Responsible Sourcing, Sustainable Supply Chains and Partnerships
There is an expectation that businesses, particularly in the electronics and luxury goods industries, should commit to and disclose a policy and strategy for the responsible sourcing of metals and materials. Building partnerships between businesses at different ends of the supply chain and between commercial enterprises and NGOs is critical to success; sadly there is more precedent for failure than success.
TDI works in multiple sectors to bring clarity to the issues surrounding raw materials and we help companies to decide which to focus on in the years ahead by producing a series of Risk & Opportunity Profiles (ROPES.) Each Profile employs a high-level screening methodology that applies selected risk and opportunity criteria to targeted materials critical to the companies in question.
We bring our expertise and experience of many years to assist our clients to develop and communicate corporate-level commitments and action plans that are designed to satisfy internal and external audiences. We also specialise in identifying and cementing alliances between uncommon collaborators the length and breadth of the resources, materials and natural resource supply chain.
Our service is comprehensive and includes:
- Scouting and identifying partners to support our clients' social responsibility initiatives;
- Due diligence assessments and reports;
- Introductions and facilitation to ensure each partner clearly understands each other and put their best foot forward;
- Brokering terms between our clients and their prospective partners;
- Continuing relationship management between partners.
We have been, and continue to be, involved in many initiatives leading the path to responsible sourcing:
| Initiative | involvement | TDI Team Member Role | |
| Current | Former | ||
| Responsible Jewellery Council |  |
Technical Committee Member | |
| Fair Trade Gold | |
Technical Advisory Group and Consultant | |
| Fairmined Entry Standard | |
Standards Committee Member | |
| Better Coal Initiative | |
Technical Advisory Committee and Consultant | |
| Accountability Standards | |
Board Chair | |
| Equitable Origin | |
Head Advisory Council and Technical Committee member | |
| Jewellery Ethics Committee, UK | |
Chair | |
| Gem A (U.K) | |
Lead, Ethics Committee | |
| Precious Stones Working Group | |
Participant | |
| CGWG | |
Facilitator and Technical Lead | |
| BSI Manufacturing Standards | |
Steering Committee | |
| Fair Jewelry Action | |
Steering Committee | |
| Fairgems Process | |
Advisor | |
| HCVN | |
Steering Committee | |
| IRMA & Vancouver Dialogue | |
Participant and Consultant Contract | |
| IIRC | |
Contributor | |
| Conflict Free Smelter Program | |
Informal Advisor / Stakeholder input | |
| SCS Recycled Gold and Silver | |
Co-Developer | |
| Energy and Biodiversity Initiative | |
Convener / Co-Developer | |
| SASB Natural Resources | |
Advisor / Stakeholder Input | |
| ICMM SD Framework | |
Advisor and Consultant | |
| Aluminium Stewardship Initiative | |
Advisor | |
| IFC PS | |
Advisor on PS 6 | |
| Wal-Mart LoveEarth supplier criteria | |
Convener / Co-Developer | |
| CASM (small scale mining) | |
Board member | |
| GRI | |
Author, biodiversity section | |
The TDI team brings a deep knowledge and fresh perspective to what is possible to help downstream businesses effectively incentivize improvements in social and environmental practices of upstream mining and mineral processing companies. They are a practical, solutions-driven company with the boldness to suggest new approaches. In my various roles, they have been a partner on which I can rely fully.
- Carrie George- Brilliant Earth
Responsible Supply Chain Director and Expert in materials sourcing across electronics and jewellery supply chains
Learn how our approach has worked for some of our clients below:
Due Diligence, Assessments and Monitoring
Major OEM Luxury Brand, USA
We have worked for over three years with the world’s largest OEM electronics and consumer goods company to review and analyse sustainability standards in their global metals supply chain and designed a management tool to set, monitor and train business partners in best in class environmental, health, safety and governance standards and practices. We perform due diligence checks on all their major suppliers of metals and mined minerals and conduct periodic field checks on critical mining partners in Africa, Asia and South America.
Value Chain Development and Supply Chain Programmes
Leading Jewellery Brand, Geneva and Multiple Materials (ASM gold, emeralds, rubies, opals and diamonds)
With a mandate from the company’s CEO and President, we developed a multi-year sourcing and supply chain management strategy to source mined materials from ethical sources and establish direct relationships and contracts with the minerals. We identified sources of artisanally mined gold in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia; completed in-depth site-based due diligence studies and reports to meet the company’s corporate and RJC commitments; analysed the operating practices at the mines to identify the gaps in their system that would need to be closed to meet Fairtrade/Fairmined certification; negotiated an agreement between the mine and offtaker including the need to make operating environmental and social improvements and production targets; engineered the value chain for a route to market to refinery in Europe and on to the brand’s workshops; facilitated the contract and long-term relationships between partnering NGO and the company; and, finally built the communications strategy and content enabling the company to win considerable PR benefits from their supply chain project. The relationships with the mines continue to provide a regular supply of gold to the brand. As is publicly recorded, this brand has also sourced opals, emeralds, diamonds and rubies from known responsible sources for which we identified the producing mines, completed the due diligence, and facilitated the non-commercial aspects of the agreement including logistics and CSR requirements.
Contact Assheton Carter acarter@TDIStrategies.com
or Emma Hague ehague@TDIStrategies.com
