All Articles About Conflict Minerals

Blog: What Conflict Minerals Regulation Means on the Ground

Amaya Gorostiaga, Former Manager, Advisory Services

I recently returned from a trip to Kigali, Rwanda, where I attended a regional conference on mineral certification—an effort to create responsible supply chains for “conflict minerals” mined from the African Great Lakes Region. Through the discussions, I learned where the region stands on promoting transparency and good governance in the artisanal and small-scale mining sectors, and the implications that recent legislative efforts would have on companies operating in, or sourcing from, the region. Read more →

Posted: March 31, 2011 | Topics: Conflict Minerals, Consumer Products, Human Rights, Information & Communications Technology, Mining, Reporting & Communications, Supply Chain

Blog: Conflict Minerals Regulations and Round Two of Multi-Stakeholder Responses

Marshall Chase, Associate Director, Advisory Services

In advance of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) deadline for comments on proposed conflict minerals reporting rules, a multi-stakeholder group facilitated by the Responsible Sourcing Network has developed a set of comments on the SEC's draft regulations. The comments encourage greater clarity and specificity in certain parts of the regulations, and more importantly, highlight the need to support the continued sourcing of verifiably conflict-free minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and surrounding region. Read more →

Posted: February 28, 2011 | Topics: Conflict Minerals, Consumer Products, Human Rights, Information & Communications Technology, Reporting & Communications

BSR Insight Article: Trends in Sustainable Investment

Xin Zhuo, Former Manager, Advisory Services Laura Gitman, Managing Director, Advisory Services

Despite the recent economic downturn, sustainable investment is extending beyond the United States and Europe, and into countries where it was previously not widely practiced. Nearly one out of every eight U.S. dollars under professional management in the United States is represented by socially responsible investment (SRI) assets. SRI approaches integrate social and environmental criteria into investment decisions with the goal of aligning financial activities with social and environmental objectives, values, or beliefs, and can include the incorporation of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria by money managers, shareholder advocacy, and community investment. According to a 2010 report by the Social Investment Forum, at the start of 2010, professionally managed assets in the United States following SRI strategies amounted to US$3.07 trillion—an increase of more than 34 percent since 2005, compared to 3 percent growth for total assets under management (AUM). The growth in Europe is even more pronounced, with total SRI AUM increasing 87 percent in just two years, from €2.7 trillion to €5 trillion at the end of 2009, according to Eurosif. Read more →

Posted: February 14, 2011 | Topics: Conflict Minerals, Financial Services, Investor Perspective, Strategy & Integration

Blog: Conflict Minerals Reporting Regulations: Who is Covered?

Marshall Chase, Associate Director, Advisory Services

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released draft conflict minerals reporting rulesin December 2010 that have significant implications for a range of corporate sustainability issues—from supply chain monitoring and transparency to integrated reporting and responsible investing. In the short term, however, many people are simply focused on understanding and commenting on these rules, which are open for comment until the end of January 2011. Read more →

Posted: January 13, 2011 | Topics: Conflict Minerals, Governance & Accountability, Human Rights, Reporting & Communications, Supply Chain

BSR Insight Article: Responsible Sourcing Network Helps Companies Combat Human Rights Abuses in Supply Chains

Corporate accountability NGO As You Sow recently launched the Responsible Sourcing Network (RSN) in an effort to combat slavery and other human rights abuses in corporate supply chains. RSN provides a space for companies, investors, NGOs, and other stakeholders to share best practices and take coordinated action. RSN is presently working to end forced child labor in Uzbekistan's cotton industry, and addressing the conflict minerals trade in the Democratic Republic of the Congo—where profits help fuel one of the world's bloodiest conflicts. Read more →

Posted: January 11, 2011 | Topics: Conflict Minerals, Consumer Products, Economic, Social & Cultural Rights, Information & Communications Technology, Supply Chain