’s Green Minerals Strategy. The strategy aims to retain value that historically has been lost with exports, focusing on infrastructure, skills, technology, sustainability, value addition, and governance. “We need win-win partnerships,” Marit said, noting that Africa is endowed with over 30% of the world’s critical minerals. “Win-win means for everyone.”

Parliamentarian Cecilia Nicolini, Former National Environment Secretary of Argentina, leading energy transition minerals discussions in Argentina and in MERCOSUR, shared development of a MERCOSUR Regional Strategic Minerals Plan, noting the need for regulatory harmonization and strengthening South-South relationships. “We can be more competitive in a sustainable world,” she said, with “a common voice in the international arena.”

Rodrigo Urquiza Caroca of Chile’s Ministry of Mining discussed Chile’s national strategies for energy transition minerals. Chile has built experience over more than 100 years, learning to balance environmental, social, and economic impacts and implement the International Labour Organization Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention (ILO 169). Over 14 meetings with communities over two years informed Chile’s National Lithium Strategy. The country is also learning from its relationships and agreements with bordering countries.

The panel also discussed the work of the G7. Daniel Hill, Deputy Director of Natural Resources Canada, provided an overview of the G7 Critical Minerals Action Plan and  Roadmap noting efforts on traceability, transparency, investment resiliency, innovation, anti-corruption, and performance-based criteria.

The work of civil society organizations is essential to inform and guide development of emerging frameworks. Erica Westenberg, Governance Programs Director at the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), shared experience collaborating with civil society to advance the objectives of the UN Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals. Erica noted that the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change has been silent on critical minerals and NRGI is working with others to change this to increase equity and justice in the minerals sector. Erica also discussed Colombia’s UNEA-7 resolution on minerals and metals, covering traceability and other topics that aim to advance the work of the UN Secretary-General’s Panel. In her remarks, Erica launched the Expert Group on Preventing Corruption in Transition Minerals report “From Mine to Market: Using Traceability to Fight Mineral Sector Corruption,” noting contributions from IRMA.

Inga Petersen, Executive Director of the Global Battery Alliance, shared GBA’s commitment to a multistakeholder approach to enhance traceability and circularity. “We need collaboration, now more than ever,” she said, noting that even with full recycling of batteries we will have more mining and need to scale social and environmental protections. “We need transparency to understand risks along the value chain,” she said, and “it can only be meaningful if it comes with accountability.” Inga shared an overview of GBA’s recently released Battery Benchmarks, inviting collaboration.

Discussion focused on the need to focus not only on producing countries but also on consumers to ask about responsible sourcing. Participants further discussed traceability, noting that while there is much progress to be made, this has been done in other high-risk and high-reward sectors, and we can learn from these efforts. The discussion also identified opportunities to focus more on value addition, end use of materials, and circularity.

Charlotte concluded the session, noting themes that emerged from the panel and discussion. “There is a need for alignment and interoperability,” she said. “We really need more partnership and collaboration at global and regional levels that are win-win.”

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