Basic Approach to the Responsible Procurement of Minerals
The DIC Group has formulated the Basic Approach to the Responsible Procurement of Minerals and conducts surveys to ensure its ability to procure these critical resources in a responsible manner.
Basic Approach to the Responsible Procurement of Minerals
To avoid any complicity in the funding of armed groups, or in child labor or other human rights abuses, in areas of conflict— including the Democratic Republic of Congo and its neighboring countries—or high-risk areas,* the DIC Group surveys suppliers of minerals such as tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold to ensure the responsible procurement thereof across its entire supply chain. Should it discover the use of minerals mined in conditions of conflict or as a result of human rights abuses, the Group will take immediate corrective actions.
- The EU Conflict Minerals Initiative defines high-risk areas as areas in a state of armed conflict or a fragile post-conflict state, as well as areas witnessing weak or non-existent governance and security, such as failed states, and widespread and systematic violations of international law, including human rights abuses.
In line with this approach, the DIC Group ascertains the status of suppliers’ efforts to ensure the responsible procurement of minerals using EcoVadis and the DIC Group Sustainable Procurement Guidebook and surveys smelters using the conflict minerals reporting template (CMRT) and the extended minerals reporting template (EMRT)* to evaluate minerals contained in procured raw materials. To date, surveys using the CMRT have been secured regarding more than 90% of the raw materials the Group currently procures in Japan. Surveys using the EMRT have also been conducted for major raw materials containing target minerals. The Group will continue to expand and update its surveys in the future. In addition, Sun Chemical is a founding member of the Responsible Mica Initiative, which seeks to eradicate child labor and unacceptable working conditions in India’s mica supply chain, and is working to improve the soundness of that country’s mica mining industry.
- The CMRT and EMRT are standardized reporting templates developed by the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) to survey smelters and refineries used for minerals contained in raw materials, with the CMRT targeting tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold and the EMRT targeting cobalt and mica.
