Responsible sourcing reaches new advances with European platform
Responsible sourcing of raw materials is crucial for a more sustainable world. Only through sourcing that is socially responsible, environmentally sensitive and economically viable can environmental targets such as the ones in the European Green Deal be achieved. The theme has gained momentum in recent years, but the adoption of responsible sourcing in Europe and internationally is still lacking. To help tackle this challenge, the RE-SOURCING project was launched to advance the responsible sourcing of raw materials across global mineral value chains.
Getting closer to a sustainable future
“Responsible sourcing would help protect local communities and ecosystems by minimising negative impacts such as habitat destruction, water pollution and human rights abuses,” explains Alexander Graf, RE-SOURCING project coordinator from the Vienna University of Economics and Business. The project created a platform that connects experts and stakeholders through physical and digital activities, such as workshops, site visits and digital conferences, allowing them to exchange information that facilitates responsible sourcing initiatives. Graf was surprised by the progress the platform achieved. Through its multi-stakeholder approach, RE-SOURCING was able to identify actors in business, politics and civil society that can achieve today what current EU policies and visions have established for the near and distant future. “The most exciting thing about our project is that we can project that the green energy transition is not only possible through a collaborative and strong effort by 2050 but could be achieved even earlier.”
The path to achieve responsible sourcing
Focused on the sectors of renewable energy, mobility, and electric and electronic equipment, the project developed roadmaps for each one. The RE-SOURCING output materials provide short-, medium- and long-term milestones with recommendations for EU policymakers, international industry and civil society organisations. In the electronics sector, one of the world’s largest and fastest growing industries, three main targets were identified: respect for human rights, circular economy and decreased resource consumption, and responsible production. “The electronics industry needs to shift its business model away from profit maximisation driven by shareholders and move towards meeting human well-being needs within planetary boundaries,” states Graf. While renewable energy is growing exponentially, there are significant environmental and social impact concerns regarding the production of raw materials and equipment used to build wind and photovoltaic systems. The renewable energy roadmap addresses three raw materials (copper, rare earth elements and silicon), wind and solar power technologies, and the supply chain stages of mining, manufacturing and recycling. The project coordinator notes that to advance responsible sourcing more easily in this sector, NGOs should help governments to make due diligence laws feasible and effective. For the mobility roadmap, the RE-SOURCING team focused on lithium-ion batteries, since battery electric vehicles will have a major contribution in achieving sustainability goals. The publication addresses lithium, cobalt, nickel and graphite, which are four relevant raw materials used in lithium-ion batteries, and considers the supply chain stages of mining, cell manufacturing and original equipment manufacturing, and recycling. “It is crucial that policy and industry consider recycling at the battery design stage,” says Graf. Besides the guidance documents, the project involved stakeholders in over 60 events, webinars, consultations, workshops, peer learning labs, videos and conferences.
Keywords
RE-SOURCING, responsible sourcing, raw materials, renewable energy, energy transition, mobility, electronics, supply chain
