Responsible Minerals Sourcing Policy

At PPG, we believe acting ethically is simply the right thing to do. Our values, including the responsible sourcing of the minerals used in our products, are principles that extend to our suppliers. We extend these values to our suppliers through the PPG Supplier Code of Conduct.

PPG is committed to ethical business conduct and responsible sourcing. We work diligently with our global supply chain partners to ensure our products do not incorporate Conflict Minerals, cobalt, mica, and silicon from entities that directly or indirectly finance conflict or may be linked to human rights abuses in an attempt to support the development of economy in certain high-risk areas.

“Conflict Minerals” currently include cassiterite, columbite/tantalite, and wolframite (the most common derivatives of which are tin, tantalum and tungsten, respectively) and gold – commonly referred to as 3TG. These Conflict Minerals are of concern because mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and surrounding countries are important sources of these minerals. Some of these mines are controlled by armed groups that finance their conflicts through mining activities. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) adopted Conflict Minerals reporting and disclosure requirements to further the humanitarian goal of ending violent conflict and inhumane treatment in the DRC and surrounding countries, which have been partially financed by the exploitation and trade of Conflict Minerals. Other minerals, including, cobalt, mica, and silicon may also be sourced from areas where there is a risk of human rights abuses in the supply chain of these minerals.

As further described in PPG’s Supplier Code of Conduct, PPG is committed to ethical business conduct and responsible sourcing. We are working diligently with our global supply chain partners to ensure compliance with the SEC’s Conflict Minerals rules and to source minerals from ethical suppliers. However, the international supply chain for minerals is complex, and the tracing of them is challenging. Many of the raw materials that contain Conflict Minerals and minerals of concern used by PPG passed through a variety of intermediaries before reaching PPG. PPG does not purchase directly from smelters; therefore, we must rely upon our suppliers to identify the sources of Conflict Minerals and minerals of concern and to declare the Conflict Mineral status of their products.

Consistent with PPG’s commitment to social responsibility and sustainability, PPG has established a process to facilitate compliance with applicable laws mandating disclosure of Conflict Minerals, including membership in the Responsible Minerals Initiative (“RMI”) and conducting due diligence on source and chain of custody using RMI’s Responsible Minerals Assurance Process (the “RMAP”). We commit to making reasonable efforts in requiring our suppliers to:

conduct due diligence on its supply chain in accordance with the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas and the RMAP and to determine the source of any Conflict Minerals or Conflict Mineral containing product supplied to PPG;
provide the Conflict Minerals source information reasonably requested by PPG necessary to support our due diligence and reporting obligations under the SEC’s Conflict Minerals rules;
notify us if a product supplied to PPG contains Conflict Minerals originating in the DRC or surrounding countries; and
commit to being or becoming “conflict free.”

We also work with the suppliers of other minerals of concern to trace the origin of these minerals in an effort to ensure that our suppliers are meeting their obligations under PPG’s Supplier Code of Conduct.

Suppliers who are not able to provide adequate information about the source of any Conflict Minerals or other minerals of concern in the products supplied to PPG shall be evaluated by PPG’s Global Procurement department and may be denied future PPG business. Furthermore, our Supplier Code of Conduct provides that we may terminate any agreement with any supplier that cannot eliminate products containing Conflict Minerals or other minerals, the supply chain of which funds or supports armed conflict or human rights abuses.

PPG recognizes the scope and due diligence requirements for responsible sourcing of conflict minerals is constantly changing. As a result, cross-functional teams and leadership review our policies and procedures to drive compliance and raise awareness. Additional resources can be found here:

Translated PDF versions of this policy can be found below:

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