Minerals

The current copper production is facing many challenges. Case studies in Zambia, Bulgaria and Namibia are showing large social and environmental impact. Witnesses  from local communities and monitoring data are showing the achilles heels of the extraction. However copper is highly demanded in current and future technological applications. New technological innovations are available, ready for upscaling […]

Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM) represents the majority of the workforce engaged in mining activities worldwide. While it is often seen as an informal subsistence activity for local communities, ASM is actually very well integrated in the global metal supply chain. This kind of mining operation is sometimes referred to as the most ‘sustainable’ socio-economic way […]

The right to organise is often denied to workers in the electronics industry. In key electronics production sites like China and Vietnam, the only union that workers are allowed to join is the state-sanctioned union. But even in countries where union rights are protected by law, like Indonesia, workers often find it difficult to exercise […]