Stocktake of Sustainability Standards and Initiatives for Minerals and Metals

The report examines the proliferation of over 100 sustainability standards and initiatives (SSIs) in the minerals and metals sector, noting that their number has doubled in 20 years. While SSIs can complement regulation, their fragmentation creates confusion. The authors propose 15 hallmarks to evaluate SSI credibility and call for prioritized independent impact assessments and improved interoperability.

• The number of sustainability standards and initiatives (SSIs) in minerals and metals supply chains has doubled over the last 20 years, leading to a fragmented landscape that is confusing for governments, companies, and communities due to variations in governance, scope, and substance.
• SSIs are intended to complement rather than replace government regulation; those with specific attributes are more likely to support public instruments in achieving positive environmental sustainability outcomes.
• The report establishes 15 hallmarks across governance, scope, performance assurance, review mechanisms, and viability to help stakeholders assess the effectiveness of SSIs, and emphasizes the need for independent assessments of impacts, costs, and trade-offs, which are currently rare.

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} }