News and Updates

Automakers Drive China Green Steel Development

China launched its steel decarbonisation initiatives later than many developed nations. However, it has since achieved considerable progress, laying the groundwork for a potential leadership role in the global green…

2025 Leaderboard Report: Accelerating automotive action on clean and equitable supply chains

The Leaderboard aims to establish a new expectation – and competitive advantage – for what it means to to produce a truly clean car: not just an electric vehicle (EV),…

Why investors should engage automotive companies on the impacts of their supply chains: Risks and Opportunities

This briefing examines different sources of risk and opportunities within automotive value chains that can affect the financial and ESG performance of investments. It also provides guidance and recommendations for investors on how to proactively engage automotive companies on effective supply chain ESG management.

Reflections on IWA 45 from a Civil Society Participant

Last week Standards Australia convened the second of three workshops of the 45th International Workshop Agreement (IWA 45) for sustainable critical minerals supply chains. Going into this workshop, a key…

EV battery recycling: burning batteries is not the way to go

GAIA has strong concerns about the current practices of battery lifecycle management. The unchecked production of toxic batteries with premature obsolescence, current end-of-life processing techniques (or “recycling”), and risks of…

The importance of equitable, sustainable and fossil-free automotive supply chains: a case study on nickel mining and processing in Indonesia

Indonesia produces 48.8% of the world’s nickel, a quantity expected to grow further as demand for electric vehicles increases. With rising demand, companies are turning to lower-grade laterite nickel which…

The Thacker Pass Mining Project: Free, Prior and Informed Consent and Indigenous Peoples’ Rights

General Motors announced in January 2023 that it will invest $650 million in Lithium Americas Corp. and will help the company develop its Thacker Pass lithium mining project, with the…

From Brazil to Papua New Guinea, Mine Waste Creates Serious Problems

Tailings, the waste created after the ore is processed, are usually stored behind earthen dams. Tailings dams are some of the largest engineered structures on the planet. Research shows that…

Advances in EU Regulations and implications for automakers

EU Battery regulation In August 2023 the landmark European Battery Regulation went into force, setting product and end of life obligations for batteries placed on the EU market. The law…

2024 Full Leaderboard Dataset (Google Sheets)

2024 Full Leaderboard Dataset (xlsx download)

UAW and Sparkz chart the way forward for battery workers

The automotive industry employs millions of Americans and the fast-growing battery industry will soon employ hundreds of thousands. Whether these industries create quality jobs or if they participate in the…

2024 Leaderboard Report: Leading the Charge

This report is based on an analysis of the second edition of the Lead the Charge Leaderboard, which assessed 18 of the world’s leading automakers against over 80 indicators that evaluate their efforts to eliminate emissions, environmental harms, and human rights violations from their supply chains.

Car manufacturers are gearing up in the race for clean steel

The global market for green steel, or steel that is processed without relying on burning coal or energy derived from fossil fuels, is showing real promise with technological innovation slashing…

An Assessment of Third-Party Assurance and Accreditation Schemes

This assessment is published as a standalone assessment to facilitate its use as a tool for automakers, and other automotive supply chain stakeholders, in order to make informed decisions regarding their use of these accreditation schemes for the mining sites, smelters, refiners, steel and aluminum plants and other facilities in their supply chains.

2023 Full Leaderboard Dataset (Google Sheets)

2023 Leaderboard Summary

Lead the Charge is a collaborative new initiative bringing together diverse local, national, and global organizations calling on automakers to radically transform their supply chains to be equitable, sustainable and 100% fossil free.

2023 Full Leaderboard Dataset (xlsx download)