Newly proposed global mining standard creates risks to communities, workers, Indigenous Peoples, and automakers in the energy transition
New analysis from Public Citizen and global organizations expose the major harms and risks of a newly proposed global mining standard to communities, workers, Indigenous Peoples, and automakers in the energy transition.
Download the full report here.
Minerals are the foundation of many energy transition technologies including electric vehicle batteries. The extent to which the mining industry’s social and environmental performance aligns with the public interest is not only growing in importance, but matters to our future collective welfare.
Like many sectors, voluntary standards and certification schemes are used by mining companies to signal a certain level of social and environmental performance to downstream users, like automotive companies, who use this information to guide responsible sourcing decisions and reduce their supply chain emissions.
Recently, four industry-led schemes launched the Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative (CMSI) to create a ‘global’ mining standard. On October 16, 2024, the CMSI released the standard’s first draft for public consultation.
Public Citizen and more than a dozen global groups representing Indigenous Peoples, organized labor, and civil society, analyzed the proposed draft standard, governance model, and assurance process, exposing several gaps and risks they pose to communities, workers, Indigenous Peoples, and automakers.
The draft standard sets a low bar for companies’ social and environmental performance and fails to establish the assurance and governance systems necessary to prevent harmful industry practices from going unchecked.
The report issues recommendations for automakers and downstream purchasers. It urges them to send a clear message to the mining industry that vague standards that fall short of international minimum standards, coupled with opaque assurance and a flawed governance process, are not an acceptable mechanism for monitoring human rights and environmental harms.
Read the analysis here.