Nintendo's Corporate Social Responsibility report shows minor improvement in sourcing of conflict minerals

Nintendo released their latest Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report, which gives details in the company's fight against using conflict minerals in the creation of their gaming hardware. Slowly but sure, Nintendo is making strides in being more socially responsible for their hardware. You can check out details from this year's report below.

For reference, gold, tantalum, tin, and tungsten are collectively known as 3TGs, or conflict minerals. Smelters and refiners are referred to as SORs.

- Nintendo has a total of 323 SORs in its supply chain of 3TGs
- of those, 256 were identified as audited and conformant to industry standards for ethical sourcing
- this makes Nintendo's percentage of conformant SORs to 79% -- 3% higher than last year
- Nintendo now has ten fewer SORs total in its supply chain
- Nintendo's mineral procurement guidelines outline requires suppliers and production partners to ensure ethical sourcing
- management is "using this information to define steps that should be taken with respect to responsible minerals procurement."
- Nintendo has taken specific action with cobalt, which has its own ethical sourcing challenges

"In fiscal year 2018 we conducted a pilot survey for cobalt, an important mineral used in lithium-ion batteries. Strong concerns have been expressed regarding child labor and inferior working environments in the mines of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is known to have the largest deposits of cobalt in the world. Using the RMI Cobalt Reporting Template, we began a survey of distribution processes in our cobalt supply chain in fiscal year 2018 and we are working hard to fully understand the present conditions."