In recent years, the business world has shown a growing concern towards Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues, and the critical minerals sector makes no exception. However, while several measures have been envisaged to tackle environmental and human rights concerns, progress in addressing corruption in mineral supply chains seems to proceed slower. Failing to include corruption in the ESG conversation heavily makes mineral supply chains more unstable; it represents a reputational risk for consumer-facing companies and feeds poverty in sourcing countries, exacerbating the divide between the Global North and South.

This panel discussion will gather representatives from the EU, international organizations, NGOs and civil society from sourcing countries to illustrate the importance of tackling corruption in the supply chains of raw materials, take stock of what has already been done, and explore possibilities to fill the existing gaps.