Responsible sourcing of metals: certification approaches for conflict minerals and conflict-free metals

International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment

Volumn 23, Issue 7, 2018, Pages 1429-1447

  Young, Steven B ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO   (Canada)

Author keywords

Auditing; Certification; Conflict minerals; Governance; Metals; Mining; Raw materials; Responsible sourcing; Social aspects; Standards; Sustainable supply chain management

Indexed keywords

GOLD; TANTALUM; TIN; TUNGSTEN;

ARTICLE; CERTIFICATION; CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK; CONFIDENTIALITY; DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC CONGO; ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS AND RELATED PHENOMENA; ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY; LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT; METAL SOURCING; MINING; PRIORITY JOURNAL; QUALITATIVE RESEARCH; STANDARD;

EID: 84938632922     PISSN: 09483349     EISSN: 16147502     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1007/s11367-015-0932-5     Document Type: Article

References (76)

1. Abbott KW, Snidal D (2009) Strengthening international regulation through transnational new governance: overcoming the orchestration deficit. Vanderbilt J Transnat Law 42:501–578
2. Alliance for Responsible Mining. (2014) Fairmined gold. Retrieved June 26, 2013, from http://www.communitymining.org/en/1-fairmined-gold
3. Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (2014) The ASI standard. Retrieved from http://aluminium-stewardship.org/
4. Auld G, Gulbrandsen LH, McDermott CL (2008) Certification schemes and the impacts on forests and forestry. Ann Rev Environ Res 33(1):187–211
5. Balkau F, Sonnemann G (2010) Managing sustainability performance through the value-chain. Corp Gov 10(1):46–58
6. Benn S, Giurco D, Brown PJ, Agarwal R (2014) Towards responsible steel: preliminary insights. Resources 3(1):275–290
7. BGR (2014) CTC Certification Scheme. Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe. Retrieved from http://www.bgr.bund.de/EN/Themen/Min_rohstoffe/CTC/Approach/Certification-Scheme/certification-scheme_node_en.html
8. Bleischwitz R, Dittrich M, Pierdicca C (2012) Coltan from Central Africa, international trade and implications for any certification. Res Policy 37(1):19–29
9. Bryman A, Bell E, Mills A, Yue A (2011) Business research methods (Canadian edition). Oxford University Press
10. Busch L (2011) Standards: recipes for reality. MIT Press, Cambridge
11. Carlsson C, Johansson H (2013) Private standards: leveling the playing field for global competition in the food supply chain? Lund
12. Cashore B (2002) Legitimacy and the privatization of environmental governance: how non-state market-driven (NSMD) governance systems gain rule-making authority. Governance 15(4):503–529
13. Conroy ME (2007) Branded!: how the “certification revolution” is transforming global corporations. New Society Publishers, Gabriola Island
14. DMCC (2014) Responsible sourcing of precious metals. Dubai Multi-Commodites Centre. Retrieved from http://www.dmcc.ae/gold-responsible-sourcing-precious-metals
15. EICC & GeSI (2012) Conflict-Free Smelter (CFS) Program Supply Chain Transparency Smelter Audit Protocol for Tin, Tantalum and Tungsten. Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition & Global e-Sustainability Initiative. Retrieved from http://www.conflictfreesourcing.org/
16. EICC & GeSI (2014a) The Conflict-Free Sourcing Initiative. Retrieved from http://www.conflictfreesourcing.org/
17. EICC & GeSI (2014b) Conflict Minerals Reporting Template. Retrieved from http://www.conflictfreesourcing.org/
18. Enough Project (2012) From congress to Congo: turning the tide on conflict minerals, closing loopholes, and empowering miners
19. Enough Project (2014a) Electronics firms urged to boycott “blood minerals” from DR Congo—human rights tribune. Retrieved from http://www.enoughproject.org/news/electronics-firms-urged-boycott-blood-minerals-dr-congo-human-rights-tribune
20. Enough Project (2014b) The crisis. Retrieved from http://www.raisehopeforcongo.org/content/crisis
21. Fleury A-M, Davies B (2012) Sustainable supply chains—minerals and sustainable development, going beyond the mine. Res Policy 37(2):175–178
22. FLO-CERT (2014) FLO-CERT. Retrieved from http://www.flo-cert.net/flo-cert/
23. Franken G, Vasters J, Dorner U, Melcher F, Sitnikova M, Goldmann S (2012) Certified trading chains in mineral production: a way to improve responsibility in mining. In: Sinding-Larsen R, Wellmer F-W (eds) Non-renewable resource issues: geoscientific and societal challenges. Springer. doi:10.1007/978-90-481-8679-2_11, pp 213–227
24. Gemechu ED, Helbig C, Sonnemann G, Thorenz A, Tuma A (2014) Import-based indicator for the geopolitical supply risk of raw materials in life cycle sustainability assessments. J Ind Ecol. doi:10.1111/jiec.12279
25. Gemechu ED, Sonnemann G, Young SB (2015) Geopolitical-related supply risk assessment as a complement to environmental impact assessment: the case of electric vehicles. Int J Life Cycle Assess. doi:10.1007/s11367-015-0917-4
26. GHGm (2008) Social and environmental responsibility in metals supply to the electronic industry. Guelph, Ont.: Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC) and Global e-sustainability Initiative (GeSI). Retrieved from http://www.gesi.org/files/20080620_ghgm_ser_metalstoelectronics.pdf
27. Glaser BG, Straus AI (1967) The discovery of grounded theory. Aldine, New York
28. Glass J, Achour N, Parry T, Nicholson I (2011) The role of responsible sourcing in creating a sustainable construction supply-chain. In: Management and innovation for a sustainable built environment. Amsterdam
29. Global Witness (2014) Conflict minerals. Retrieved from http://www.globalwitness.org/campaigns/conflict/conflict-minerals
30. Haufler V (2010) The Kimberley process certification scheme: an innovation in global governance and conflict prevention. J Bus Ethics 89(S4):403–416
31. Hayes K, Burge R (2003) Coltan mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo: how tantalum-using industries can commit to the reconstruction of the DRC. Fauna & Flora International
32. Hilson G (2008) “Fair trade gold”: antecedents, prospects and challenges. Geoforum 39(1):386–400
33. Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (2014) The process towards the IRMA Responsible Mining Assurance System. Retrieved from http://www.responsiblemining.net/the-irma-process/
34. ISO (2011) ISO 19011—guidelines for auditing management systems. International Organisation for Standardisation, Geneva
35. ITRI (2013a) Congo miners seek to resume tin exports from North Kivu. Retrieved from https://www.itri.co.uk/index.php?option=com_zoo&task=item&item_id=2830&Itemid=177
36. ITRI (2013b) Conflict-free minerals contributing to community development in Maniema. Retrieved from https://www.itri.co.uk/index.php?option=com_zoo&task=item&item_id=2906&category_id=1&Itemid=177
37. ITRI (2014) iTSCi Project Overview. Retrieved from https://www.itri.co.uk/index.php?option=com_zoo&view=item&Itemid=189
38. KEMET (2014) KEMET guarantees 100% conflict-free tantalum for all customers. Retrieved from http://www.kemet.com/conflictfree
39. Klassen RD, Vereecke A (2012) Social issues in supply chains: capabilities link responsibility, risk (opportunity), and performance. Int J Prod Econ 140(1):103–115
40. Koning R de, & Enough Project (2013) Striking gold: how M23 and its allies are Infiltrating Congo’s Gold Trade. Washington, DC: Enough Project
41. LBMA (2013) Responsible gold guidance (version 5 Jan. 18, 2013). The London Bullion Market Association
42. Levin E, Villegas C, Weinberg R, Bueti C, Campilongo E, Smiciklas J, Kuehr R (2012) Greening ICT supply chains—survey on conflict minerals due diligence initiatives. International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Geneva
43. Linton J, Klassen R, Jayaraman V (2007) Sustainable supply chains: an introduction. J Oper Manag 25(6):1075–1082
44. Loconto A, Busch L (2010) Standards, techno-economic networks, and playing fields: performing the global market economy. Rev Int Polit Econ 17(3):507–536
45. Maignan I, Hillebrand B, McAlister D (2002) Managing socially—responsible buying: how to integrate non-economic criteria into the purchasing process. Eur Manag J20(6):641–648
46. Manhart A, Schleicher T (2013) Conflict minerals—an evaluation of the Dodd-Frank Act and other resource-related measures, vol 49. Oko-Instut, Frieburg
47. MMSD Project, & International Institute for Environment and Development (2002) Breaking new ground. Earthscan Publications, London
48. Nilsson-Lindén H, Baumann H, Rosén M, Diedrich A (2014) Organizing life cycle management in practice: challenges of a multinational manufacturing corporation. Int J Life Cycle Assess. doi:10.1007/s11367-014-0818-y
49. OECD (2011) OECD due diligence guidance for responsible supply chains of minerals from conflict-affected and high-risk areas. OECD Publishing. doi:10.1787/9789264111110-en
50. Partnership Africa Canada (2014) Conflict-free artisanal gold. Retrieved from http://www.pacweb.org/en/conflict-free-gold
51. Prendergast J, Lezhnev S (2009) From mine to mobile phone: the conflict minerals supply chain. Global Witness, Washington
52. Remmen A, Jensen AA, Frydendal J (2007) Life cycle management: a business guide to sustainability. United Nations Environment Programme, Paris
53. Resolve (2010) Tracing a path forward: a study of the challenges of the supply chain for target metals used in electronics. Resolve, Washington, DC
54. Resolve (2014a) Conflict-free tin initiative. Retrieved from http://solutions-network.org/site-cfti/
55. Resolve (2014b) “Solutions for hope” project offers solutions and brings hope to the people of the DRC. Retrieved from http://solutions-network.org/site-solutionsforhope/
56. Responsible Jewellery Council (2014) Chain-of-custody certification. Retrieved from http://www.responsiblejewellery.com/chain-of-custody-certification/
57. RSPO (2014) Milestones. Roundtable on sustainable palm oil. Retrieved from http://www.rspo.org/en/milestones
58. Sarin R (2006) No dirty gold: consumer education and action for mining reform. J Clean Prod 14(3-4):305–306
59. Schneider L, Berger M, Finkbeiner M (2011) The anthropogenic stock extended abiotic depletion potential (AADP) as a new parameterisation to model the depletion of abiotic resources. Int J Life Cycle Assess 16(9):929–936
60. SCS (2014) Certified responsible source: precious metals, gemstones and jewelry. Scientific Certification Systems. Retrieved from http://www.scsglobalservices.com/certified-responsible-source
61. Seuring S, Muller M (2008) From a literature review to a conceptual framework for sustainable supply chain management. J Clean Prod 16(15):1699–1710
62. Signet Jewelers (2013) Signet Responsible Sourcing Protocol (“SRSP”) for conflict -free gold (Revised September 2013). Signet Jewelers
63. Sparks P (2013) Tantalum association T.I.C. suspends King Tan, gains GAM. Metal-Pages. York. Retrieved from http://metal-pages.com/l/2-tantalum-association-tic-suspends-king-tan-gains-gam
64. Steel Stewardship Forum (2014) Responsible steel. Retrieved from http://steelstewardship.com/projects/responsible-steel/
65. Steering Committee of the State-of-Knowledge Assessment of Standards and Certification (2012) Toward sustainability: the roles and limitations of certification. Resolve, Washington, DC
66. TI-CMC (2014) Tungsten Industry-Conflict Minerals Council. Retrieved from http://www.ti-cmc.org/
67. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (2010) Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, Pub. L. No. 1376
68. United Nations Security Council (2004) Letter dated 9 July 2004 from the Coordinator of the Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo addressed to the Chairman of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004) Retrieved from http://www.poa-iss.org/CASAUpload/ELibrary/S-2004-551.pdf
69. Vogel D (2008) Private global business regulation. Ann Rev Polit Sci 11(1):261–282
70. WGC (2012) Conflict-free gold standard: an introduction. World Gold Council, London
71. World Gold Council (2014) Conflict-free gold standard. Retrieved from http://www.gold.org/about_gold/sustainability/conflict_free_standard/
72. Yawar SA, Seuring S (2015) Management of social issues in supply chains: a literature review exploring social issues, actions and performance outcomes. J Bus Ethics. doi:10.1007/s10551-015-2719-9
73. Young SB, Dias G (2011) LCM of metals supply to electronics: tracking and tracing “conflict minerals.” LCM 2011—towards life cycle sustainability management. doi:10.2139/ssrn.1875976
74. Young SB, Dias G (2012) Conflict-free minerals supply-chain to electronics. In Electronics Goes Green 2012+ (EGG) (Vol. 2011, pp. 1–5). Berlin: IEEE Xplore. Retrieved from http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=6360416&isnumber=6360408
75. Young SB, Fonseca A, Dias G (2010) Principles for responsible metals supply to electronics. Soc Resp J6(1):126–142
76. Young SB, Zhe Y, Dias G (2014) Prospects for sustainability certification of metals. Met Res Tech 111:131–136