Conflict minerals ... where do we start?
Conflict minerals — tungsten, tin, tantalum and gold — are fueling some of the deadliest conflicts since World War II.
Most of these materials come from mines in or near the Democratic Republic of Congo. Armed groups are at war to control profits, worth hundreds of millions of dollars every year.
The problem may seem far away, but conflict minerals are closer than you think. They are essential to most electronic products, including smartphones, TVs and computers. They’re in every Tellabs product, too.
As electronics companies began to realize how big the problem is, the Dodd-Frank bill became U.S. law. From this legislation, the Security and Exchange Commission drafted reporting requirements for public companies.
Tellabs will follow the new reporting rules, including due diligence to know where conflict minerals come from. But the industry is still working through some tough questions.
- What is “due diligence” if it has not been defined in the Dodd-Frank bill?
- Is it possible to know exactly where minerals are being mined and guarantee we are not contributing to conflict in these areas?
- How do we know where the materials come from when we can have anywhere from 2 to 20 layers between us and the mines?
Where do we start? While Tellabs does not source metals directly from mines or smelters, we are working closely with our suppliers to address this issue effectively.
The Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC) and Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI) developed a template to help suppliers report on conflict minerals. Tellabs used this industry template when we recently surveyed our key suppliers. We’re just starting to get responses, and it’s already apparent we all have a lot to learn.
To be clear, Tellabs condemns mining activities that fuel conflict. We recently released our first conflict minerals policy. Together with our supply chain, we’ll make progress on this issue.
We don’t have all the answers, but it’s a start.
