Demand the Supply: Ranking Consumer Electronics and Jewelry Retail Companies on their Efforts to Develop Conflict-Free Minerals Supply Chains from Congo
Publisher: Enough Project
Author(s): Annie Callaway
Date: 2017
Topics: Extractive Resources, Renewable Resources
Countries: Congo (DRC)
For decades, activists and affected communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo have called attention to the links between their country’s minerals and its protracted armed conflicts. To many communities historically impacted by the violence and lawlessness surrounding Congo’s gold, tin, tungsten, and tantalum mines, the need for change is clear.
As a result of the unique leverage they have over their supply chains, the multinational companies that profit from Congo’s minerals have a central role to play in addressing the links between conflict and mining. And indeed some companies have begun to take ownership and implement this leverage, as evidenced by the positive steps detailed in this report and overall progress in demilitarizing mining areas in eastern Congo. However, critical gaps remain. In tandem with a range of legal and policy interventions, and fueled by sustained consumer demand, companies across industries can continue to use their leverage and resources to incentivize transparency and accountability in the Congolese mining sector and international minerals supply chains.
The Enough Project’s 2017 conflict minerals company rankings examine 20 of the largest companies, as defined by market capitalization, in two of the industries which consume the most tin, tungsten, tantalum, and gold: consumer electronics and jewelry retail. Although a range of industries use these minerals— often referred to as conflict minerals or 3TG—Enough chose to rank these two industries in particular because they have demonstrated the potential to be catalytic in the development of new policies and practices regarding responsible sourcing, and they are also particularly attuned to consumer pressure. These latest rankings acknowledge the steady advances that have been made since Enough conducted its first company rankings in 20102 and expose the considerable and urgent need for more action.