by Ben Davis
Credit: Sylvain Lietchi
The popularity of electric vehicles is surging as the world strives to reduce its use of petrol/ diesel vehicles. In the UK alone, where the sale of new petrol cars is set to end by 2030, EV sales grew 186% in 2020, with over 370,000 vehicles now estimated to be on UK roads. Whilst the EV industry outwardly appears to be innovative, game-changing and fundamentally green, deep below, growth in the electric car market has spurred a plethora of sub-industries operating unsustainably both environmentally and socially. A prime example is cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Perhaps the key ingredient to any electric car is cobalt, the transition metal used to produce lithium-ion batteries for use in all EVs on the market today. Cobalt is particularly treasured by luxury care brands such as Tesla, Jaguar and BMW due to its ability to increase energy density and battery life. Its mining, therefore, is becoming an extremely lucrative industry. Such mining occurs almost exclusively in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in Central Africa, where >70% of the world’s cobalt is sourced from. Cobalt mining in the DRC is propelling the country into new heights of wealth and development, yet, the same cannot be said for the actual mining of the metal-which continues to raise numerous human rights issues.
Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) documents the local-scale mining and sale of cobalt without interaction with mining companies. Such a method of mining is responsible for up to 30% of Congolese cobalt production and is the focus of criticism re. human rights infringements and poor labour conditions. Workers utilise basic tools to extract cobalt from the ground in informal, poorly constructed mines. These mines are treacherous from the outset, with unparalleled mortality rates and widespread violence. The ASM industry regarding cobalt will never cease and is a vital source of income for thousands of people in the DRC. However, its growth cannot and should not be promoted as it has been by demand from the EV automotive industry. In response to criticism regarding the use of cobalt ASM, the automotive industry has responded by shifting their suppliers to large corporations, citing their reasoning that these companies will have better infrastructure in place to ensure the fair and safe working of its employees. Yet, as demonstrated by the Guardian, shifting the focus onto multinational corporations does not necessarily remedy the problems created by ASM. Pierre, a cobalt miner from the DRC, mines the metal for just £2.60 a day. Pierre reports the horrendous working conditions he is faced with daily and the exploitation he suffers under his Chinese-funded multinational employer. He describes his relationship with the mine ‘like slave and master’. Pierre is not alone in his struggles and many have corroborated his experiences.
Glencore, the trans-national corporation that owns the world’s largest cobalt mine, Mutanda, in the congo, is currently at the centre of legal battles in no less than three countries- the UK, Switzerland and the US. The corporation is under investigation for subjecting its employees to conditions akin to those depicted by Pierre. Considering the accounts of Pierre and others along with the legal investigation of Glencore, it can clearly be seen that multinational corporations pose many of the same issues that arise from ASM mining, if not more when considering employee exploitation.
In summary, the EV industry is climbing to new heights, spurred on by its green credentials amidst the ever-pressing matter of climate change. Yet, behind the green facade lies a dark secret- the mining of the industry’s key ingredient- cobalt. Both small scale artisanal mining (ASM) and that under large corporations pose issues regarding human rights and employee exploitation. The automotive industry must quickly find either a better method of sourcing cobalt, or a new ingredient altogether.
Sources:
https://www.cfr.org/blog/why-cobalt-mining-drc-needs-urgent-attention
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2021/12/21/why-the-new-york-times-gets-the-story-wrong-on-congo/
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