EPRM, Fairphone, and the European Commission multi-day visit to FCA's partner mine site in the DRC

In February, we hosted a delegation of partners from the European Partnership for Responsible Minerals (EPRM), Fairphone, and the European Commission for a multi-day visit to our partner mine site in Kolwezi, DRC.

The visit provided an opportunity to see first-hand the progress and impact of the Responsible Mining Credits (RMC) system. In 2024, EPRM provided funding to the FCA and partners (Fairphone, Datastake, and the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) to digitalise and scale the RMC system, and this visit aimed to review on-the-ground progress.

Participants saw the concrete improvements supported through the sale of cobalt and copper credits, including:

• Dynamos powering underground ventilation at the mine site
• Changing room now actively used by the cobalt women washers for privacy
• A tricycle improving waste management on-site
• Protective gloves provided to women washers during ore washing

The delegation was also able to observe the operational flow of minerals — from the pits where diggers extract material, to the depots where minerals are collected, and the sampling process before ore concentration.

Beyond infrastructure, the visit provided valuable time for dialogue with the mining cooperative and representatives of miners working on site, including underground miners, women washers, ore haulers, and transporters.

The visit also extended to the surrounding community. The delegation spent time with our local partner Alternatives for Action (AFA) and members of the Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) to better understand our efforts to strengthen the economic resilience of mining communities and the efforts of the Child Rights Action Hub DRC,  run by FCA partner The Centre for Child Rights and Business

Our team also joined a civil society workshop organised by Datastake, bringing together a wide range of stakeholders, including local NGOs and mining cooperatives such as our partner cooperative CMDS. Together with Fairphone, we presented the RMC mechanism, raising awareness and gathering feedback from local stakeholders on how the model can continue to improve.

We are grateful to all partners who joined the visit, and especially to EPRM for supporting this project. It was encouraging to see the strong interest and engagement from Fairphone, EPRM, the European Commission, civil society partners, and the cooperative leadership. Learn more about the Responsible Mineral Credits mechanism below:

Cobalt Credits