Shareholders are asking energy companies to acknowledge the risk that their carbon assets may be stranded.
Conflict in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to devastate vulnerable communities. Fortunately, awareness, transparency, and collaboration are increasing as companies and investors respond to public pressure and legislation. Now, a new report from Responsible Sourcing Network (RSN), a project of As You Sow, shines a light on company efforts to ensure their supply chains are free of conflict minerals.
Mining the Disclosures 2015: An Investor Guide to Conflict Minerals Reporting in Year Two analyzes companies’ conflict minerals disclosures under Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Act. Co-authored by Andrew Arriaga and Patricia Jurewicz of RSN, the report takes a look at how this ground-breaking legislation requires publicly-traded companies to trace the minerals in their products and determine whether they are contributing to violence in and around the DRC.
The legislation provides a path toward supply chain transparency for tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold (also known as “3TG” minerals) and outlines how companies need to identify and address human rights risks. The report highlights companies encouraging conflict-free sourcing from the DRC region, as well as those that are embargoing the region rather than performing their due diligence.
By scoring and rating companies on 20 key indicators related to their activities and public reporting, Mining the Disclosures promotes transparency, recognizes leaders, and holds laggards accountable. A total of 155 companies across 20 different high-exposure industry groups were ranked alongside their industry peers. Companies reviewed include leaders like Intel, Philips, Apple, and Qualcomm, as well as laggards like Amazon, Ralph Lauren, and Whirlpool.
With major investors lauding RSN’s analysis as an authoritative guide to companies’ conflict minerals performance, Mining the Disclosures 2015 highlights leading practices and acknowledges potential obstacles. To learn more or download the report, visit www.sourcingnetwork.org/mining-the-disclosures.
