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Mercedes-Benz cover of Raw Material Report 2024Mercedes-Benz cover of Raw Material Report 2024

Mercedes-Benz

published its Raw Materials Report 2024.

It declares that “Since 2021, we have been using IRMA as a precondition in all battery-related awardings and require our suppliers to exclusively use cobalt, lithium, nickel, natural graphite, manganese and copper from IRMA-audited mines in newly commissioned scopes of supply. (…) With the strategic decision to work only with suppliers who agree to the requirements of IRMA in the future, Mercedes-Benz seeks to ensure that its products contain only materials that have been mined and produced without violating human rights or environmental standards.

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Amnesty Intl's Recharge for Rights coverAmnesty Intl's Recharge for Rights cover

Mercedes-Benz

highlighted IRMA in Amnesty International’s report Recharge for Rights: Ranking the Human Rights Due Diligence Reporting of Leading Electric Vehicle Makers.

It declares that “With Mercedes-Benz commitment in IRMA, the company puts a strong focus on indigenous people’s rights: The multi-stakeholder standard for industrial mining, developed in a process of intensive discussion with industry, civil society, communities and labour unions[,] strongly considers local rights holders and rights of indigenous people.” (page 88)

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Amnesty Intl's Recharge for Rights coverAmnesty Intl's Recharge for Rights cover

Volkswagen

highlighted IRMA in Amnesty International’s Recharge for Rights: Ranking the Human Rights Due Diligence Reporting of Leading Electric Vehicle Makers.

VW declared “We are a strong supporter of IRMA, which is fully inclusive of communities and stakeholders. We have committed to using IRMA in our battery supply chains and have already seen success with the audits from Albemarle and SQM in Chile.” (page 99)

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Volkswagen

published its 2023 Responsible Raw Materials Report.

It declares that “The Volkswagen Group has committed to gradually applying the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining in its battery supply chains, ensuring that, in high-risk regions, sourcing battery raw materials is restricted to material originating from mines that are audited against the IRMA Standard. The continued scaling of IRMA across the mining industry and raw material supply chains remains critical to unlocking the ability of the Volkswagen Group and other downstream brands to achieve their responsible sourcing goals. We fully support IRMA’s efforts to engage with mining-affected communities, civil society and trade unions on how the IRMA system can serve as a tool for meaningful engagement to improve mining practices worldwide.” (page 21)

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Tesla Impact Report 2023 CoverTesla Impact Report 2023 Cover

Tesla

published its “Impact Report 2023.”

It declares that “The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) Standard is Tesla’s preferred mining standard. IRMA is a multi-stakeholder led organization with the most comprehensive mining certification system and transparent reporting of results available. Its focus on continuous improvement allows suppliers to improve their results over time. Tesla has been an IRMA member since late 2021. Our goal is to encourage the uptake of IRMA across our supply chain.”

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Fairphone 5 battery article thumbnailFairphone 5 battery article thumbnail

Fairphone’s

How we made our fairest battery yet for the Fairphone 5 endorses IRMA in telling the story of how they were able to track lithium back to a mine site assessed through IRMA.

[IRMA] is the strongest, most encompassing and transparent global standard for industrial mining, which was developed and is governed equally by civil society, communities, labor unions, and the private sector. The mine site was independently assessed to determine how well it performs with respect to fair labor and terms of work, health and safety of workers and communities, prevent pollution of air, water and soil, protect biodiversity and obtain free, prior and informed consent from indigenous peoples, amongst many other requirements. IRMA assessments are not pass-fail: independent auditors assign an achievement level of IRMA Transparency: IRMA 50, IRMA 75, or IRMA 100.”

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Ford

published its 2023 Integrated Sustainability and Financial Report (ISFR).

Ford declared that “Our membership in IRMA and promoting the use of comprehensive, third-party assessments of mining practices helps us achieve our responsible sourcing goals. When we became the first U.S. automaker to join IRMA in 2021, we strengthened our human rights aspiration to responsibly source all raw materials used within vehicles globally.” (page 76)

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