Stocktake of Sustainability Standards and Initiatives for Minerals and Metals

A report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF) that maps over 100 sustainability standards and initiatives (SSIs) in the minerals and metals value chains to determine how they interact with public regulations and environmental governance.

• The number of sustainability standards and initiatives (SSIs) in minerals and metals supply chains has doubled over the last 20 years. This proliferation has created a fragmented and confusing landscape for communities, companies, and governments due to variations in substance, scope, procedure, and governance.
• While SSIs can promote better sustainability practices and strengthen environmental governance, they are intended to complement rather than replace government regulation.
• The report establishes 15 hallmarks across viability, review mechanisms, performance assurance, scope, and governance to help stakeholders and policy-makers evaluate the effectiveness and credibility of SSIs. Additionally, the report emphasizes the need for prioritized independent assessments of SSI costs, trade-offs, and impacts, as few such assessments currently exist.

APA

Bellois,, H. L. C. L. E. L. A. R. (2025). Stocktake of Sustainability Standards and Initiatives for Minerals and Metals. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/sustainability-standards-initiatives-minerals-metals

Chicago

Bellois,, Hannah Lily,Andrea Curcio Lamas,Sophia Esmail,Bertram Lang,Ottavia Austin Rezola,Grégoire. Stocktake of Sustainability Standards and Initiatives for Minerals and Metals. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2025. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/sustainability-standards-initiatives-minerals-metals.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bellois, |first1=Hannah Lily,Andrea Curcio Lamas,Sophia Esmail,Bertram Lang,Ottavia Austin Rezola,Grégoire |title=Stocktake of Sustainability Standards and Initiatives for Minerals and Metals |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=27 November 2025 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/sustainability-standards-initiatives-minerals-metals |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bellois2025stocktake, author = {Bellois,, Hannah Lily,Andrea Curcio Lamas,Sophia Esmail,Bertram Lang,Ottavia Austin Rezola,Grégoire}, title = {{Stocktake of Sustainability Standards and Initiatives for Minerals and Metals}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2025}, month = nov, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/sustainability-standards-initiatives-minerals-metals}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }