• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
Northvolt ‘will source directly from the miners’ to ensure clean supply chain – EURACTIV.com

Northvolt ‘will source directly from the miners’ to ensure clean supply chain – EURACTIV.com

November 24, 2019
These inventory trackers will notify you when hard-to-find items are back in stock

These inventory trackers will notify you when hard-to-find items are back in stock

April 15, 2020
Antonov An-225 Mriya: world’s largest cargo plane, history, details

Antonov An-225 Mriya: world’s largest cargo plane, history, details

April 15, 2020
Copperstate Farms Launches International Cannabis Brand DNA Genetics in Arizona Market

Copperstate Farms Launches International Cannabis Brand DNA Genetics in Arizona Market

April 14, 2020
Mzee Moi’s Ksh10B Gift to Gideon

Mzee Moi’s Ksh10B Gift to Gideon

April 14, 2020
Covid Knights: Corporate social purpose in the time of COVID-19

Covid Knights: Corporate social purpose in the time of COVID-19

April 14, 2020
How Tesla And BMW Are Leading A Supply Chain Renaissance With Blockchain

How Tesla And BMW Are Leading A Supply Chain Renaissance With Blockchain

April 14, 2020
Last Mile Delivery Market Worth Observing Growth | UPS, FedEx, SF Express

Last Mile Delivery Market Worth Observing Growth | UPS, FedEx, SF Express

April 14, 2020
LATAM Cargo strengthens European cargo links

LATAM Cargo strengthens European cargo links

April 14, 2020
Ford making reusable hospital gowns from airbag materials as efforts against coronavirus expand

Ford making reusable hospital gowns from airbag materials as efforts against coronavirus expand

April 14, 2020
Don’t Sweat NBC’s Decision to Cut Back on Television Ad Inventory

Don’t Sweat NBC’s Decision to Cut Back on Television Ad Inventory

April 14, 2020
Software firms sharpen focus on AI, big data as IT spending drops

Software firms sharpen focus on AI, big data as IT spending drops

April 14, 2020
Navigating turbulent times in your supply chain (TL:DR version)

Navigating turbulent times in your supply chain (TL:DR version)

April 14, 2020
  • Supply Chain
  • Logistics
  • Warehousing
  • Procurement
  • Shipping
  • More
    • Strategic Sourcing
    • Spend Analysis
    • Inventory
    • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
United States International Supply Chain Commission
United States International Supply Chain Commission
Home Supply Chain

Northvolt ‘will source directly from the miners’ to ensure clean supply chain – EURACTIV.com

by usiscc
November 24, 2019
in Supply Chain
0
Northvolt ‘will source directly from the miners’ to ensure clean supply chain – EURACTIV.com
493
SHARES
1.4k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

A short supply chain “will make it possible for us to trace our materials” and ensure they come from responsible sources, said a senior executive at Northvolt, the Swedish startup aiming to supply Europe with green electric batteries.

“We need to be very cautious about the choices we are making today,” said Emma Nehrenheim, Chief Environment Officer at Northvolt, during an EU debate about supply chain transparency in Brussels.

“Nevertheless it is incredibly important we move fast,” she told participants at the European Commission’s annual Raw Materials Week event on Wednesday (20 November).

Her comments addressed the paradox for companies with even the greenest intentions. As it stands, manufacturing clean, fossil-free technology depends on a closed-off and potentially exploitative supply chains of raw materials.

Cobalt is probably under the most scrutiny. In 2016, an Amnesty International report sent tremors through the tech industry when it revealed that 35,000 child labourers worked cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the major source of the metal.

A failure of technology companies to monitor supply chains meant they could not deny the presence of the incriminated substance in their products.

Cobalt, alongside lithium and rare earths are the metals with the highest potential to cause environmental or social damage, according to analysts. The three are important components in smartphones, laptops, electric vehicles, batteries and wind turbines.

Northvolt, founded in 2017, and now readying its gigafactory in Skellefteå, vows it “will not compromise in any way”.

“Don’t think that the mining operations in the DRC are the only problems we are facing,” said Nehrenheim. “There is a whole bouquet of labour rights, social rights, human rights and environmental rights that we need to track down,” she said.

For the startup, the solution has been to shorten supply chains. Nehrenheim says Northvolt will source directly from the miners, which will make it easier to trace materials. The company also has plans to bring cathode manufacturing under its thumb. “We are looking for ways to bring the graphite production to Europe,” she explained.

It is an unusual move in the tech industry, which is often separated from mining by a long and complex supply chain. “Some large multi-national enterprises have as many as 200,000 suppliers” said Mathilde Mesnard, Deputy Director for Financial and Enterprise Affairs at the OECD.

According to Mesnard, the ongoing challenge is that “not all the stakeholders have a genuine interest when it comes to fostering transparency”. She adds that voluntary schemes to trace raw materials through the supply chain “only go so far”.

In Europe, there are signs public expectation of green technology is filling some of the gap. Nehrenheim says she already sees this at Northvolt. “Our costumers are not interested in greenwashing of any kind – they want us to do it right from the beginning,” she said.

Rising public expectations for raw materials supply transparency is also having an influence on EU bodies. An EU Commission-funded project run by a consortium of 10 organisations, called “Make ICT Fair”, aims to wield the EU’s purchasing power for the good of the electronics supply chain.

“Over 250,000 EU public authorities such as universities, hospitals and cities spend tens of billions in electronic devices every year,” says Kim Claes, Project Co-ordinator at Make ICT Fair. The total between them gives the EU’s public bodies together considerable leverage.

While no smartphone or laptop yet on the market can trace the origin of all its raw materials, “we try to support the public procurers to ask for higher standards of their suppliers, and get the conversation going” says Claes. The logic being, that if enough public bodies demand higher transparency standards, tech companies, and their suppliers in turn, will begin to raise them.

For Mesnard, public procurement is an “important” method to explore.

The EU is creating a sustainability label for raw materials

An EU research group is creating a certification method for raw materials, to be completed by 2021. The project is part of a push to sustainably mine the metals needed for Europe’s clean energy transition. But critics say certification is not the answer.

[Edited by Frédéric Simon]

Share197Tweet123Share49
usiscc

usiscc

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Antonov An-225 Mriya: world’s largest cargo plane, history, details

Antonov An-225 Mriya: world’s largest cargo plane, history, details

April 15, 2020
These inventory trackers will notify you when hard-to-find items are back in stock

These inventory trackers will notify you when hard-to-find items are back in stock

April 15, 2020
‘Significant opportunity’ in Asia as supply chain integrates, consolidates

‘Significant opportunity’ in Asia as supply chain integrates, consolidates

January 3, 2020
These inventory trackers will notify you when hard-to-find items are back in stock

These inventory trackers will notify you when hard-to-find items are back in stock

0
Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecasts 2016–2024 – ZMR News Reports

Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecasts 2016–2024 – ZMR News Reports

0
PHOTOS: Ottawa firefighters respond to warehouse fire

PHOTOS: Ottawa firefighters respond to warehouse fire

0
These inventory trackers will notify you when hard-to-find items are back in stock

These inventory trackers will notify you when hard-to-find items are back in stock

April 15, 2020
Antonov An-225 Mriya: world’s largest cargo plane, history, details

Antonov An-225 Mriya: world’s largest cargo plane, history, details

April 15, 2020
Copperstate Farms Launches International Cannabis Brand DNA Genetics in Arizona Market

Copperstate Farms Launches International Cannabis Brand DNA Genetics in Arizona Market

April 14, 2020
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Disclaimer
  • DMCA
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2021 United States International Supply Chain Commission (usiscc.org)

No Result
View All Result
  • Supply Chain
  • Logistics
  • Warehousing
  • Procurement
  • Shipping
  • More
    • Strategic Sourcing
    • Spend Analysis
    • Inventory
    • Contact Us

Copyright © 2021 United States International Supply Chain Commission (usiscc.org)

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT