Let’s start with some background on RMI and your role there.
The Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) is the largest industry group dedicated to promoting responsible mineral sourcing. Established in 2008 and part of the Responsible Business Alliance, the RMI has more than 500 members across the supply chain, all working to address responsible sourcing challenges. Through the RMI, members have access to common due diligence tools that generate data they can trust, and they strengthen their due diligence capabilities while aligning their agenda on common issues and unmet needs. We work to reduce duplicate risk assessments, and we work with members on collective actions to address system barriers or generate the positive change they could not realize alone. These all lead to providing a unified compliance framework, interoperable tools, and strategic partnerships.
I serve as the senior director of impact, innovation, and credibility, a role I took on at the end of 2021, just as due diligence was expanding across all minerals and the green transition was accelerating. I work with members to scale up the organization, on collective leverage efforts, navigating the regulatory environment, and enhancing data transparency, which strengthens their due diligence processes and the RMI’s credibility. I am also responsible for developing an impact measurement system to assess the RMI’s contributions over time.
How does RMI help its member companies work towards responsible mineral sourcing?
The RMI has created a holistic ecosystem to help members navigate today’s complex mineral supply chains. Our ecosystem includes collective action, standards, due diligence tools, and reporting mechanisms aligned with regulations, supporting compliance, and transparency. We are also focused on interoperability, ensuring RMI tools integrate with others for a full view of sourcing practices.
With more than 500 members, the RMI is in a unique position to bridge the full value chain and advance supply chain sustainability. Beyond standards and assessments, we empower companies to mitigate risks, promote ethical sourcing, and contribute to sustainable production of minerals. This approach goes beyond compliance — it is about driving meaningful change across global mineral supply chains to ensure they are resilient, responsible, and aligned with the needs of a sustainable future.
Why is it particularly important within the African mining context to ensure responsible mineral supply chains?
Africa has a crucial role in responsible mining and mineral production. The regulatory landscape for mineral sourcing and people’s expectations are evolving rapidly, with ethical practices becoming essential for accessing critical minerals. Africa holds vast reserves needed for green technologies and it also has ambitions for value addition and industrialization. However, only responsible mining and supply chains will make resources coming from Africa competitive and attractive to global markets, as well as to consumers and others who might question or lack trust in the positive outcomes of the green transition.
As African countries work to expand their role in the global supply chain by boosting processing and manufacturing capacities, younger generations must believe in a green and fair sector. To expand mining, we need trust in both mining practices and green technologies. Building trust with local communities, consumers, and younger generations who will become the consumers of tomorrow is essential for the continent to become a sustainable mineral leader that also wants to play a role in global trade through value addition.
For end-user companies, such as auto OEMs, what are some of the main takeaways from RMI and your work on responsible sourcing?
We often discuss the need to increase mineral extraction for electric vehicles (EVs) and hear about the trust-building efforts mining companies are making with stakeholders. However, we tend to overlook the role downstream companies play in building that trust in mining and mineral sourcing.
Larger mining companies, refiners and processors, with bigger budgets and teams are often set on a good path to uphold higher standards. But many smaller and mid-sized companies worldwide may lack awareness or resources to meet these standards, and their practices can negatively impact people and ecosystems. Here, RMI’s members play a critical role. Through tools like the RMI’s mineral reporting templates and collaboration, members map supply chains, gaining visibility into upstream operators. This information feeds into our centralized database, creating a foundation for collective leverage and allowing members to encourage smaller and less visible upstream companies to adopt responsible practices.
For the green transition to truly take root, we need big and large mining and processor companies on board. The RMI bridges the supply chain, ensuring everyone adheres to responsible sourcing standards. In 2023, we brought 17 downstream members to engage directly with mining companies at Mining Indaba for the first time, believing that a direct dialogue among supply chain actors is now key to a greener economy.
What are some of the key takeaways from RMI’s work for investors in the metals and mining space? How can they ensure responsible investments, and why should they focus on this within their ESG frameworks?
Investors have a critical role in scaling up a green and just transition. At the RMI, we recently started engaging investors directly, launching the RMI Investor Network in February of 2024, and their interest in the RMI has grown. While investors can certainly review public assessment results and reports before making decisions, their real power lies in engaging companies along the supply chain to understand where joint leverage is possible. We hope that more investors will join the RMI, as collective efforts can magnify positive impact and drive change across industries.
Finally, what are you most looking forward to at this year’s Mining Indaba event?
I’m looking forward to chairing the session on remedy — a crucial topic for both the just and green transition. Remedy is foundational to trust-building. But good remedy starts here: acknowledging past issues, apologizing for errors, taking responsibility, and engaging those impacted to find appropriate solutions. I’m excited to hear perspectives from other industry leaders on what good remedies look like and how we can work together to make meaningful improvements in this area.
