UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM SD

SPECIALIZED DISCLOSURE REPORT

JAMES HARDIE INDUSTRIES plc

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Europa House, Second Floor

Harcourt Centre

Harcourt Street, Dublin 2, Ireland

(Address of principal executive offices and zip code)

Joseph C. Blasko

General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer

(312) 705-6164

(Name and telephone number, including area code, of the person to contact in connection with this report.)

Check the appropriate box to indicate the rule pursuant to which this form is being filed, and provide the period to which the information in this form applies:

x Rule 13p-1 under the Securities Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13p-1) for the reporting period from January 1 to December 31, 2015

SECTION 1. CONFLICT MINERALS DISCLOSURE

Conflict Minerals Disclosure

Overview

James Hardie Industries plc (“James Hardie” or the “Company”) is filing this Specialized Disclosure Report on Form SD pursuant to Rule 13p-1 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Rule”), for the year ended December 31, 2015 (the “Covered Period”).

The Rule requires the disclosure of information relating to “conflict minerals,” which are defined in the Rule as columbite-tantalite (coltan), cassiterite, gold, wolframite or their derivatives, which are currently limited to tantalum, tin and tungsten. The Rule requires registrants that manufacture (or have contracted to be manufactured) products containing conflict minerals that are necessary to the functionality or production of such products to disclose annually whether any of such conflict minerals originated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or an adjoining country (collectively, the “Covered Countries”).

James Hardie is a leading global manufacturer and marketer of fiber cement products including sidings and backerboard, which are used for internal and exterior building construction applications. As required by the Rule, James Hardie analyzed the products manufactured, or contracted to be manufactured, by the Company and its direct and indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries during the Covered Period to determine if any conflict minerals were contained in such products and, with respect to any products that did contain conflict minerals, whether such conflict minerals were necessary to such products’ functionality or production.

Conflict Mineral Disclosure

As part of its annual conflict minerals review, James Hardie confirmed that its primary fiber cement products do not contain any conflict minerals; however, the Company also determined that a certain product contracted to be manufactured by an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of James Hardie utilizes electrical components that contain gold and tin.

Accordingly, James Hardie conducted in good faith a reasonable country of origin inquiry regarding such conflict minerals to determine whether such conflict minerals originated from a Covered Country or are sourced from recycled or scrap materials. As part of such inquiry, James Hardie contacted the applicable contract manufacturer, as well as the supplier utilized by such contract manufacturer, and requested detailed information regarding such supplier’s supply chain. Upon review of the supplier’s response, and all other information that James Hardie was able to obtain from the contract manufacturer and supplier in good faith, James Hardie reasonably determined that the gold and tin used in such product did not originate from any Covered Country. James Hardie believes that its country of origin inquiry as described in this Specialized Disclosure Report on Form SD is reasonable and provides an adequate basis for the Company’s conclusion.

James Hardie publishes its annual conflict minerals disclosure on its investor relations website (www.ir.jameshardie.com.au.) The content of any website referred to in this Specialized Disclosure Report on Form SD is not incorporated by reference unless otherwise expressly noted.

None

SECTION 2. EXHIBITS

None

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.