SGS, the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company, is collaborating with technology start-up Circulor to help companies achieve responsible and sustainable minerals and raw materials supply chains at industry scale.
Working with technology start-up Circulor, SGS will now offer traceability and responsible sourcing services for minerals and other raw materials.
New services will not only help companies ensure that their raw materials have been responsibly produced but will also enable them to monitor and improve the environmental and social impact of their end-to-end supply chains. The combination of digital tools developed by Circulor and SGS services will deliver proof of provenance, authenticity and real-time chain of custody traceability of raw materials from source to consumer. The approach will help leading producers and consumers of raw materials identify and address key risks and opportunities, and build trust in the sustainability of raw materials supply chains. The services can be delivered across any existing or future industry collaborative platforms or initiatives.
World-class traceability services
In addition to its global footprint, SGS brings in-depth expertise in minerals authentication, trade certification and security. SGS also offers extensive experience of supply chain traceability, verification, sustainability and environmental audits, advisory and risk assessments in a range of sectors.
Working with technology partners, such as Circulor, SGS can offer world-class supply chain traceability services and digital tools to companies seeking to implement responsible sourcing practices for primary and recycled raw materials used in their products. The service will identify, validate and capture information in real- time about the materials and their key socio-environmental attributes, such as carbon footprint and responsible production practices, at each step of the supply chain.
Traceability is also the first step for companies looking to track, measure and improve sustainability and performance of their supply chains and procurement practices. These services can also apply to other raw materials with complex supply chains, such as virgin and recycled plastics and chemicals. The Circulor platform, hosted on Oracle Cloud, is a proven traceability technology that is already used by some of the world’s largest automakers, electric vehicle battery manufacturers and their suppliers.
A portfolio of services for sustainable minerals supply chains
The new portfolio of services will address the needs of different stakeholders, including mining companies, host governments, traders, mid-stream players, manufacturers and consumers.
The services will help deliver more sustainable value chains through:
- End-to-end supply chain visibility in real time
- Assurance that primary or recycled minerals are from known responsible suppliers and facilities
- Ensuring the supply chain is free of human-rights abuses and harmful working practices
- Complete, independently validated, permanent record of provenance, authenticity, and chain of custody of raw materials through refining, production and recycling
- The ability to identify supply-chain vulnerabilities and opportunities and address them in a targeted and timely way
- Measuring and improving socio-environmental impact, such as carbon footprint, throughout the value chain and product lifecycle to credibly make and verify sustainability commitments
Helena Nonka, Global Head of New Business, Minerals at SGS, said: “Minerals and other raw materials are critical for the transition to a more sustainable green economy, but often come with significant negative externalities, such as human rights abuses, and unsafe and environmentally harmful working practices. No part of the supply chain is immune to those risks. We are excited to leverage our expertise and global network to deliver independently verified and validated traceability services across industries and geographies, help our clients make a positive impact and build stakeholder trust in the sustainability of their end-to-end value chains.”
Douglas Johnson-Poensgen, CEO of Circulor, said: “Responsible sourcing and sustainable business practices are increasingly mainstream business issues. New technologies often help solve old problems. We have used a combination of distributed ledgers (blockchain) alongside machine learning and other technologies to create reliable digital twins for raw materials at source and follow them as they transform on their journey from mine to manufacturer.”
For more information, please contact:
Helena Nonka
Global Head of New Business
SGS SA
1, place des Alpes
CH-1211 Geneva
t: +41 22 739 9410
m: +41 79 109 6892
Doug Johnson-Poengsen
CEO and Co-founder
Circulor
96 Kensington High Street
London
W8 4SG
t: +44 20 3858 0555
m: +44 7973 656324
About SGS
As the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company, SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 94,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 2,600 offices and laboratories around the world. SGS is the leading service provider to the metals and materials industries, host governments and key end-use sectors, including automotive, electronics and consumer products as well as in the social responsibility, environmental and business integrity services.
For more information about SGS, please visit www.sgs.com and www.sgs.com/mining.
About Circulor
Circulor provides Traceability-as-a-Service to verify responsible sourcing, underpin effective recycling and attribute CO2 footprint and other impact metrics to the flow of materials. This directly supports manufacturers in addressing the UN Sustainability Goals by reaching parts of their supply chains that most currently have little real visibility into.
For more information about Circulor, please visit www.circulor.com.