Webinar #5: Assurance schemes in due diligence: How to make smart choices?
Access the slides and the recording from the webinar held on December 11th, 2025
The OECD Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights require companies to conduct human rights and environmental due diligence. Many companies have turned to voluntary sustainability standards and related assurance schemes to support their due diligence efforts. However, many of these assurance schemes have been criticized for failing to deliver positive outcomes for (potentially) affected rightsholders.
Join this webinar to find out...
- The importance of assurance schemes and understand their common gaps and limitations.
- How to make smart use of assurance schemes as a company.
- What can you do as a company if you are dissatisfied with the assurance landscape.
Meet the Experts:
Michael Congdon is a Sustainability Specialist at ENTEGA, a national energy provider in Germany. Over the past 25 years in the energy field, he has experienced numerous roles, his focus today is on climate issues, diversity topics and business and human rights. In addition Michael completed a MBA in Sustainability Management at Leuphana in Lüneburg, Germany, which provided him with a new pool of methods and ideas, on how to address sustainability issues in the corporate world.
Jose Diemel is a Senior Advisor for Responsible Sourcing at LEVIN Sources. As a sustainability professional with 12 years of experience in social sustainability and due diligence in mineral supply chains, she advises companies in the automotive, battery and energy sector on responsible mineral sourcing. Having worked for 8 years in mining communities, she is an expert in international due diligence regulatory frameworks and responsible mining standards.
Boukje Theeuwes is the Head of Policy Influencing at Solidaridad Europe and was and Vice-Chair of the Board, European Partnership for Responsible Minerals in 2022. With her activity in an international CSO operating in 40 countries worldwide on fair and sustainable supply chains, inspired by 50 years of solidarity with under-resourced communities, she provides a civil society perspective, sharing a critical viewpoint on ‘rightsizing’ assurance in Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence.
Iris Rauter is a Senior Associate at KPMG in Austria, focusing on decarbonization, circular economy and carbon accounting. Her professional experience includes corporate and product carbon accounting, contributions to decarbonization initiatives and ESG reporting in line with CSRD and ESRS requirements. Building on her analysis of due diligence assurance schemes with a particular focus on the role of rightsholders, she has gained valuable insights into stakeholder engagement and accountability structures in mineral supply chains.
Access the slides and the recording of this webinar
Please find the slides of the webinar here.
Want to organise a webinar or event together?
Work with us to co-host engaging sessions that highlight key topics in due diligence, sustainability, and responsible business
More events and webinars
Events related to corporate sustainability due diligence in mineral supply chains
AIAG Responsible Materials Conference
LBMA/WGC Sustainability & Responsible Sourcing Summit 2026
