This article explores the growing interest in deep-sea mining as a source of critical minerals for clean technologies, detailing how it works, its potential economic benefits, and the significant ecological and governance risks it poses. It also examines ongoing international regulatory disputes and alternative solutions such as recycling and circular mineral economies.

The study assesses the impact of industrial mining on African great apes, revealing that up to one-third of the population about 180,000 individuals faces direct or indirect mining-related threats. West Africa is most affected, with limited habitat protection and minimal survey data, underscoring urgent needs for transparent environmental monitoring.

This month’s sustainability roundup covers Australia’s new 2035 emissions target, ASIC’s final climate disclosure guidance, and Fortescue’s revised transition plan. It also examines global developments, from ISSB reporting updates and TNFD nature disclosures to Woodside’s gas extension, rising physical climate risks, and evolving ESG policy debates shaping corporate and investor responses.

MDPI (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute) is a Swiss-based publisher of open access, peer-reviewed journals, established in 1996. MDPI publishes over 470 academic journals across science, technology and medicine, with authors covering article processing charges to enable unrestricted global access.

This report summarises draft guidance from New Zealand’s Financial Markets Authority on ethical investment disclosure. It sets expectations under the FMC Act, warns against greenwashing, and outlines principles of clarity, substantiation, consistency, and management of third-party involvement to improve transparency and accuracy for investors.

SCP-HAT (Sustainable Consumption and Production Hotspots Analysis Tool) is an online tool that maps national and sector-level “hotspots” of unsustainable production and consumption using input-output and lifecycle methodologies.

International Resource Panel (IRP) is a science-policy platform established by United Nations Environment Programme in 2007. It produces peer-reviewed assessments and data such as the Global Material Flows Database to guide governments, industry and civil society on resource efficiency, sustainable use, circular economy and environmental impact.

Life Cycle Initiative stewards global standards, tools and training for life-cycle assessment (LCA) and life-cycle thinking. It supports practitioners, policymakers and industry in applying LCA across plastics, textiles, tourism and construction. The initiative develops data networks, e-learning modules and hotspot analysis frameworks to advance sustainable decision making.

This report from the Asia Investor Group on Climate Change analyses place-based just transition policies in India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan. It outlines market-specific policy baselines, labour and social dynamics, financing needs and case studies, providing investors and policymakers with insights into ensuring equitable low-carbon transitions in Asia.

The UNEP/GRID-Geneva Disaster Risk Platform offers an interactive global interface for analysing exposure, vulnerability and hazard data. It aids evidence-based decision-making by mapping natural risks and socio-economic factors, supporting resilient development and risk-informed finance.

The Environmental Hotspots tool by UNEP offers an interactive map of high-risk ecological zones worldwide, allowing users to explore environmental pressures across sectors (e.g. ecosystems, resource extraction).

German Mineral Resources Agency (DERA) is Germany’s national information and consultancy platform on mineral raw materials, hosted within the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR).
DERA analyses global commodity markets, assesses supply-chain risks, and advises industry and government on raw material strategy and sustainable sourcing.

MapX is an open-source, cloud-based geospatial platform for visualising, analysing and managing environmental data. Developed by UNEP/GRID-Geneva, it supports decision-making in biodiversity, climate, land use and disaster risk, through map views, dashboards and storytelling tools.

This tool provides interactive visualisations and tabular data of country-level trade flows in raw materials (imports, exports, trends). It enables comparisons across years, commodities and nations, and cites metadata and definitions.

ROSYS is a free, interactive raw-materials information system from the German Mineral Resources Agency (DERA). It offers data on around 80 mineral and energy commodities, supported by maps and charts, enabling users to monitor global and German production, consumption, reserves, trade partners and market trends.

Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) is Germany’s national geological survey, advising the federal government on geoscience and raw materials. It undertakes research in earth sciences, resource management, geodata systems and sustainability. Located in Hannover, BGR coordinates national geoscientific data infrastructure and policy.