Mining, Metals & Responsible Sourcing

Diamond traceability has become an increasingly important topic after the G7 agreed on new restrictions for Russian diamonds and stated the intention to create a new traceability system to track diamonds from mine to seller.

Diversifying mineral composition is crucial to meet the rising demand for batteries and EVs. Niobium (Nb) has been getting increased attention during the past years thanks to its unique characteristics, including conductivity and durability. This blog is an overview of niobium and its potential application areas, the mineral’s role for the battery industry and traceability.

To tap into the global market, Brazilian mineral producers are required to take several steps, including profiling the target market and target audience for their minerals, ensuring compliance with mining laws and regulations and making sure they meet international sustainability requirements. In this blog, Jaqueline Laganaro explains the strategies mining companies can implement for winning new customers abroad and scaling up their business.

Para entrar no mercado global, os produtores de minerais brasileiros precisam tomar várias medidas, incluindo a definição do perfil do mercado-alvo e do público-alvo de seus minerais, garantindo a conformidade com as leis e regulamentações de mineração e assegurando que eles atendam aos requisitos internacionais de sustentabilidade. Neste blog, Jaqueline Laganaro explica as estratégias que as empresas de mineração podem implementar para conquistar novos clientes no exterior e expandir seus negócios.

Brazil is considered one of the richest countries for critical minerals. However, it is not always easy to source materials from the region due to a number of reasons, including the country's specifics, regulations, frameworks and local rules, and many others. This article describes the mining sector in Brazil, key mining regions, as well as regulatory changes, recent policies and recommendations on how can you source minerals from Brazil responsibly.

O Brasil é considerado um dos países mais ricos em minerais críticos. No entanto, nem sempre é fácil obter materiais desta região devido a uma série de razões, incluindo as especificidades do país, regulamentos, estruturas e regras locais e muitas outras. Este artigo descreve o setor de mineração no Brasil, suas principais regiões, bem como mudanças regulatórias, políticas recentes e recomendações sobre como você pode obter minerais do Brasil de forma responsável.

Christian Ecker interviews Luna Smelter’s due diligence expert Theophile Ishimwe from Rwanda. Theophile talks about the Rwandan market, conflict minerals, regulation and standards and how to ensure all of them are in place, and blockchain traceability, as well as his day-to-day work.

This video explains what is due diligence, and why is it important for companies, consumers, and investors, how businesses can start conducting due diligence and what is due diligence in the context of the battery market.

Many countries, the UK included, are facing certain challenges to meet the future clean energy goals. We asked Jeff Townsend, Founder of the Critical Minerals Association, to share his opinion on the situation in the United Kingdom, policy and regulation, opportunities, challenges and risks.

Following our previous blogs on the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and the international concerns about forced labor, today we will get to know the polysilicon supply chain, its implications, and how supply chain actors might need to prove the absence of forced labor along their entire production chain.

On December 23rd 2021, President Biden signed into law Bill H.R.6256, banning imports from Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China, from entering the US. In this article we’re looking at why there’s a concern about forced labour in this region, and give a summary of what is included in Bill H.R.6256.

This blog, is the first of our mini series concerning Forced Labour and the Silica supply chain. Today we will be looking at “What is forced labour?”, and, “What is the world community doing about it?”.

Data is the basis of mining companies' operations. They essentially base their entire operations on data; geological and economic data to find out whether the operation is worthwhile in the first place; environmental data to monitor and mitigate impact; and financial data to keep investors up to date. Blockchain technology offers a tool to capture and communicate this data - with regulators, investors and the public - in a uniquely trustworthy and transparent way.

Rare earth elements (REE) have been dominating the news recently - 17 key minerals used to create everyday technologies - A whopping 80% of which are produced in China. Can the US, who was once the world leader in REE production, return to their former glory? Can the EU or Australia launch processing facilities quickly enough to play catch up? This in-depth article explores the global timeline of REE production and processing, all the geopolitical factors at play, and the future market outlook.

In the ASM sector, 30–50% of workers are women. Sadly, women offer encounter sexual violence and harassment at the workplace, along with widespread prejudices about women’s productivity and capabilities. On average, women in ASM make up to 75% less than their male colleagues. We interviewed Women in Mining and Energy (WiME) in Indonesia to understand these hardships and how we can move to a fairer and more gender-equal ASM sector.

A comprehensive overview of mercury and its uses in artisanal and small scale mining. It covers the Minamata Convention on Mercury, the uses in Artisanal and Small Scale Gold Mining (ASGM), and the alternatives, as discussed with Cyrus Njonde Maina of Impact Facility.

Working in the mining industry? Curious why there is such a buzz around blockchain technology? In this article, exploration geologist, Tanya Matveeva explores some of the most exciting uses cases of blockchain being implemented in mining.

Artisanal or small scale mining (ASM) operations can wreak havoc and destroy entire landscapes, rendering any alternative attempt at making a living from the ground futile. At the same time, it can be a source of income for entire communities. In the first blog in our ASM series, we discuss what ASM is and why it impacts us on a global scale.

The ninth blog in our Mining, Metals, and Responsible Sourcing Series - this post discusses how blockchain, paired with careful system design, provides us with tools to tackle the complex problems and multi-faceted causes that prevail in the mineral supply chain.

Gold laundering is the new alchemy; the creation of gold out of criminal activity, using children, forced labor, land seizure and pollution.

In the past decade, countries have developed environmental, health, safety and human rights regulations that should result in responsible sourcing. Yet mineral supply chains are fraught with instances of human rights abuses, child labour, and illegal activities. This article delves more specifically into why children work in mining.

This blog takes a high-level look at the supply chain for a mineral like gold ore as it moves from mineral in the ground to metal in a consumer product like a smart phone or a solar panel, and ultimately to recycled material.

The focus of that due diligence needs to identify harmful social, ecological, and/or economic consequences of the company’s activities within their ‘sphere of influence’ — along their supply chain. In this blog, we look in more detail at three types of risk of harm that can occur along the mineral supply chain; community, individual and environmental.

A rapidly increasing demand for electronic goods in the past decade has led to a significant increase in demand for certain metals. Particularly tantalum, tin, and tungsten, which, along with gold, are often referred to as 3TG and make up the initial group of “conflict minerals”. So what are conflict minerals exactly? In this article, Lee covers both the definition of conflict minerals and how they are extracted through ASM and LSM methods.

Data is the basis of mining companies' operations. They essentially base their entire operations on data; geological and economic data to find out whether the operation is worthwhile in the first place; environmental data to monitor and mitigate the impact, and financial data to keep investors up to date. Blockchain technology offers a tool to capture and communicate this data - with regulators, investors, and the public - in a uniquely trustworthy and transparent way.

Join us as we explore mining, metals, & responsible sourcing in this in-depth series, as well as how blockchain fits into the picture. This first article is an introduction to Lee's