Traceability is one of the most talked-about tools in sustainability. The promise is compelling: if we can see where materials come from, we can verify how they were produced, identify problems, and hold bad actors to account. Regulation is reinforcing that expectation, with due diligence requirements demanding ever greater visibility from companies across the value chain.
But the gap between what traceability is expected to deliver and what it can actually deliver is widening. Data can be falsified, chain of custody breaks down at informal mining sites, and visibility at the mine level tells you little about the conditions under which extraction actually took place. Meanwhile, the cost and complexity of traceability systems falls disproportionately on the suppliers least equipped to absorb it.
This session offers an honest assessment of where traceability adds genuine value and where it doesn’t:
- The real limits of traceability technology and methodology across different mineral supply chains
- Where traceability data is genuinely decision-useful and where it risks becoming a compliance exercise
- How companies are combining traceability with other tools to build a more complete picture of supply chain risk
- The trap of over-reliance on visibility as a substitute for deeper accountability
What to expect from this type of session...
Main stage sessions, but not as you know them. Because we’re off-the-record, leading experts can speak candidly about their experience with what works, and what doesn’t. At least half the session is dedicated to audience insights and questions to ensure we tackle the big issues head on.
