Nokia, Sony, Blackberry, Motorola and LG have admitted that their phones are likely to contain tin that's destroying tropical forests, killing coral and wrecking the lives of communities in Indonesia.

Friends of the Earth said that the five global mobile manufacturers have committed to urgent action to tackle the problem. Of course Apple has failed to give a straight answer and has the distinction of being the best known smartphone maker to ignore questions as to whether it sources tin from Indonesia's Bangka island.

To be fair Jobs’ Mob did help set up a new industry stakeholder group discussing urgent action to tackle the problem. Yet its current policy is to refuse to acknowledge that iPhones and iPads contain material from the environmental disaster.

Friends of the Earth's Policy and Campaigns Director Craig Bennett wrote to Apple CEO Tim Cook on 25 June pointing out that the company's public stance on the issue is now "indefensible," especially given Cook’s claimed desire to be more transparent about Apple supply chains.