CSR Activities
Seven Promises 3: Operating as an International Corporation
Approach to Responsible Minerals Policy
Concerns are rising with regard to mineral resources, which are significant as raw materials used in IT and electronic components. In conflict-affected and high-risk areas including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and adjoining countries, the mining of such minerals may result in funds for groups that engage in conflicts and illegal acts such as the violation of human rights including forced labor and child labor, environmental destruction, and money laundering. Accordingly, the use of these minerals could promote the activities of such groups.
Based on our view that it is our social responsibility to take this issue into consideration, the EIZO Group aims at procuring minerals from sources with no involvement in conflicts or illegal acts (i.e., to procure conflict-free minerals) for use in our products.
To realize this goal, we conduct surveys on our entire supply chain and check the survey results to ensure that specific minerals (the four mineral resources (tantalum, tin, tungsten, and gold) defined as conflict minerals by the U.S. Dodd-Frank Act, and cobalt) are procured from sources that have no relation with illegal activities. If we discover that a source may have a relation with illegal activities, we will take corrective actions.
Furthermore, we participate in the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) and continuously support responsible minerals procurement from conflict-affected and high-risk areas.
The Due Diligence Process
We disclose our Responsible Minerals Policy on our website and demand that our entire supply chain makes effort to use only conflict-free materials in components for our products.
Furthermore, targeting our entire supply chain, we annually conduct a country of origin survey regarding the specific minerals using the RMI’s Conflict Minerals Reporting Template (CMRT) to check if any minerals procurement may have a relation with illegal activities.
When the responses from the supply chain members include smelters that are not conformant with the Responsible Minerals Assurance Process (RMAP) standards, we demand that the relevant member conducts a further detailed survey and/or an RMAP audit or consider procurement from other RMAP conformant smelters.
2018 Survey Results
While the response rate of the 2018 conflict minerals survey by CMRT was over 85%, we were not able to make a judgment on whether the minerals used in our products are completely conflict free or not since some supply chain members did not respond. Furthermore, we obtained information that some smelters were using minerals that originated from the DRC and adjoining countries but we were not able to obtain information for making a judgment on whether the minerals provided by those smelters were conflict free or not.
In addition, we conducted the cobalt survey for the first time. At the time of the survey, cobalt was not the subject of a formal survey in RMI, but we obtained more than 50% of responses and proceeded to understand the status of cobalt use and procurement in the supply chain. [Smelter List]
Future Activities
In 2019, in addition to the conventional conflict minerals survey, we will conduct a cobalt survey as a formal survey. Collaborating with our suppliers and industry organizations, we will continue to strive to realize our goal to use only conflict-free materials.