Greening ICT Supply Chains – Survey on Conflict Minerals Due Diligence Initiatives

This technical document speaks of minerals as key inputs for products of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry. A feature of this is that much of the outputs of these minerals are by small-scale mining. This means that the livelihood of much of the population depends on a sustainable minerals supply chain. However, due to global spotlights on the contributing role of artisanally-mined minerals with the financing of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s on-going armed conflict, these minerals have become symbolic of conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the nine adjoining states. This document however raises overlooked issues of artisanal and industrial mining of minerals impacts on two of the most important ecosystems on Earth: the Congo Basin and the Albertine Rift. This document points at the efforts to safeguard and protect ecological resilience.