Recap: OECD Forum on Responsible Mineral Supply Chains

The final week of April marked the 14th annual OECD Forum on Responsible Mineral Supply Chains — an event that took place virtually this year and brought together speakers and participants from around the world.

The week-long virtual forum offered participants a wide variety of sessions with engaging speakers, in over 40 events. With topics ranging from Blockchain in the gold supply chain, to incorporating ESG into responsible sourcing, there was something for everyone and lots to learn from the incredible speakers.

While there were too many session to attend every one, here are a few key learnings from the forum:

1. Consumers are demanding more! They want to know where goods come from and expect to see best practices from the companies they purchase from; and if not, they will buy elsewhere. A speaker in one session put it well, saying, “responsible sourcing and ESG is no longer a nice to have, it is necessary.” This is more than a trend — it is becoming a reality.
2. There needs to be a holistic approach to meeting due diligence standards, and practicing responsible sourcing — everyone has a part to play! This means there needs to be engagement with the mines, customers, companies and local communities that are impacted. Engaging with local communities is important to help understand risk management on the ground and these are the voices that too often have been left out of the conversation. As one speaker said, “we can’t be at odds with local voices, we need more inclusion.”
3. One major takeaway from the discussions is that responsible sourcing and ESG is a process. We can’t just put programs and standards in place and expect them to work, we need engagement from everyone in the value chain.
4. Blockchain is an essential tool in the move towards supply chain due diligence and responsible sourcing.
5. Lastly, and probably most importantly — supply chain due diligence requires buy in from all actors and it requires significant time and effort. We can’t solve ESG problems as individual companies; we need to work together using an industry wide approach to make real change. Many of the speakers highlighted the importance of getting buy-in from suppliers, noting that we need to move from push to pull. We shouldn’t have to force suppliers to get on board. Adapting to changing demands for visibility is good business for everyone.

Overall, the forum provided interesting insights and engaging conversations with industry leaders. While there is still a lot of work to be done, it feels good to hear from so many experienced people making real change in this area. One thing is certain: it is going to take commitment and collaboration from everyone to make global supply chain due diligence a reality and we are committed to being part of that change.