The demand for verifiable and comparable ESG data from investors and the growing impetus to end greenwashing is fueling the development of new disclosure standards. Last month the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), which was launched at the COP26 climate conference last November, published general sustainability-related disclosure requirements and another draft that is specific to […]
> The US Department of Homeland Security has designated copper and lithium imports from China for “high‑priority” enforcement under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), due to alleged human‑rights abuses in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The enforcement plan sets sector‑specific requirements for traceability, documentation, and verification to prevent goods linked to forced labour in […]
> Benchmark has tracked over $50 billion of energy transition funding, throughout 2025 in its Energy Transition Capital database, with the largest share allocated to the battery supply chain. The role of debt, grants, and equity Debt The EV, battery, and battery materials markets have matured rapidly over the past few years. As a result, debt is playing an increasingly […]
> A declaration at the Glasgow climate conference that seeks to phase out sales of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040 would mean more than a thirty-fold increase in annual electric vehicle battery demand and a substantial increase in raw material requirements, according to analysis by Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. The signatories to the Glasgow declaration, which […]
> Deforestation is a critical issue in Indonesia’s rapidly expanding nickel mining sector. This nickel is primarily derived from laterite ore layers located near the earth’s surface. The extraction process typically involves the excavation of superficial open-pit mines to access the ore, resulting in the clearance of large areas of land. Through its engagement with various […]
> Indonesia’s Forestry Task Force last week seized ~148 hectares of land occupied by PT Weda Bay Nickel in Halmahera, North Maluku, citing a lack of relevant permits. The move marks the first high-profile enforcement in the nickel sector since President Prabowo Subianto vowed to step up action against illegal mining in August. Officials said the […]
> By Simon Moores, Managing Director, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence The UK has placed electric vehicles (EV) and lithium ion batteries at the heart of a new “Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution” and with it announced intentions to ban new sales of the internal combustion engine by 2030. This aggressive move on climate change […]
> Natural graphite anode project announcements in China have ground to a halt, recent Benchmark analysis shows, as domestic battery manufacturers continue to opt for synthetic graphite-based alternatives. No new natural graphite anode project has been announced in China since April 2024; meanwhile over 60 new projects have been announced across synthetic graphite, silicon-engineered, graphite-silicon composite, […]
> Benchmark’s lithium carbon intensity curve has expanded in scope, now covering the top 50 largest lithium chemical-producing assets in 2025, as well as those forecasted to be in production by 2030. Greenhouse gas emissions generated from raw material extraction to the lithium chemical stage, known as cradle-to-gate emissions, are assessed by Benchmark using the IPCC’s […]