Intel and HP Lead Battle Against Conflict Minerals

News
By Wolfgang Gruener
published

For the second time, the Enough Project has listed technology companies for their effort to avoid conflict minerals in their products.

The ranking is designed to highlight and reward those companies that take pro-active steps to recognize the problems of conflict minerals originating from the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Just like the much more publicized conflict diamonds, conflict minerals cause in-humane working conditions, violence and exploitation.

According to the Enough Project, Intel comes out on top with a score of 60 out of a possible 100. HP follows with 54 and Philips with 48. Other companies that were recognized for auditing their supply chain, participate in industry-wide initiatives against conflict minerals and help Congo to clean up their trade environment include Sandisk (48), AMD (44), RIM (42), Acer (40), dell (40), Apple (38), Microsoft (38), Motorola (35), Nokia (35), and Panasonic (33).

Companies such as IBM, LG, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba and Lenovo are further behind and are in the beginning phases of considering a stronger commitment against conflict minerals. The Enough Project chastised Canon, Nikon, Sharp, HTC and especially Nintendo as the lowest ranked company for doing "next to nothing" to avoid conflict minerals. According to the project organizers, Nintendo has been unresponsive to repeated outreach efforts, did not investigate its supply chains, and does not participate in a program "to source clean minerals from Congo."

Contact Us for News Tips, Corrections and Feedback

Wolfgang Gruener
26 Comments Comment from the forums
  • kcorp2003
    even if you stop the "Conflict Minerals". i'm sure some other middle man will buy it from Congo and sell it back to intel, HP, etc.. for 10x more.

    btw shame on you Nintendo.
    Reply
  • aqualipt
    Thumb me down all you want but this is necessary.

    For a few people to be rich there must be a lot of poor people, this how it is and how it always have been.
    Reply
  • aqualipt
    kcorp2003btw shame on you Nintendo.
    Why? because they want to make profit out people like every other company in this world?
    Reply
  • Branden
    aqualiptWhy? because they want to make profit out people like every other company in this world?because they are knowingly and willingly turning a blind eye to the poor conditions, violence and exploitation they are indirectly supporting, that's why.
    Reply
  • southernshark
    This is meaningless.

    Any company that partakes in the market place raises the price of conflict minerals. Its like the price of oil. It does not matter who you buy it from, it only matters if you don't buy it.

    I am not saying there is an alternative, but to suggest they have done something is false.
    Reply
  • nebun
    if they really want to take down the diamond criminals then they really need to look at all the so called jewelry stores...those stores are full of illegal merchandise
    Reply
  • aqualipt
    Brandenbecause they are knowingly and willingly turning a blind eye to the poor conditions, violence and exploitation they are indirectly supporting, that's why.
    So what? do you want prices to go up?
    Reply
  • A Bad Day
    nebunif they really want to take down the diamond criminals then they really need to look at all the so called jewelry stores...those stores are full of illegal merchandise
    It's kinda hard to tell the difference between legit and blood diamonds, no? And the authentication process will get wrenched by bribery or intimation.
    Reply
  • SchizoFrog
    Leading the way with only 60 points out of 100?
    In any kind of school test that would mean your brightest pupil is still a failing retard. Should we really be praising these companies at all?
    Reply
  • @aqualipt: "For a few people to be rich there must be a lot of poor people, this how it is and how it always have been."

    Bull____, prosperity is only a zero-sum game in the minds of those with no sense of history. I'm sorry if you've been fed this stuff in school or the media, but the US and most other countries (not all, I'm looking at you, Albania) embracing capitalism have effected the largest transfer of wealth of ALL its citizenry in history, creating a "middle class" that lives fairly comfortably. Admittedly, some socialist societies have also achieved this goal, but many falter because a too strong government becomes corrupt, causing its people more harm than good.
    Reply