University of Sydney research has informed a new United Nations report showing how digital tracking can make the sourcing of minerals for electric vehicle batteries more transparent, ethical and environmentally responsible.
The new United Nations white paper led by Associate Professor Jeanne Huang from the Sydney Law School , has laid the legal groundwork for how critical minerals used in electric vehicle batteries can be tracked across global supply chains - a move that could transform accountability in the clean-energy sector.
Battery minerals typically travel vast distances, from extraction to cell manufacturing, and their traceability is vital for ensuring sustainable and ethical sourcing.
In collaboration with Fudan University (Shanghai, China) and supported by an Ignition Grant, the white paper explores how 'digital product passports' could enable transparent tracking of four battery-critical minerals - cobalt, copper, lithium and nickel - as they move through global production networks.
The publication by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) comes amid heightened global attention on critical raw materials, with the United States and Australia recently announcing a joint US$3 billion investment into the sector.
Supply-chain concentration and geopolitical tensions have put the industry under intense scrutiny. Governments and investors are increasingly demanding verifiable environmental, social and governance (ESG) data. The UNECE white paper shows how digital traceability could deliver it.
"Without mutual recognition of regulatory outcomes, overlapping due diligence laws and fragmented reporting regimes will drive businesses to seek loopholes rather than uphold genuine ethical standards," Associate Professor Huang said.
"Transparent digital traceability is essential to a fair, low-carbon and cost-effective energy transition."
Associate Professor Jeanne Huang
"Governments would also struggle to enforce modern slavery and environmental laws effectively. Transparent digital traceability is essential to a fair, low-carbon and cost-effective energy transition."
The project reflects a close partnership between the University of Sydney and Fudan University, and forms part of the University of Sydney's Net Zero Institute , which convened international experts to develop the white paper from concept to publication.
The next phase of the project will see the white paper's findings translated into a formal UNECE policy recommendation, guiding its 56 member states including the EU and the US to manage cross-border trade and sustainability practices of critical raw minerals and their products.
"This is a two-year process involving policy engagement, industry consultation and multiple funding rounds," Associate Professor Huang said.
"When finalised in 2027, it will become the 51st UNECE recommendation - a key instrument for advancing resilient, reliable, responsible and traceable global supply chains.
"This multidisciplinary project brings together expertise in law, business, and environmental science to tackle one of the most pressing governance challenges of our time," she said.
"It demonstrates our shared commitment to advancing more transparent, efficient and sustainable global trade."
