United Nations Global Compact
In July of 2021, Neo’s team was to become a participant of the UN Global Compact and publicly commit to the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. Neo implements these principles and increasingly makes them a part of all its business units’ strategic plans, its culture and its day-to-day operations of Neo. Neo also engages in collaborative projects which advance the broader development goals of the United Nations, particularly the Sustainable Development Goals. Neo has made a clear statement of this commitment to Neo’s stakeholders and the general public.
Neo’s team recognizes that a key requirement for participation in the UN Global Compact is the annual submission of a Communication on Progress (COP) that describes Neo’s company efforts to implement the Ten Principles.
Neo supports public accountability and transparency, and therefore commits to report on progress within one year of joining the UN Global Compact, and annually thereafter according to the UN Global Compact COP policy.
This includes:
Responsible Minerals Initiative
Consistent with its leadership-byexample industrial practices in the rare earth metals and material science industry over the last three decades, Neo has become a member of the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI).
Founded in 2008 by members of the Responsible Business Alliance and the Global e-Sustainability Initiative, the Responsible Minerals Initiative has grown into one of the most utilized and respected resources for companies from a range of industries addressing responsible mineral sourcing issues in their supply chains. The RMI is one of the major consulted stakeholders for the continuous development and updating of the OECD’s “Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas”.
Neo is currently undergoing a robust disclosure process for one of its facilities. Once Neo’s membership application was accepted, Neo’s Working Group on Sustainability mobilized to identify action items for the advancement of ethical supply chain standards development.
European Raw Materials Alliance
In 2020, the EU launched its European Raw Materials Alliance (ERMA). It is aiming for strategic autonomy on critical raw materials. It is modelled on the European Battery Alliance and focuses on metals and rare earths which are used to build magnets for batteries and all kinds of electric and electronic devices.
Throughout 2021, Neo was one of the most active participants in ERMA’s network. ERMA’s network brings together a growing number of organizations from the public and private sectors covering the entire raw materials value chain. The alliance is initially focused on the most pressing needs, that is, increasing EU resilience in the supply chains for rare earth magnets and motors, batteries, and fuel cells.
The alliance is an open and inclusive initiative and will involve all relevant stakeholders, including industrial actors along the value chain, Member States and regions, trade unions, civil society, research and technology organizations, investors, and NGOs.
Wind Europe
Neo Magnequench is a member of Wind Europe – the advocacy association of the wind industry, actively promoting wind energy across the European Union. Wind Europe actively coordinates international policy, communications, research and analysis. We also provide various services to support members’ requirements and needs in order to further their development, offering the best networking and learning opportunities in the sector. It analyses, formulates and establishes policy positions for the wind industry on key strategic sectoral issues, cooperating with industry and research institutions on a number of market development and technology research projects. Additionally, the lobbying activities undertaken by Wind Europe help create a suitable legal framework within which members can successfully develop their businesses.
As a member of Wind Europe, Neo contributes its technical expertise and market soundings on rare earth supply chains – a critical aspect of wind turbine manufacturing and end-of-life recycling.
In October 2021, Neo’s VP Technology presented on “Circular Rare Earth Supply Chain for Permanent Magnet Generators” at Wind Europe’s End-of- Life Insights & Strategies Conference.
Tantalum and Niobium International Study Center
Neo Rare Metals has been a long-time member of and an active participant in TIC’s programming. The T.I.C. was established in response to concerns within the tantalum industry regarding the lack of useful information on tantalum source materials. The initial purpose of the T.I.C. was to spread information about tantalum and to promote the common interest and welfare of the producers, especially with public and private authorities, organizations and agencies. Since its foundation, the T.I.C. has grown to encompass niobium and all stages of the tantalum/niobium supply chains.
Rare Earth Industry Association
The Rare Earth Industry Association (REIA) is an international non-profit organization representing the global REE industry. Founded in June 2019, under the auspices of EIT Raw Materials Internationalization project GloREIA. REIA has active members worldwide representing all major countries. With such a global context, REIA is well placed to contribute to a better understanding of rare earth element (REE) value chain.
Canadian Critical Minerals & Materials Alliance
The Canadian Critical Minerals & Materials Alliance (C2M2A) is a nonprofit, independent organization that aims to grow the Canadian economy through critical mineral supply chains while promoting innovation and entrepreneurship. C2M2A evolved from the Canadian Rare Earths Elements Network (CREEN), and was formally created in 2021, with Neo joining the organization in 2022. The organization provides research, information, advocacy, education, conferences, workshops, and articles to build awareness of the importance of critical material supply chains. C2M2A seeks to build alliances with downstream suppliers, international companies, trade officials, and others to contribute as agents of transformative change. The organization also aligns its efforts with the e-mobility, energy storage, and clean technologies sectors, while continuing its engagement in current and successor initiatives.