When it comes to supplier responsibility, Apple (AAPL 0.52%) is destined for the limelight. What better way for environmental organizations to get corporations on board with active supplier responsibility than to get the world's most valuable publicly traded company to set an example? Even more, Apple's sprawling global supply chain makes the company the perfect candidate for environmental organizations' criticism. But this week's news of Apple's supplier responsibility isn't negative. Greenpeace praised Apple this week for its efforts to cut its use of conflict minerals.

"Apple has flexed its muscles in the past to push suppliers to remove hazardous substances from products and provide more renewable energy for data centers, and it is proving the same model can work to reduce the use of conflict minerals," Greenpeace Energy Campaigner Tom Dowdall said in a statement.

In the video below, Fool contributor Daniel Sparks explains why this praise is good news, and why investors should care about Apple's supplier responsibility.