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Prospects for sustainability certification ofmetals

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 March 2014

S.B. Young ,
Y. Zhe  and
G. Dias
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Abstract

Certification initiatives are product-focused, rely on standards and use sustainabilitymetrics to inform end-users on the provenance of commodities. In the metals sector, thephenomenon of formal certification programs has recently gained traction. Four initiativesare reviewed to illustrate the status and prospects of metal certification. The prime caseis the Conflict Free Smelter Program operated by the global electronics industry. Thisscheme has developed and applied standards on mineral chain-of-custody, including use ofthird-parties to audit smelters and refineries all over the world. Additional programsdiscussed are the Green Lead Project, Fair Trade and Fair Mined gold, and the ResponsibleJewellery Council. Collectively these initiatives address a variety of sustainabilitycriteria, including social, economic and environmental dimensions, but focus only onprecious and specialty metals (Au, platinum group, Pb, Sn, Ta and W). Metalscertifications programs are building capacity and infrastructure compared to matureprograms in agriculture and other commodity sectors. Opportunities and issues for growthof metals certification are considered.

Keywords

Metalproductcertificationsustainabilitymetricsstandardsauditing
Type
Research Article
Information
Metallurgical Research & Technology , Volume 111 , Issue 3: Social Value of Materials (SAM 7) , 2014 , pp. 131 - 136
Copyright
© EDP Sciences 2014

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