German sports car manufacturer Porsche has joined the ‘Responsible Mica Initiative’ (RMI), a cross-industry coalition of international companies and non-governmental organisations campaigning for transparency and improved working conditions in mica mining. The raw material is used in numerous industrial and cosmetic products. With this announcement, Porsche becomes the second automotive brand after Daimler AG to join the initiative.
As an automotive manufacturer, Porsche contributes to the global consumption of the raw material through use of mica in car paints. The sports car manufacturer represents the Volkswagen Group in the Responsible Mica Initiative.
Porsche says India is one of the world’s most important mica producers, and the local mining regions of Jharkhand and Bihar are marked by poverty. As part of internal analyses of selected paint supply chains, right back to the extraction of the raw material, Porsche identified potential sustainability risks in mica mining. The sports car manufacturer is working intensively with suppliers to ensure transparent and sustainable utilisation of the raw material mica.
Uwe-Karsten Stadter, member of the Executive Board responsible for Procurement at Porsche: “For Porsche, responsibility begins a long way from the factory gates. We require our suppliers to comply with internationally recognised social and environmental standards. The mining of raw materials is an important factor in that. Through our involvement in the Responsible Mica Initiative, we are taking responsibility for our impact on India’s mining regions. We want to improve people’s lives on the ground through concrete projects. We will also play an active role in developing and implementing sustainable industry standards.”
Fanny Fremont, executive director, Responsible Mica Initiative: “Our growing initiative already has over 60 member organisations from various sectors. We are delighted that Porsche is now also contributing important supply chain expertise as an automotive manufacturer. With Porsche as a member, we can broaden our base even further and increase positive impact for the mica communities globally.”
The Responsible Mica Initiative was founded in Paris in 2017. Among others, it develops global standards for mica mining and processing. These standards aim to address fair working conditions, safety and minimum wages. Organisations that join the Responsible Mica Initiative commit to adopting these standards. The Responsible Mica Initiative is supported by the chemical companies BASF and Clariant, the pharmaceutical manufacturer Merck, the clothing chain H+M, and the cosmetics manufacturers Chanel, L’Oréal and The Body Shop, among other companies. The human rights organisation Terre des Hommes is a founding member of the initiative.