Neglecting to address the mining industry’s human rights violations and environmental destruction could undermine the bloc’s efforts to ensure access to raw materials and to mitigate climate change.
Engaging the world’s largest polluter on climate solutions has not been smooth sailing. Supply chains are highly inter-connected and businesses find that they need to tread along a tightrope between China and the West, even on climate.
New research into selected geographical regions across Vietnam, for example, finds that the majority of plastic waste is being recycled by informal workers in craft villages. These waste pickers need to be given a voice.