Responsible Mineral Sourcing with Blockchain Standards
Sector: Primary sector · Industry: Mining and raw materials · Organisation: Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI), Philips · Maturity level: Concept
The Responsible Minerals Initiative published voluntary blockchain guidelines in 2018 to establish standards for using blockchain technology in mineral supply chains. The goal is to create interoperability between different blockchain projects for tracing minerals from conflict areas. Companies like Philips use these standards as RMI members to strengthen their due diligence programs for conflict-free minerals.
Documentation status
- Project status: Concept
- Evidence: Evidence high
- Editorial review: Ufuk Avci, 15 April 2026
Description
The Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI), an initiative of the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) with over 360 member companies, published the first industry-wide blockchain guidelines for mineral supply chains in December 2018. The goal: to reduce fragmentation of parallel blockchain projects by establishing common definitions, data requirements and interoperability standards. The guidelines apply to all minerals and all production models. A second edition followed in March 2020 after public consultation.
The Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) is an initiative of the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) with over 360 member companies from various industries. On 12 December 2018, RMI published the first industry-wide voluntary blockchain guidelines for mineral supply chains — the first industry document of its kind defining common principles, attributes and definitions for blockchain use in mineral due diligence. The guidelines build on RMI's proven Conflict Minerals Reporting Template (CMRT). The core goal: to ensure interoperability between different blockchain projects so data can be exchanged across platform boundaries. The guidelines are mineral-agnostic — they apply equally to tin, tantalum, tungsten, gold (3TG) and cobalt. In July 2019, the working group was expanded to include blockchain technology providers. After public consultation in February 2020, the second edition was published in March 2020. Michèle Brülhart, Director of Innovations at RBA, described the guidelines as "a helpful first step to promote interoperability of blockchain projects in mineral supply chains."
Perspectives
B2B — organisations perspective
Companies along the minerals supply chain — from mines through smelters to end consumers — receive a common basis with the RMI guidelines to make their blockchain projects interoperable. This reduces duplicated effort and enables data exchange between different platforms — a prerequisite for seamless end-to-end traceability.
Employees perspective
Compliance officers in companies receive a reference framework with the RMI guidelines that clearly defines the requirements for blockchain projects in mineral due diligence. This greatly simplifies the evaluation and selection of technology solutions.
Benefits
General
- The standards create interoperability between different blockchain projects in the mineral supply chain.
- Companies receive a uniform basis for implementing blockchain solutions for traceability.
- The continuous development of the guidelines ensures they remain up to date and practical.
B2B — organisations
- Companies can reduce implementation costs and minimise risks through standardised blockchain approaches.
Employees
- Employees benefit from standardised workflows and reduced complexity in managing different blockchain systems.
Challenges
General
- The voluntary nature of the guidelines can lead to varying adoption rates and implementation quality.
- Continuous development requires constant adaptation of existing systems and processes.
B2B — organisations
- Companies must invest in new technologies and training to implement the standards.
Employees
- Employees need training on new blockchain technologies and changed workflows.
Technology foundation
Blockchain technology is suitable for the mineral supply chain because it creates immutable records of the origin and journey of minerals from extraction to the end product. The RMI guidelines define standards for implementation to ensure that different blockchain solutions can communicate with each other.
Implementation examples
Philips RMI membership for conflict-free minerals
Philips wanted to meet its regulatory obligations regarding conflict-free minerals while also strengthening the trust of customers and investors. Using the RMI standards was intended to enable a uniform and efficient approach to mineral traceability.
As an active RMI member, Philips uses blockchain standards to strengthen its due diligence programmes for conflict-free minerals.
Philips has been a member of the Responsible Minerals Initiative through the Responsible Business Alliance since at least 2006 and is engaged in multi-stakeholder initiatives such as RMAP. The company cooperates with RMI, iTSCi and EPRM to ensure responsible mineral sourcing. In 2020, Philips expanded its due diligence programme to include cobalt and plans ongoing oversight of conflict-free smelters.
The company addressed the challenge of complex global mineral supply chains and the need to avoid conflict financing. The RMI standards help coordinate various blockchain solutions and ensure interoperability.
Tags
Blockchain standards, Responsible sourcing, Supply chain, Conflict minerals, Due diligence