MIT Thesis: Sustainable Critical Mineral Supply Chains (2024)

Rameen Malik’s 2024 master’s thesis at MIT’s Technology and Policy Program explores the complex dynamics involved in building sustainable nickel supply chains in Indonesia, aimed at supporting the rapidly growing electric vehicle (EV) battery sector. Through qualitative interviews with key stakeholder-mining companies, government regulators, local community representatives, and environmental NGOs—the work identifies critical barriers such as weak transparency, unclear community benefit-sharing, and fragmented decision-making processes. The research underscores the importance of including all voices, especially Indigenous and local actors, in order to legitimize nickel projects and ensure long-term stability.