- ASMArtisanal & Small-Scale Mining
- Informal or semi-formal mining using hand tools and basic equipment rather than industrial machinery. In DRC cobalt, this is the workforce the FCA serves.
- LSMLarge-Scale Mining
- Industrial, mechanised mining, the other main mode of cobalt production. ASM and LSM often operate side by side.
- Cobalt
- A battery-critical metal used in lithium-ion cathodes for electric vehicles, phones and energy storage. The DRC is the dominant global source, and cobalt is usually co-produced with copper.
- DRCDemocratic Republic of the Congo
- Central African country that mines most of the world's cobalt. The FCA works in Lualaba province, based in Kolwezi.
- Lualaba
- The DRC province at the heart of the cobalt-copper belt, where Kolwezi and the FCA's flagship Kamilombe site are located.
- Book-and-claim
- A supply-chain model that decouples the financial claim of responsible sourcing from the physical flow of material, so support can reach responsible producers. The basis of Cobalt Credits.
- VSLAVillage Savings and Loan Association
- A small, community-run group where members save together and lend to each other. The FCA's main vehicle for building livelihoods beyond mining.
- SAEMAPE
- The DRC state service that supervises and supports artisanal and small-scale mining on the ground. A key FCA partner at the mine site.
- EGCEntreprise Générale du Cobalt
- The DRC state company with a mandate over artisanal cobalt, and a partner in shaping responsible ASM.
- ZEAZone d'Exploitation Artisanale
- A legally designated artisanal mining zone. Many active ASM sites lack this formal status.
- Due diligence
- The process companies use to identify and manage risks in their mineral sourcing, guided internationally by the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for minerals from conflict-affected and high-risk areas.
- RCI / RMIResponsible Cobalt / Minerals Initiative
- Industry standard-setters the FCA co-developed its ASM cobalt framework with.
- Remediation
- Addressing the cause of child labour, through schooling, support and household income, rather than simply removing a child from a site.