The Future of Materials Systems 2026

Benchmarking responsible mining standards could improve reporting, accountability and regulationFIGURE 11 Companies Clear er compliance, r educed audit duplication Investors Comparable ESG signals, stronger risk assessment Regulators Impr oved oversight, aligned regulatory baselines Civil society actors Greater transpar ency , stronger accountability mechanisms — Envir onmental management (e.g. energy and GHGs, safeguar ds, cir cularity) — Social and economic (e.g. human and labour rights, social and community engagement) — Gover nance (e.g. compliance, good gover nance, transpar ency) Assessed against a set of baseline performance dimensions to highlight ar eas of equivalence, str engths and gaps Example baseline performance dimensions:Streamlined assessment of r elative performance, cr edibility and assuranceResponsible mining standardsBenchmarking process Outcome Developing international technical standards for the circular economy The relative newness of the circular economy means that international standards for many circular activities remain fragmented, underdeveloped and unevenly adopted. These range from technical standards encompassing eco-design, repair, refurbishment, remanufacturing and production of secondary raw materials through to disclosure and reporting standards. While overarching frameworks such as the ISO 59000 series and the Global Circularity Protocol for Business are emerging, the absence or fragmentation of technical standards for specific circular activities continues to constrain consistency, investment certainty and the scaling- up of international circular value chains. The Future of Materials Systems: Cooperation Opportunities in a Multipolar World 24