"Europe-led global certification scheme for raw materials expected in 2020," 30 October 2019.

A group of European bodies and companies have joined efforts to create the first global certification scheme ensuring consistent standards of environmental, social and economic impact throughout the entire raw materials value chain...CERA (Certification of Raw Materials), conceived in 2015 by German engineering and consulting firm DMT Group, counts with the support of the UN Economic Commission for Europe, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), EIT RawMaterials, Volkswagen, Fairphone...

Companies are under pressure from consumers and investors to prove that minerals are sourced without human rights abuses but tracking raw materials throughout their journey is challenging. There currently are at least 40 different certification methods for the mining industry alone...Some are specific to a geographic region, process or humanitarian concern, while others tackle a single mineral.

An additional barrier for the current certifications to work, is that most of them are complex, expensive and inconsistent, says Andreas Hucke, CERA Project Director, Head of Raw Materials Sustainability at DMT...The [CERA] certification process will be carried out using a private blockchain while its verification and search will be available on a public blockchain...

World’s No. 1 diamond producer by value, De Beers, is in the advance stages of testing its Tracr platform, which allows tracing gemstones throughout the entire value chain — from mine to buyer...Other metals are covered by the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI), an industry-led due diligence process supported by tech giants such as Apple, Microsoft, Samsung and electric car developers Renault, Ford and General Motors. Abiding by such initiatives, however, is voluntary...