Sustainable Development and Metals: Are We Asking the Right Questions?

Industrial and consumer product manufacturers, retailers and many other branches/sectors are increasingly interested in reducing the environmental and social impacts, as well as optimising the societal benefits, of their products. They are doing this for a variety of reasons such as reducing costs, meeting regulatory and customer expectations, to show progress on their own commitments to create more environmentally and socially responsible products, reducing their contribution to global warming and minimising their exposure to undue supply chain risks (e.g. due to being associated with conflict minerals).  In recent years, the focus of these companies’ improvement efforts has expanded to include the environmental and social (i.e., sustainability) performance of the materials they purchase and the companies that supply those materials.  Read my thought on this issues  in the article entitled Sustainable Development and Metals: Are We Asking the Right Questions?   On page 11 of the IPANews – the newsletter of the International Platinum Group Metals Association.

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