The RBA was founded in 2004 by a small group of electronics companies seeking to create an industry-wide standard on social, environmental and ethical issues in the industry supply chain. The founding members of the RBA – originally founded under the name “Electronics Industry Code of Conduct” – saw an opportunity to drive positive change and increase efficiency across the industry by creating a unified approach and ensuring that suppliers were held to a common standard. Unique among industry groups, the original founders of the EICC included major electronics brands as well as large Tier 1 suppliers.
As the EICC expanded its scope, programs and tools, it became the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition. The EICC was run primarily by volunteers from member companies for its first nine years. In 2013, a full-time professional staff was hired to support the EICC in a new phase of growth. Since that time its influence, capabilities, focus areas and membership have expanded dramatically. The shift in October 2017 to the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) marked the next phase of the organization.
Today the RBA has a global footprint, with offices in North America, Europe and Asia. The RBA and its Responsible Minerals, Labor and Factory Initiatives have more than 600 members with combined annual revenues of greater than $8 trillion, directly employing over 21.5 million people, with products manufactured in more than 120 countries.
For more information on the RBA's progress, read our annual reports in the publications section of this website.
View our video about the rebrand from EICC to RBA below, as well as a video celebrating our 20th anniversary in 2024.
