While the green transition will reduce the global dependence on fossil fuels, it will generate pressure on the production of other raw materials like minerals because of their intensive use in low-carbon technologies. The growing demand for these minerals has highlighted the stakes for resilient mineral supply chains. This comes against a backdrop of heightened vulnerabilities accentuated by the pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and global competition for these resources. If not properly managed, such vulnerabilities and competition could aggravate existing risks in mineral supply chains, potentially fueling conflict and disrupting supply. There is therefore a clear opportunity to mainstream the implementation of the Due Diligence Guidance and other responsible business conduct instruments as a way of fostering a just energy transition and shoring up a reliable supply of critical minerals simultaneously. This session will examine related risks and opportunities by drawing on other experiences in mineral supply chains.

To bridge the demand for critical minerals - projected to quadruple by 2040 for cobalt, copper, lithium and nickel – countries and companies alike are considering how to diversify sources of supply, across geographies but also across modes of production. If the role of artisanal mining in cobalt supply chains has been brought to global scrutiny, albeit not always with a sufficient level of nuance, less is known about the role of small- and medium-scale mining production of copper, mica, bauxite, tantalum and other critical minerals. The session will aim to fill this knowledge gap and to challenge misconceptions around due diligence approaches towards sourcing from small- and medium-scale in these supply chains.

The high risk of corruption in mineral supply chains and its many corrosive effects are well documented. As these risks are only increasing with the push for security of mineral supply, there is little evidence of widespread meaningful company action, particularly for companies in the mid and downstream segment of mineral supply chains. The objective of this session will be to discuss how policy approaches to corruption can help overcome barriers to investment in low governance mining regions and elaborate on tools available to support anti-corruption due diligence.

As the world transitions towards net zero, the rapid shift to green technologies is expected to drive a significant increase in demand for many minerals. While advances in recycling and material efficiency may reduce the overall environmental impact of producing green technology in the long term, the short term challenge is ensuring that increased mineral extraction, processing and trade is responsible. All companies in mineral supply chains have a role to play. This session will focus on how supply chain due diligence can effectively address upstream environmental risks, specific impacts of the transition on rightsholders, including through gender-responsive due diligence, and the broader policy landscape and evolving expectations on companies to conduct environmental due diligence.

As minerals due diligence practices evolve around the world, the influence of local factors in producing countries on due diligence outcomes is increasingly clear. A strong policy environment and support of local stakeholders is key, demonstrating the need for innovative initiatives in producing countries. This session will explore a range of related topics and approaches that foster local incentives to drive responsible sourcing practices in producing countries. Key topics to be covered include: • Engaging with ASM and working with customary chiefs to promote responsible production and trade practice • Supporting the development of state-sponsored buying schemes for domestic gold • Developing vocational training for former combatants to promote reintegration in society through the mining sector, while accounting for the role of women in the sector and in the demobilisation process even if most ex-combatants are men

Significant policy developments have strengthened global expectations on responsible gold. However, evidence from the field point to a more concerning situation: illegal and criminal gold exploitation is on the rise, and so far multistakeholders initiatives to address risks of conflict and terrorist financing, serious abuses of human rights and money laundering are falling short. This session will help situate the missing links, bearing in mind the unique nature of the gold trade, and examine new paths to address these gaps.

Well over a decade since the adoption of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance on Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas, governments, regulators and other stakeholders have made a clear shift from primarily piloting and raising awareness on due diligence to building a global architecture to uphold it. However, it is precisely this architecture, comprised of legislation, exchange requirements and other policy tools, that has shed light on key missing links in due diligence practice. This session will examine key shortcomings that these requirements have revealed, bearing in mind that ultimate responsibility for due diligence rests with individual companies in mineral supply chains. Some topics of particular interest will include: • Addressing over-reliance on industry schemes by companies • Secondary sourcing • Making supplier engagement real – going beyond audits • Legislative developments

Researchers, civil society and policymakers have long been aware of the barriers to responsible finance in the mining sector, and the challenge this poses to formalization of the small-scale sector, besides being a missed opportunity to bring new leverage across the sector in favour of responsible trade. The last several years have seen a range of new approaches and initiatives to operationalise responsible finance in the minerals trade, both within and beyond the informal sector, including initiatives that integrate a gendered perspective. Key to taking on this challenge will be bridging the gap between formal finance and institutions at a global level, and and the miners and communities on the margins that are in greatest need of access to these services, and often are trapped in a cycle of informality. Specific themes and segments of this sector to be addressed in the session will include: • New trends in responsible engagement of the financial sector in high-risk areas • Revolving and commodity finance • Rightsholder engagement and gender equity as financial risk management • ESG investors • Exploring the role of private equity companies • Exploring the role of the insurance industry • Development and trade finance, including public finance