TEMPE, ARIZ., – October 1st, 2012 – UL, a highly valued Consortium member who is a global leader in corporate responsibility auditing and ethical sourcing consulting, is currently offering a free webinar titled “Conflict Minerals and the Dodd-Frank Act: Providing Traceability within Raw Materials Supply Chains.” This free webinar will educate participants on the recently passed Section 1502 of the Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protections Act on “conflict materials” as well as how UL has helped companies face the issue of conflict minerals in their supply chain.

The Dodd-Frank Act Section 1502 was passed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. According to the section, conflict minerals are defined as “(a) gold, wolframite, cassiterite, columbite-tantlite (coltan) or their derivates; or (b) “any other mineral or its derivatives determined by the Secretary of State to be financing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) or an adjoining country.” The section also has very specific requirements for issuers who use “conflict minerals” – who are required to specify in an annual report if the minerals came from DRC or adjoining country. If they did, the company must provide the Security and Exchange Commission with a report detailing the measures to exercise due diligence. Section 1502 affects many industries including; electronics, automotive, energy, food, medical devices and aerospace among others.

Dennis Cohen, Vice President of UL’s Verification Services, and General Manager of Responsible Sourcing explains, “In support of our mission to help advance sustainable supply chain business practices, we are committed to sharing knowledge on important issues that affect the industry.”

UL, who is an active participant in the Measurement Sciences Consortium Working Group within The Sustainability Consortium, is very engaged and highly committed to the mission and vision of TSC. “UL has become a leader in the measurement sciences industry and we value their knowledge and expertise,” said Mike Faupel, Operations Director at The Sustainability Consortium. “This free webinar shows their commitment to sustainability and desire to educate people about their important work.”

To attend this free webinar, register here.

About UL’s Responsible Sourcing
Responsible Sourcing is a leading global provider and thought leader in corporate responsibility auditing and ethical sourcing consulting services which include: monitoring, training, research, and program development. With offices in over 30 countries across five continents, Responsible Sourcing conducts thousands of workplace assessments each year across the globe. Responsible Sourcing is part of UL Verification Services, a business unit of UL (Underwriters Laboratories).  Additional information about Responsible Sourcing may be found at www.UL.com/Responsible-Sourcing. 

About UL
UL is a premier global independent safety science company with over a century of history.  Employing more than 10,000 professionals in over 50 countries, UL has five distinct business units — Product Safety, Environment, Life & Health, Knowledge Services, and Verification Services – to meet the expanding needs of our customers and to deliver on our public safety mission. Additional information about UL may be found at UL.com.

About The Sustainability Consortium
The Sustainability Consortium (TSC) is an independent organization of diverse global participants that work collaboratively to build a scientific foundation that drives innovation to improve consumer product sustainability. TSC develops transparent methodologies, tools, and strategies to drive a new generation of products and supply networks that address environmental, social, and economic imperatives. The Sustainability Consortium advocates for a credible, scalable, and transparent process and system. The organization boasts over 90 members from all corners of business employing over 57 million people and whose combined revenues total over $1.5 Trillion. Arizona State University and the University of Arkansas jointly administer The Sustainability Consortium, with additional operations at Wageningen University in The Netherlands. Learn more at www.sustainabilityconsortium.org.


Media Contact:
Elizabeth Kessler, Marketing Coordinator
The Sustainability Consortium
Arizona State University
Elizabeth.Kessler.1@asu.edu | 480.965.3810