Tag: critical raw materials

• Letter to UN Secretary General: Implement proposals on critical energy transition materials

  Alongside many other organisations and networks, we call on the UN Secretary General to establish the promised multi stakeholder High Level Expert Advisory Group (HLEAG) to carry forward the UN's work on critical energy transition materials.

• Risks posed by the Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative

  Alongside other civil society, Indigenous rights, and labour organisations, ECOS has signed this joint briefing aimed at automakers and other downstream minerals purchasers. It highlights the risks posed by the Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative (CMSI) to communities, workers, ecosystems, investors, and downstream purchasers.

• Position paper – IWA 45 and recommendations for upcoming initiatives on critical minerals

  International Workshop Agreement (IWA) 45, developed by ISO and published in August 2024, aims to guide sustainability standards and frameworks for critical mineral supply chains, mapping existing standards and frameworks. While it is a good first step, a more thorough and rigorous analysis must be undertaken to establish to what extent existing standards and frameworks are effective in helping their users improve actual sustainability performance. Read our recommendations, developed with KNU, the Environmental Associations' Coordination Office for Standardisation Work in Germany.

• Resourceful thinking: Why we need a better approach to critical raw materials

  Lithium, cobalt, nickel, rare earths – these minerals are the lifeblood of modern industries. However, surging demand is aggravating their long-standing and often overlooked environmental and social costs. International standards can help to manage critical raw materials (CRMs) responsibly, but only if they prioritise environmental protection and the rights of affected communities. Read on to find out more – and to learn how you can help tackle the impacts of CRMs through standardisation.

• Joint letter – The EU has already used up nature’s budget for the entire year

  Just 125 days into 2024 and we have already reached overshoot day for the EU. If everyone consumed like the EU, by 3 May 2024 we would have already used up all of the Earth's natural resources for the year. We've joined over 300 organisations to ask EU leaders to prioritise addressing the triple planetary crisis - climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution - in next month's EU elections.

• Joint position paper – How to reduce our dependency on critical raw materials by stimulating circularity

  ECOS, Deutsche Umwelthilfe, and RREUSE have published a joint position paper on a Critical Raw Materials Regulation. Critical raw materials are used in a growing array of products, including renewable energy technologies, electronic and electrical equipment, and batteries for electric vehicles. Read our recommendations.

• Joint position paper – A Turning Point: The Critical Raw Material Act’s needs for a Social and Just Green Transition

  ECOS has signed a joint position paper on the Critical Raw Material Act, alongside a multitude of other civil society organisations: 'A Turning Point: The Critical Raw Material Act’s needs for a Social and Just Green Transition'. Take a look!