Critical Mineral Association (UK)'s Environmental, Social, Governance ESG UK Lithium Paper 2025
Lithium, a mineral classified as ‘critical’ by the United Kingdom and many of its international partners, is a necessary component of clean power generation and storage technologies. This paper seeks to highlight the importance of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) in the UK's efforts to develop a responsible, domestic supply of lithium and lithium-ion batteries.
Building upon our 2021 and 2022 ESG recommendations, this paper considers the legislative and strategic developments of the past two years, such as the refreshed UK Critical Minerals Strategy, UK Industrial Strategy (Invest 2035), EU Battery Regulation, and EU Critical Raw Materials Act. Using the lithium supply chain as a case study, we identify the key ESG risks and opportunities the UK faces in supplying a best-practice mineral product to the world market, as well as multi-stakeholder recommendations on how to best position itself for success. ​​​
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Download 'Risks & Opportunities for Developing an Integrated Domestic Supply Chain' by completing the form above.
Critical Mineral Association (UK)'s Environmental, Social, Governance ESG Paper 2022
The acknowledgment of the importance of critical minerals to fight climate change was non-existent at COP26. Global leaders did not address reports from the World Bank and International Energy Agency that a low-carbon future will not be possible without minerals. This was a unique opportunity for the UK Government to raise awareness of the material requirements of The Energy Transition,and the need for responsible mineral extraction and processing.
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Government has a key role in leading the way towards securing responsible critical mineral supply chains while protecting local environments and communities and this 2022 paper focuses on how Government can break down these barriers to develop increased responsible sourcing of critical minerals.
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Download 'Breaking Down Barriers for Responsible Sourcing of Critical Minerals' by completing the form above.
Hey There
Critical Mineral Association (UK)'s Environmental, Social, Governance ESG Paper 2021
Critical minerals are the building blocks of renewable energy technologies and essential in enabling the UK’s Green Industrial Revolution. We need these materials for technologies such as wind turbines, solar panels, electric vehicles and battery storage.
It is critical that the materials we use in these green technologies are responsibly sourced, adhering to world-class Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) standards, managing environmental impacts, respecting human rights, minimising greenhouse gas emissions and supporting local communities.
The paper outlines challenges and opportunities for the UK to be a world leader in mining and sourcing critical minerals responsibly. This paper intends to help navigate the complex landscape of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) in mining. We present a number of recommendations for the UK Government to consider what measures it could take to ensure that critical minerals are sourced in a responsible way.
Read 'A Blueprint for Responsible Sourcing of Critical Minerals' here:
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this paper, including our members Satarla, SRK Consulting, Minviro, Roskill, Dalradian, Tungsten West, Cornish Lithium, Cornwall Resources, Tiraputi Graphite, Circulor and external contributors Digbee, Source Certain, NatureMetrics.
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Special thanks to Aldo Pennini, Chair of CMA's ESG Working Group and Olimpia Pilch, ESG Paper Coordinator.
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Laurens Tijsseling, Sustainability Manager at Minviro
ESG Paper Contributor
Sarah Gordon, Co-Founder & CEO at Satarla
ESG Paper Contributor
Jeff Townsend, Founder at Critical Minerals Association
ESG Paper Contributor
Chris O'Brien, Senior Consultant (Environmental & Social) at SRK Consulting
ESG Paper Contributor
Kirsty Benham, Founder at Critical Minerals Association
ESG Paper Contributor
'A Blueprint for Responsible Sourcing of Critical Minerals' was launched on 12th July 2021 - watch the event below.
