The Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre’s (FBICRC) report, Certification and sustainability assessment for battery materials; review of requirements and data commonalities, finds that certification programmes continue to distinguish producers as preferred suppliers in the supply chain for batteries and critical materials.
This paper gives an overview and comparison of the many sustainability reporting and disclosure systems for the mining sector, which are proliferating with varying scopes, intentions, and techniques.
Although there isn’t a universally applicable certification program, the Western Australian (WA) Government said the State’s highly regarded environmental, social, and governance regulatory regime is highly regarded globally.
FBICRC CEO Shannon O’Rourke said Australia is already a pioneer in ESG performance, but modern miners must traverse a complicated set of environmental rules and certification programmes. O’Rourke added that without clear standards or traceability across the supply chain, the market could not value ESG.
“This report cuts through the complexity and is a step towards developing a common certification language that miners can deliver on, customers can have confidence in, and ultimately pay a premium for,” O’Rourke stated.
The State Government claimed this is reflected in WA’s record resource sales of $231 billion, as well as the State’s mineral exploration businesses dominating the nation with a record $2.5 billion invested in 2021-22, accounting for 64 per cent of the Australian total.
Furthermore, over $9 billion in investment in the battery and critical minerals sector has resulted in several downstream processing triumphs in WA since the middle of the last decade.
Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston said WA has strong environmental, social, and governance credentials to support the burgeoning batteries and critical minerals sectors.
“The State’s existing environmental, work, health and safety regulatory regimes position companies well to participate in whichever scheme they choose to engage with,” Minister Johnston stated.
The State Government is assisting the FBICRC project on Battery Materials for a Circular Economy: Advancing Certification and Improving Life-Cycle Impacts for Market Advantage through the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia.
“This project seeks to ensure the battery industry is equipped for a future where battery passports are common and responsible materials supply is a requirement,” the Minister added.
 report, Certification and sustainability assessment for battery materials; review of requirements and data commonalities, finds that certification programmes continue to distinguish producers as preferred suppliers in the supply chain for batteries and critical materials.){kind=link}