Dec 9 2010
Cabot Corporation (NYSE: CBT) today announced that an independent audit has declared the company's tantalum supply chain free of conflict materials.
The audit was conducted by an independent, third party auditor assigned by the Electronics Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC) and Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI) as part of the Conflict-Free Smelter Validation Program. The program serves as an industry-wide tool validating the origin of materials prior to them entering the broader electronics supply chain. To comply with the audit, a company must have a documented conflict minerals policy, a mechanism in place for tracing material back to the mine of origin, and documentation demonstrating that 100 percent of purchased materials are from non-conflict sources. The term "conflict minerals" applies to metals (particularly tantalum, tin, tungsten and gold) originating in conflict zones of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Tantalum metal is an important raw material for devices such as mobile phones, MP3 players and electronic readers. Cabot Supermetals is a leading tantalum supplier to the electronics industry and is the first processor of any metal type audited under the program.
Andrew O'Donovan, General Manager of Cabot Supermetals said, "We are pleased that our customers now have independent confirmation that Cabot is a reliable supplier of ethically sourced tantalum products. Over the last decade, we have maintained a strict policy of purchasing raw materials only from ethical, non-conflict sources and this audit result is confirmation of our long-standing commitment in this area. We have worked closely with the EICC and GeSI over the past year to develop a credible, robust and independent audit program for this complex supply chain and look forward to continuing our involvement with the broader electronics industry on this important subject."
In commenting on the results, Dave Miller, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Cabot's Core Segment said, "The declaration of Cabot as a supplier of conflict-free tantalum materials is a testament to our commitment to corporate social responsibility. We have been at the forefront of this issue for many years and are gratified by this recognition."