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Earlier this afternoon, I testified before a congressional subcommittee on what policy insiders refer to as Dodd-Frank Section 1502. Translated, that’s a provision in the 2010 financial reform law that requires publicly traded companies to disclose through a Securities and Exchange Commission report whether they source specific minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) or adjoining [...]
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ITI is back in Geneva this week to participate in the 11th Conference of the Parties (COP-11) of the Basel Convention -- an international treaty designed to control international shipments of hazardous waste. Governments, civil society, and the private sector are continuing our multi-year effort to construct international guidelines to stop the illegal flow of electronic waste to facilities in the [...]
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The President today selected three new leaders for his Cabinet who, together, will be critical for the success of America’s businesses, and particularly the technology sector. The Secretary of Energy, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) are three individuals whose work will shape the direction of the United States [...]
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This past Wednesday in Brussels, the European Union (EU) hosted a “Workshop on a possible comprehensive ‘EU initiative on minerals originating from conflict areas’.” This particular forum was limited to EU officials and invited experts from the OECD, academia, civil society and the business community. The EU will likely advance the initiative in 2013, first with a public consultation and subsequently [...]
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ITI is in Geneva, Switzerland, all week, actively participating with dozens of governments and other stakeholders in the 8th meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG 8) of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal. If you’re still reading after that introduction…thank you! We are here representing the global high-tech sector and throwing [...]
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The New York Times this week shined a light on the tech sector’s energy efficiency work – and there has been plenty of reaction to the major inaccuracies in the paper’s articles. ITI took time recently to talk innovation with Kathrin Winkler, the chief sustainability officer for EMC, about the broader issues facing the sector’s energy and environmental work. Given the Times’ articles and misinformation, [...]
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Today, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) put in place new requirements for publicly traded companies to disclose whether they source listed minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) or adjoining countries. Known in short-hand as the conflict-minerals rule, the requirements cover companies across the economic spectrum. First, let me be clear: Any mining activities [...]