GCRI · Trade and Strategic Resources
Responsible sourcing
Supply chains for minerals, agriculture, textiles and electronics can involve forced and child labour, conflict financing, deforestation and pollution. Due diligence standards and laws increasingly require firms to identify and address these risks, and producers to show what they are doing. This page sets out how adverse impacts arise in supply chains, how due diligence and traceability work, and what evidence serves the firms, regulators and producers involved.
How the work runs.
Supplier tier map
Responsible sourcing · Assembly cluster · Bill of materials BOM-110
Tier mapping
- Tier 129 suppliers
- Tier 250
- Tier 3140
- Raw materials10
Concentration
| Rare earth magnet | 88 | 6498 | None qualified | High |
| Gallium | 82 | 5080 | Recycling pilot | High |
| Copper wire | 25 | 1224 | Two qualified | Low |
| Lithium cells | 69 | 2429 | One qualified | Medium |
Mitigation
- Dual source
- qualification 9 months
- Buffer stock
- 8 weeks
- Design change
- substitution study
- Owner
- Procurement lead
Fig.Supplier tier map: example names and illustrative values, not a record or a live system.
Responsible sourcing: how the risk develops.
Environmental, labour and traceability limits. The dossier below sets out how the risk develops, what is measured, where the data come from, how it is modelled and who decides.
Risk concentrates where oversight is weak
Labour abuses, conflict financing and environmental harm are more likely where governance is weak, informal production is common and supply chains are opaque.
Due diligence is a process
International standards ask firms to identify, prevent, mitigate and account for adverse impacts, prioritising the most severe. Audits alone do not meet that standard.
Traceability is hard to keep
Materials are mixed, processed and traded through many hands. Chain-of-custody systems and documentation can be falsified or broken.
Law is turning guidance into duty
Laws on forced labour imports, conflict minerals, deforestation and corporate due diligence make standards binding in some markets, changing what suppliers must show.
Activity and hazards in the Strait of Malacca.
Night lights, population density and land cover over the Strait of Malacca, from NASA GIBS. Each layer carries its own date.
The interactive map needs JavaScript; the layer list and sources are below.
Layers 3
Activity and hazards, for this page
About this layer
- Evidence
- Observed
- Source
- VIIRS Black Marble (VNP46A2) (NASA LAADS DAAC)
- Provider
- NASA LAADS DAAC
- Licence
- NASA open data
- Vintage
- daily; Satellite radiance, corrected for moonlight and atmosphere
- Newest at build
- 2026-10-12
- Resolution
- about 500 m grid
- Uncertainty
- Satellite night-time radiance for the date shown; lights are a proxy for electricity use and outages, not a measurement of supply or access.
- Reached through
- gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov, only after you allow the live map
About this layer
- Evidence
- Estimated
- Source
- Gridded Population of the World v4.11 (NASA SEDAC (CIESIN, Columbia University))
- Provider
- NASA SEDAC (CIESIN, Columbia University)
- Licence
- CC BY 4.0
- Vintage
- null; Census-based estimate, static (2020)
- Resolution
- about 1 km grid
- Uncertainty
- Census-based estimate of people per square kilometre in 2020, shown as exposure context; not a count of people affected by any hazard.
- Reached through
- gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov, only after you allow the live map
About this layer
- Evidence
- Observed
- Source
- GHRSST MUR25 (NASA JPL PO.DAAC)
- Provider
- NASA JPL PO.DAAC
- Licence
- NASA open data
- Vintage
- daily; Satellite analysis
- Newest at build
- 2026-10-12
- Resolution
- about 2 km grid
- Uncertainty
- Satellite analysis of how far sea temperature departs from its usual value for the date shown; a marine heat indicator, not a coral bleaching alert.
- Reached through
- gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov, only after you allow the live map
About this layer
- Evidence
- Observed
- Source
- VIIRS NOAA-20 corrected reflectance (NASA LANCE)
- Provider
- NASA LANCE
- Licence
- NASA open data
- Vintage
- daily; Satellite image
- Newest at build
- 2026-10-14
- Resolution
- about 250 m grid
- Uncertainty
- Satellite image. Satellite or model raster as the provider publishes it. Clouds, swath gaps and retrieval error leave gaps and noise; values are indicators, not measurements at a place.
- Reached through
- gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov, only after you allow the live map
About this layer
- Evidence
- Modelled (latest year GIBS publishes)
- Source
- MODIS Terra and Aqua land cover (MCD12Q1) (NASA LP DAAC)
- Provider
- NASA LP DAAC
- Licence
- NASA open data
- Vintage
- yearly; Satellite classification; latest year GIBS publishes
- Newest at build
- 2024-01-01
- Resolution
- about 500 m grid
- Uncertainty
- Satellite land cover classes for the year shown, including croplands; a classification with known errors, not a farm register.
- Reached through
- gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov, only after you allow the live map
About this layer
- Evidence
- Observed (clouds leave gaps)
- Source
- MODIS Terra EVI (NASA LANCE)
- Provider
- NASA LANCE
- Licence
- NASA open data
- Vintage
- daily; Satellite index; clouds leave gaps
- Newest at build
- 2026-10-13
- Resolution
- about 250 m grid
- Uncertainty
- Satellite vegetation index for the 8 days to the date shown, a habitat condition indicator; not a measure of species or biodiversity.
- Reached through
- gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov, only after you allow the live map
Keyboard, with the map focused
Hold Ctrl or ⌘ and scroll to zoom
Latest available
NASA GIBS / EOSDIS · ASTER GDEM (METI, NASA) · Blue Marble (NASA) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Natural Earth
Loading the latest NASA imagery.
Drag to move. Ctrl or ⌘ and scroll, pinch or the buttons to zoom; hover for the values under the pointer; reset returns to the region.
Activity and hazards, framed on the Strait of Malacca.Satellite and model products as NASA publishes them, each with its own date. They are indicators, not assessments of any place.
Data: NASA GIBS · ASTER GDEM · Blue Marble · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Natural Earth · NASA EONET · NASA JPL OPERA DIST-ALERTSources and licences
- We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA’s Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA’s Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS). Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
- We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA’s Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA’s Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS). Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
- VIIRS Black Marble night-time lights, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; distributed by the NASA Level-1 and Atmosphere Archive and Distribution System (LAADS DAAC); imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
- Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University. 2018. Gridded Population of the World, Version 4 (GPWv4): Population Density, Revision 11. NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). doi:10.7927/H49C6VHW. CC BY 4.0
- GHRSST Level 4 MUR analyses, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory; distributed by the NASA Physical Oceanography DAAC (PO.DAAC); imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
- VIIRS near-real-time products (flood, land surface temperature, snow cover, corrected reflectance), NASA LANCE; imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
- MODIS land products (vegetation indices, gross primary production, land cover), NASA LP DAAC and LANCE; imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
- ASTER GDEM is a product of METI and NASA (ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model V003, NASA LP DAAC); imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). Cite as: NASA/METI/AIST/Japan Spacesystems and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team (2019). ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model V003. doi:10.5067/ASTER/ASTGTM.003. NASA open data
- Made with Natural Earth. Free vector and raster map data @ naturalearthdata.com. Public domain
- © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), via NASA GIBS (coastlines, boundaries, roads and place names). Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). ODbL
- Blue Marble, NASA Earth Observatory; imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
- Context on the globe and flat map: coastlines, boundaries, roads and place names from NASA GIBS reference layers (OpenStreetMap data, ODbL, © OpenStreetMap contributors); Blue Marble imagery as an optional base; 3D terrain and the elevation read-out from the ASTER GDEM elevation colour index (5 m to 200 m classes, exaggerated for legibility). Boundaries are drawn as published and imply no position on any territory.
- Live events: NASA Earth Observatory Natural Event Tracker (EONET); events are indicative and keep their original source links.
- Live: NASA EONET Events are indicative, not authority warnings.
- Observed (EO): NASA JPL OPERA DIST-ALERT (contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2026). We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA’s Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA’s Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS).
- NASA GIBS: We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA’s Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA’s Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS).
- Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (https://open-meteo.com/), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
- Optional layers (7 sources in the layer list: live, forecast, observed and context) print their provider credit on the map and here when switched on; forecasts are model output and derived indices are estimates.
Layers and dates
- Night-time lights, daily: VIIRS Black Marble (VNP46A2), NASA LAADS DAAC · 12 Oct 2026
- Population density, 2020: Population: CIESIN, Columbia University, Gridded Population of the World v4.11 (2018), NASA SEDAC, CC BY 4.0 · static
- Sea surface temperature anomaly: GHRSST MUR25, NASA JPL PO.DAAC · 12 Oct 2026
- True colour: VIIRS NOAA-20 corrected reflectance, NASA LANCE · 13 Oct 2026
- Land cover type (IGBP), yearly: MODIS Terra and Aqua land cover (MCD12Q1), NASA LP DAAC · 2024
- Enhanced vegetation index, rolling 8 days: MODIS Terra EVI, NASA LANCE · 13 Oct 2026
Responsible sourcing protects people and nature at the start of supply chains.
- BiodiversityCouplingCommodity sourcing drives deforestation risk.What to watchTraceability to plot level
- WaterCouplingExtraction can deplete or pollute local water.What to watchWater impacts disclosed
- HealthCouplingMining and processing communities face health risks.What to watchCommunity health monitoring
Due diligence evidence is designed for the Evidence Brief series. The OECD due diligence guidance (2016 for minerals, 2018 for responsible business conduct), the UN Guiding Principles (2011) and the EITI Standard (2023) set the practice; the Global Centre for Risk and Innovation (GCRI) audits no supply chain.
- Grievance and remediation case records.
- Traceability methods and their limits.
Model responsible sourcing as a system. Run the cascade.
Assembled from the Nexus Standards area profile Supply chain and trade risk: the hazards it names, the systems and sectors that carry the loss, the controls that dampen it and the data that observe it. Choose the components, pick an initiating hazard and step through the cascade. The Map view places the run on an example geography with open data. Every coupling weight is a stated assumption you can change. A teaching model, not a forecast, an assessment or a certification. To model a place of your own choosing, open the full System Builder.
Hazards
- Dam failure
- River flood (set off downstream)
- Flash flood (set off downstream)
- Mass displacement (set off downstream)
- Widespread power outage (set off downstream)
- Water supply shortfall (set off downstream)
Systems and couplings
- Supply chain and trade risk
- Food security and nutrition risk Cascade
- Oceans and coasts risk standards Exposure
- Geopolitical and security risk Common driver
- Cyber and digital risk standards Cascade
Controls
NS-0Constitution and principlesNS-3Risk record UNIs (grammar, legacy crosswalk, allocation authority)NS-9Contextual UNIs (deployments, instances, programme instances)NS-10Policies and clauses (machine-readable obligations: definition, binding, evaluation and enforcement)NS-11Verification and monitoring (evidence, attestations, zero-trust conformance observation)NS-12Software, model and AI/ML artefacts (supply chain, model cards, dataset sheets)NRS-H60Hazard family: Supply-chain and flow disruption (NHS-1 sys.supply-chain)NRS-X4Trade, transport and supply chains riskNRS-H89Hazard family: Transport network disruption (NHS-1 infra.mobility)NRS-K38Domain pack profile: Supply chain trade (DOMAIN-038)NRS-H43Hazard family: Livestock and aquaculture epizootics (NHS-1 health.animal-health)NRS-M10Method fabric: Markets, trade and supply chains
Observation
- IMF PortWatch port activity and chokepoint disruptions (listed for reference)
- Global Supply Chain Pressure Index (listed for reference)
- OECD Data Explorer (SDMX API) (listed for reference)
- World Bank Open Data and World Development Indicators API (listed for reference)
- Developing countries’ and least developed countries’ share of global exports
- Passenger and freight volumes, by mode of transport
Example geography
- The Strait of Malacca: 227 hexagonal cells
- Night lights tonight, outages (VIIRS Day/Night Band), NASA GIBS
- Surface water through cloud, 30 m (OPERA DSWx-S1 radar), NASA GIBS
- Rain rate, last half hour (IMERG), NASA GIBS
- Surface soil moisture (SMAP), NASA GIBS
What is measured, and how well.
Each indicator carries its unit, its cadence, the kind of source behind it and the evidence label a value would carry. No values are shown: a programme supplies them under its own authority.
| Indicator | Unit | Cadence | Source type | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firms reporting supply chain due diligence | percent of in-scope firms | annual | Corporate disclosures | DECLARED |
| Smelters and refiners assessed against a responsible sourcing standard | count | per update | Industry assessment programme lists | REPORTED |
| Goods with documented forced or child labour risk | count of goods and countries | per edition | Government lists | Published statistics |
| Deforestation linked to commodity production | hectares | annual | Satellite forest loss with commodity attribution | ESTIMATED |
| Grievances received and resolved | count | annual | Company grievance mechanisms | DECLARED |
| Countries implementing the EITI Standard | count | annual | EITI records | Published statistics |
How responsible sourcing is modelled, measured and tested.
The model, its assumptions, its data and its uncertainty, in the form a scientist or engineer would check. Structures follow published methods. The values drawn are illustrative, not findings.
System model
The couplings between the systems in responsible sourcing: signs of influence, a reinforcing and a balancing loop, and cross-links where stress jumps.
Where the evidence comes from.
Named public datasets and institutional records, each with its licence class. Sources by agreement are used only under their terms and never republished.
| Source | What it gives | Licence class |
|---|---|---|
| OECD Due Diligence Guidance and alignment assessments | Standards and assessments of industry programmes | Public, OECD terms |
| US Department of Labor List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor | Goods and countries with documented risk | Public domain, US government |
| Responsible Minerals Initiative smelter and refiner lists | Facilities assessed under the responsible minerals assurance process | Public lists, RMI terms |
| Global Forest Watch and Hansen Global Forest Change | Tree cover loss and commodity-driven deforestation | Open, CC BY 4.0 |
| Business and Human Rights Resource Centre | Allegations, company responses and legal cases | Public, terms to check |
| EITI data portal | Extractive sector disclosures | Open, EITI terms |
Who decides, and what the evidence serves.
Trade and Strategic Resources prepares evidence. The decisions below are taken by the authorities named, under their own rules, and never by the platform.
| Who decides | The question | Evidence this page serves |
|---|---|---|
| Firms and procurement leads | Where to focus due diligence and how to respond to risks found | Risk maps; disclosure reviews |
| Regulators and customs authorities | How to enforce due diligence and import rules | Lists of goods at risk; traceability evidence |
| Producer governments and associations | How to demonstrate and improve practices | EITI and assessment evidence |
Outputs this topic produces
- Supply chain risk maps by commodity and origin
- Reviews of due diligence disclosures against OECD steps
- Deforestation-linked sourcing analyses from satellite data
- Evidence notes on new due diligence laws
What experts ask about responsible sourcing.
- What environmental and social impacts occur at each stage of a supply chain?
- How reliably can a material be traced from source to product?
- What do audits, certifications and disclosures actually measure, and what do they miss?
- How do sourcing standards affect livelihoods, including those of informal and small-scale producers?
- How do traceability requirements interact with supply security?
Why traceability is hard.
Materials are often mixed, refined and transformed as they move through supply chains. Once ore from many mines is smelted together, or cotton from many farms is spun, the physical link to the source is lost. Traceability then depends on documentation, which can be incomplete or falsified.
Impacts concentrate at the start of the chain: water use and pollution at mines, deforestation for agricultural commodities, and labour conditions in artisanal mining and farming. Those who make purchasing decisions are often far removed from these conditions.
Interventions can have unintended effects. Blanket withdrawal from a region can harm the livelihoods it intended to protect, and shift production to less visible channels.
Methods and their limits.
- 01
Chain-of-custody systems
Documentation and segregation models that track materials. They depend on the integrity of every link.
- 02
Material fingerprinting
Chemical and isotopic analysis to infer origin, using materials science and chemistry. Methods are maturing and not available for all materials.
- 03
Remote sensing and GIS
Satellite monitoring of land use and mining activity using geospatial information systems. It shows change but not conditions on the ground.
- 04
Life-cycle assessment
Estimating environmental impacts across a product’s life. Results are sensitive to boundaries and data.
No method makes a supply chain fully transparent. Analyses state what was traced, how, and what remained uncertain.
How it is studied, and what the methods cannot say.
- 01Geospatial information systemsFacility hazard overlays · Sourcing region deforestation · Corridor mappingApplied here
- 02Network science and contagionTrade network centrality · Multi-tier dependency mapping · Disruption propagationApplied here
- 03EconometricsPrice transmission · Effects of trade measures · Disruption impacts on outputApplied here
- 04Materials science and chemistryProcessing route analysis · Recycling potential · Substitution optionsApplied here
Where this page’s references lead.
The bodies and documents this page is read against. Status and editions change; each link goes to the issuing body.
- OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals, third edition (OECD, 2016)
- OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct (OECD, 2018)
- UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (OHCHR, 2011)
- EITI Standard 2023 (Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative)
Questions and answers.
What is supply chain due diligence?
What are conflict minerals?
Is an audit the same as due diligence?
Does the platform certify responsible supply chains?
Are labour conditions covered?
Can a company submit its supply chain for review?
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