SSI and Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance sign MoU

The collaboration is grounded in a shared commitment to a just and sustainable energy transition. It recognises that the rapid scale-up of renewable energy must be underpinned by strong social and environmental performance, protection of workers’ rights, and meaningful engagement with affected communities and rightsholders across the supply chain.

Under the MoU, the SSI and IRMA will work together across several areas, inluding strengthening traceability for critical minerals used in solar technologies, supporting supply chain actors through joint capacity building activities, and exploring a stepwise approach to integrating credible mining assurance into solar supply chains. This collaboration will help extend traceability further upstream and support the scaling of traceable material flows over time. The partnership responds to growing regulatory requirements and rising expectations from consumers, investors, stakeholders, and rightsholders, while also addressing the need for clearer co-ordination across assurance systems to reduce duplication and improve clarity for supply chain actors.

Rachel Owens, CEO of the SSI, said: “Our partnership with IRMA marks a transformative step forward in advancing responsible mineral sourcing and transparency across solar supply chains. By deepening our collaboration, we are not only reinforcing our rigorous standards for sustainability but also fostering powerful, constructive engagement with civil society, industry leaders, and all stakeholders committed to ethical mining and solar practices.”

Aimee Boulanger, Executive Director of the IRMA, added: “Through this partnership we will work with the SSI on embracing the benefits of renewable energy while improving how minerals are extracted. The solar sector makes a critical contribution to a lower-carbon future, and it also brings the opportunity for us to support an energy sector that brings more responsible practices through its whole production cycle.”

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Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/solar/07042026/ssi-and-initiative-for-responsible-mining-assurance-sign-mou/