The Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) will be participating in the following sessions at the 2024 OECD Forum on Responsible Mineral Supply Chains from 21-24 May in Paris. If you have any questions, please contact RMI@responsiblebusiness.org.
All listed times are in Central European Time (CET).
OECD Plenary Session 6 – Due diligence amid conflict, opacity and dependency: Myanmar in focus
Date/Time/Location: Thursday, 23 May, 11:15-12:30, Plenary conference room (OECD Conference Center)
Description: A significant share of the global supply of heavy rare earth elements (REEs) come from Myanmar, which is also one of the world’s largest tin producers. Crucial to a range of clean energy and communications technologies, these supply chains are exposed to conflict, human rights and environmental risks. Access constraints, opacity and vested interests make it difficult to meaningfully address related impacts, yet the critical nature of these resources may also make disengagement seem a distant prospect. This session will examine key challenges facing responsible business conduct in conflict settings, putting acute risks in Myanmar sourcing in focus while drawing on other examples.
Strengthening collaboration between upstream and downstream responsible mineral supply chain programs for enhanced mineral supply chain due diligence in the African Great Lakes Region
Date/Time/Location: Tuesday, 21 May, 14:15-16:00, Auditorium (OECD Conference Center)
Organizers: Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI); International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR); CCCMC
Description: The African Great Lakes Region has pioneered the implementation of upstream due diligence program for responsible mineral supply chains. The Regional Certification Mechanism (RCM) was developed in consultation with the OECD to serve as a regional due diligence standard to enable the downstream industry to responsibly source 3T minerals and gold from the Great Lakes Region in accordance with international requirements such as the US Dodd-Frank Act, the OECD Due Diligence Guidance, the Chinese Due Diligence Guidelines for Mineral Supply Chain and the EU Regulation on Conflict Minerals. With a growing number of both 3T minerals and gold exporters and smelters in the African Great Lakes Region, RCM's independent third party audits are a critical component of upstream compliance with these international standards. As choke points in the supply chain, 3T smelters and gold refineries are in most cases subject to both upstream and downstream due diligence audit or assessment programs. These highlight the importance of vertical and horizontal integration of due diligence efforts through increased collaboration between 3T and gold supply chain initiatives, including both industry and government stakeholders. This session will provide an overview of opportunities for enhanced collaboration between upstream and downstream responsible supply chain programs to improve mineral supply chain due diligence in one of the world's most challenging responsible sourcing contexts.
Continuing the conversation: Responsible sourcing of sand and silicates
Date/Time/Location: Thursday, 23 May, 9:00-10:00, Room CC15
Organizers: University of Queensland
Description: The session will first include a presentation of preliminary findings from the baseline study, including describing:
- Types of social and environmental risks identified, organised by the Annex II risks and the recent OECD Environmental Due Diligence Handbook
- Types of sand and silicate extraction
- Typical sand and silicate supply chains, including end uses and links to extraction forms.
Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) Consultation on RMAP 2.0 / ESG Standard Revision
Date/Time/Location: Thursday, 23 May, 15:45-16:45 in Auditorium (OECD Conference Center)
Organizers: Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI)
Description: In light of new market and regulatory ESG requirements for mineral supply chains, the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) seeks your input into the RMI RMAP 2.0 ESG Standard revision ahead of public consultation planned for Q3 2024. The ESG Standard will be aligned with the RMI’s Risk Readiness Assessment (RRA 3.0), the OECD DDG, RBC, Environmental Handbook, and new legislation, such as Battery Regulation, CSRD/CS3D, German Due Diligence Act, Critical Raw Materials Act , forced labor bans and others. This one-hour RMI Partner session at the OECD Minerals Forum aims to engage a wide range of civil society, government, and industry stakeholders, to learn about the ESG Standard update, ask questions, and share feedback to inform a robust standard.
Implementing the EU Battery Regulation: Opportunities and Challenges
Date/Time/Location: Friday, 24 May, 8:45-10:15, Room CC2
Organizers: Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI); Drive Sustainability; Responsible Cobalt Initiative (RCI)
Description: With the adoption of the EU Battery regulation, there are heightened expectations for companies to intensify their due diligence endeavours to ensure adherence to ESG standards across the entire supply chain encompassing Cobalt, Lithium, Nickel, and Graphite. Building upon the discussion in the partner session from the previous year, which focused on considerations on the due diligence requirements stipulated by the Battery Regulation, this follow-up session aims to further explore:
- The evolution of the understanding of the regulatory requirements since the previous session.
- The implications for downstream companies’ due diligence processes and responsible sourcing strategies.
- Approaches adopted by upstream companies, particularly Chinese value chain players, in response to the regulation.
- Insights from on the ground implementation of the EUBR requirements
The role of sustainability initiatives in supporting companies to meet regulatory requirements and deliver impact, through collective engagement and the development of common tools, such as the DS Self-Assessment Questionnaires (SAQ), the RMI newly updated ESG Standard, and the RCI assessment tool.
Recommendations from the Roundtable on the Responsible Recycling of Metals
Date/Time/Location: Friday, 24 May, 11:15-12:15, Auditorium (OECD Conference Center)
Organizers: Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI); The Copper Mark; Roundtable on the Responsible Recycling of Metals (RRRM)
Description: A multi-stakeholder, collaborative process, the Roundtable objectives are to take stock of and make recommendations to ensure circular economies can rely on recycled metals that minimize harm people or the environment. This session presents the key findings and recommendations for actors including brands and manufacturers, recyclers, smelters, refiners, civil society groups, policy makers and voluntary sustainability standards setters. Due Diligence processes have typically excluded recycled content. The Roundtable used this lens to explore the impacts of metals recycling value chains and makes recommendations to enhance this process as well as highlighting the limitations of it and recommends that other tools and solutions are developed and adopted as well.
