Responsible Minerals Initiative

The Responsible Minerals Initiative has grown into one of the most utilized and respected resources for companies from a range of industries addressing responsible mineral sourcing issues in their supply chains.

Founded in 2008 by members of the Responsible Business Alliance and the Global e-Sustainability Initiative, the Responsible Minerals Initiative has grown into one of the most utilized and respected resources for companies from a range of industries addressing responsible mineral sourcing issues in their supply chains.

Our flagship Responsible Minerals Assurance Process offers companies and their suppliers an independent, third-party audit that determines which smelters and refiners can be verified as having systems in place to responsibly source minerals in line with current global standards. We also offer our Conflict Minerals Reporting Template, which helps companies disclose and communicate about smelters in their supply chains, and we produce white papers and guidance documents on responsible mineral sourcing and reporting on a regular basis.

Over 350 companies and associations from ten different industries participate in the RMI today, and we regularly collaborate with other complementary programs and initiatives in this area. We also run an annual Responsible Minerals Initiative Conference and Members Meeting, which brings together hundreds of representatives from industry, government and civil society for updates, in-depth discussions and guidance on best practices on responsible mineral sourcing. As more companies work on this issue we hope for a future in which businesses can contribute positively to the fostering of peace and stability in conflict-affected and high-risk areas globally.

We provide a variety of tools and resources to support companies to make informed decisions about responsibly sourced minerals in their supply chains. These tools and resources are produced by several program areas and the working groups that support those program areas. All RMI members are welcome to participate in our various working groups.

The program areas include:

Responsible Minerals Assurance Process (RMAP). Through the RMAP, we identify smelters and refiners that produce responsibly sourced materials. In order to confirm this status, we use specially trained third-party auditors to independently verify that these smelters and refiners have systems in place to responsibly source minerals in conformance with the RMAP. A list of smelters and refiners that meet the requirements of the audit standards are published online. The audit standards are developed according to global standards including the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas and the U.S. Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

Conflict Minerals Reporting Template (CMRT):

The CMRT is a free, standardized reporting template that facilitates the transfer of information through the supply chain regarding mineral country of origin and smelters and refiners being utilized. The template also facilitates the identification of new smelters and refiners to potentially undergo an audit via the Responsible Minerals Assurance Program.

Due Diligence Guidance:

Our due diligence working group focuses on producing white papers and other analyses and guidance for companies about best practices and various standards on addressing responsibly sourced minerals in the supply chain and reporting. These resources are all available on our website.


Stakeholder engagement. The RMI regularly participates in public forums to provide information about the RMI and RMAP and share tools, best practices, and mechanisms to identify and mitigate risks in the mineral supply chain. RMI engages with a variety of non-governmental organizations, responsible investor groups, governments and multilateral institutions to discuss emerging issues, best practices and work on addressing shared challenges. RMI participates in a range of multi-stakeholder groups and hosts an annual workshop to provide a forum for dialogue with stakeholders.