Volkswagen Joins Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance
Strategic Research Institute
Published on :
22 Mar, 2022, 5:30 am
As the largest member company by revenue, the Volkswagen Group joined the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance in March 2022. IRMA is an alliance of non-governmental organisations, labor unions, affected communities, investors, mining companies and purchasers of raw materials. With more than 50 diverse members, IRMA works to develop and establish rigorous standards for responsible extraction of raw materials in mining.
With its ambitious electrification strategy, the car and truck manufacturer has set itself on the path to becoming a future climate-neutral mobility provider. The battery-electric vehicle is the most efficient way to combine climate protection and individual mobility. However, electrification also places new demands for responsible sourcing, especially in the extraction of battery raw materials such as cobalt, lithium, nickel and graphite.
The Volkswagen Group’s Code of Conduct already obliges all its business partners to comply with environmental and social criteria, including the strict exclusion of child labor. But corporate responsibility goes further: the Volkswagen Group therefore puts a strong focus on the implementation of rigorous and comprehensive standards in mining. Joining the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance is an important step in this direction.
As a globally recognised initiative, IRMA has pioneered the implementation of best practice social and environmental standards in the mining sector since 2006. IRMA standards include the protection of human and community rights, the exclusion of corruption, health protection measures for workers and affected communities, work place safety and environmental protection.