Price, Proof and Licence to Operate: What Downstream Really Asks of Lithium Producers

In this episode of TDi’s podcast series, Suits and Boots, recorded live at the Fastmarkets European Battery Raw Materials Conference in Budapest, TDi’s Joséphine Quioc sits down with Astrid Karamira of the International Lithium Association (ILiA) to unpack what downstream companies really expect from lithium producers today. You can also watch the video version of this conversation below.

Joséphine and Astrid discuss:

• What’s changed in the industry over the past 12 months
• The ESG topic lithium producers are asked about most: carbon footprint and GHG performance, and the rise of life-cycle assessments
• How the scope of downstream due diligence has widened – from human rights risk checks to full product-level traceability across environmental and governance topics too
• The growing appetite for third-party assurance
• Whether a “green premium” is real – and why Astrid believes the goal should be making responsible production the norm, not an exception
• Where ESG performance actually gets rewarded: including market access, investment decisions, and social licence to operateThis conversation was recorded live at Fastmarkets European Battery Raw Materials Conference 2026 in Budapest. It is part of TDi Sustainability’s Suits and Boots podcast series. It was recorded in partnership with Fastmarkets. Watch TDi’s daily round-up videos from the event here.