Library | ESG issues

Mining (ex Fossil Fuels)

Mining (excluding fossil fuels) involves extracting valuable minerals like gold, iron ore, and lithium, essential for industrial and renewable energy applications. Sustainable mining practices minimise environmental harm, promote social and economic benefits, and mitigate risks linked to human rights and ecological impact, fostering long-term resilience and accountability.

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Australia’s iron ore sector at a crossroads – Business as usual or time to embrace green iron?

Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA)
Australia’s iron ore sector faces headwinds as Chinese demand declines and competition from projects like Simandou rises. With export revenues forecast to fall, the report identifies a AU$300 billion green iron opportunity. Australia must pivot to high-grade ores and hydrogen-based ironmaking to maintain long-term market prosperity.
Research
23 April 2026

Transition minerals in Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Business and Human Rights Resource Centre
A tracker from the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre monitoring environmental and human rights allegations linked to 20 critical transition minerals across 16 countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
Online tool/database
24 April 2024

Guidance on environmental crime

Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD)
This TNFD guidance framework enables organisations to incorporate environmental crime into nature-related assessments. It identifies risks from illegal activities, such as deforestation and mining, while providing practical steps for the LEAP approach. The report highlights how managing these risks improves supply chain transparency, regulatory compliance, and overall resilience.
Research
25 September 2026

A guide to greenwashing and corporate disinformation in the mining sector

Observatório da Mineração
This guide examines greenwashing and disinformation in the mining sector, detailing strategies used to project an environmentally responsible image. It identifies tactics such as 'woke-washing' and judicial intimidation, while advocating for stronger consumer protection, anti-SLAPP laws, and transparency to combat corporate narratives that delay urgent climate action.
Research
11 August 2026

Nature stress test: Assessing exposure of five African banking systems

McKinsey & Company
This report evaluates nature-related financial risks for banking systems in Ghana, Mauritius, Morocco, Rwanda, and Zambia. It demonstrates that an orderly transition to nature-positive practices significantly reduces profit and credit losses. Key sectors like agriculture and mining are most vulnerable, requiring coordinated regulatory and financial action.
Research
5 July 2024

Commodity Markets Outlook: October 2026

The World Bank
This World Bank report examines the historic energy supply shocks caused by the Middle East conflict and hostilities in Ukraine. Overall commodity prices are projected to rise by 23 per cent in 2026, with energy prices surging 32 per cent and metals reaching record highs. Risks remain tilted towards higher prices.
Research
23 October 2026

IGF country profiles collection

Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development
The Country Profile Factsheets series, published by the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF), provides country-level analysis of mining sectors, mineral resources, critical minerals policies, investment conditions, governance and sustainability considerations. It supports comparative research into responsible mining, mineral supply chains and sector-related risks.
Benchmark/series
1 February 2026

Pure dynamite: How Bolsonaro’s government (2019-2022) mineral policy set up a climate and anti-indigenous bomb

The Smoke Signal
This report analyses Brazil's mineral policy under the Bolsonaro administration from 2019 to 2022. It details how deregulation, lobbying, and legislative changes facilitated industrial and illegal mining, leading to environmental degradation and human rights violations. It provides a timeline of events and suggests measures for policy reform.
Research
24 March 2023

Mining and money: Financial faultlines in the energy transition

Forests & Finance
This report highlights how global finance enables destructive transition mineral mining. Between 2016 and 2024, banks provided USD 493 billion in credit despite weak ESG policies. Case studies in Indonesia, Brazil, DRC, and Australia reveal widespread environmental damage and human rights abuses, necessitating urgent regulatory and institutional reform.
Research
2 September 2025

Unlocking Kazakhstan's transition minerals potential: Closing the gap between resource wealth and value chain development

ODI Global
This report examines Kazakhstan's strategy to leverage transition minerals for economic diversification. It assesses current production, underexplored reserves, and legislative reforms. The analysis highlights strategic partnerships with global actors, recommending a unified policy ecosystem to align mining, industrial, and low-carbon goals while enhancing international negotiation and coordination.
Research
22 September 2026

Mining Fiscal Regime Simulator

The Mining Fiscal Regime Simulator is an open-source modelling tool by the IGF that helps users evaluate the impact of tax and royalty policies on mining project economics and government revenue.
Online tool/database
18 September 2026

Preventing Delays to Permitting for Critical Mineral Projects

International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)
A report by the IISD and IGF exploring how governments can streamline permitting for critical mineral mining projects to support the energy transition while protecting communities and human health.
Online tool/database

Human rights and conflict in mineral supply chains: An Investor Guide

First Sentier MUFG Sustainable Investment Institute
This research explores human rights and conflict risks in mineral supply chains, focusing on artisanal and small-scale mining. It outlines demand surges for critical minerals, the limitations of current regulatory frameworks, and provides guidance for investors to implement heightened due diligence and promote responsible sourcing practices across global portfolios.
Research
7 August 2026

Rio Tinto: A just transition case study

Anthropocene Fixed Income Institute
This report examines Rio Tinto’s failure to secure a social licence to operate for the Jadar lithium mine in Serbia. It highlights how social risks associated with the energy transition can lead to project abandonment, financial losses, and reputational damage, ultimately impacting bondholders as lithium production becomes more material.
Research
8 June 2026

Shifting ground: Human rights, Chinese investment and the rush for transition minerals

This report analyses 326 allegations of human rights and environmental abuses linked to Chinese overseas transition mineral investments between 2023 and 2025. It identifies Indonesia as the primary hotspot and highlights critical risks in extraction and processing, while offering recommendations for governments and companies to ensure a just transition.
Research
8 July 2026

Opportunities, enablers and requirements in advancing Earth Observation for scaling nature finance

The European Space Agency (ESA)
This report by the LEON project assesses Earth Observation (EO) data's role in scaling nature finance. It addresses a €200 billion annual EU funding gap and details pilots in mining, agrifood, and sovereign finance. Key findings emphasise demand for processed spatial data to meet emerging disclosure requirements like TNFD.
Research
27 April 2026
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