The report benchmarks due diligence standards against evolving EU and national regulations.It distinguishes between primary and secondary raw material chains, using criteria from the CSDDD, German Supply Chain Act, ESPR, WEEE, and RoHS.It also considers the European Battery Regulation and the Critical Raw Materials Act.For primary materials, it assesses IRMA, RMI, The Copper Mark, and CERA 4in1 using qualitative analysis and fuzzy TOPSIS.Overall, the standards show solid alignment with EU requirements.IRMA stands out for comprehensive coverage; RMI and The Copper Mark align well with some limitations; CERA 4in1 meets most criteria.Alignment with the Critical Raw Materials Act is partial across all four initiatives.For secondary materials, the report examines R2v3, e-Stewards, and the Global Battery Alliance’s Battery Passport.These schemes lag in traceability and ESG implementation, though the Battery Passport shows strong digital potential.The report calls for greater standardization, stronger safeguards, and wider use of technologies such as blockchain to enhance compliance and traceability.
Fernández et al. (Tue,) studied this question.