![]() Monitor and remediate violations of labor standards, including taking steps to address and prevent future violations.Train suppliers and partners on the code of conduct and labor standards and ensure that grievance mechanisms are in place and accessible for workers in the cobalt mining industry.Adopt and implement a code of conduct that incorporates respect for international human rights, including fundamental principles and rights at work, such as freedom of association and collective bargaining, occupational health and safety, non-discrimination, and the elimination of child labor and forced labor.Identify and engage with stakeholders to map the supply chains of products that may involve cobalt and conduct risk and impact assessments. ![]() February 16, 2018.Įstablish effective due diligence and social compliance systems to reduce labor risks in the cobalt supply chain. Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Photo Credit: © Samir Tounsi/AFP/Getty ImagesĪ conveyor belt carries chunks of raw cobalt after a first transformation at a plant in Lubumbashi before being exported, mainly to China, to be refined. ![]() Over 90% of the DRC’s cobalt was transported to China ( $2.17 Billion in 2020), with most intended for “fine” refining and integration into battery chemicals, as shown in the graphic below. In 2020, the Democratic Republic of the Congo exported $2.36 Billion in cobalt. When this happens, cobalt produced with child labor becomes impossible to distinguish from cobalt mined without child labor, tainting DRC's cobalt exports with child labor. In the process of refining cobalt prior to export, cobalt from multiple sources is mixed together. Chinese firms own, operate, or finance most of the DRC's cobalt mines. However, due to lack of enforcement of labor laws, widespread poverty, and a growing global demand for cobalt, children continue to work in dangerous conditions mining this critical mineral.Ĭlick here and here to learn more about Ziki's story.Ĭhildren work at the very earliest stages of the rechargeable battery supply chain-a supply chain dominated by China, which imports nearly 90% of its cobalt from the DRC. The DRC's laws prohibit children under the age of 18 from working in mining. They can fall into open mine shafts or they can be trapped or crushed by tunnel collapses. Often working in tight spaces underground without proper safety equipment or procedures, child laborers face serious risks of injury or death. In the DRC, over 40,000 children, some as young as 6 years old, work in cobalt mines. But many of his peers still work in the mines. In early 2018, Ziki was able to leave the cobalt mine and enroll in school for the first time. Each evening, with hands weary from washing cobalt and a heart longing for education, he returned home with a mere dollar or two in his pocket to provide for his family and tend to his sick grandmother. He worked in blistering heat under dangerous and exploitative labor conditions washing cobalt. As an 11-year-old, he had never seen the inside of a classroom, nor could he read or write. The developing battery materials company plans to produce raw materials to supply batteries for up to 1.5 million EVs annually in North America and Europe, according to the statement.Ziki Swazey was a child laborer in one of the DRC's artisanal small-scale cobalt mines. "Our plant will be one of two major cobalt sulfate refineries outside China, with an estimated 5% of global market share once operating at full capacity," Mell said.Īfter cobalt refining operations begin, Electra will pursue subsequent phases of development at the site to create an integrated "battery materials park." The concept will include nickel sulfate production, lithium-ion battery recycling and a battery precursor material manufacturing partnership. The plant will initially ramp up to a production capacity of 5,000 mt/year, and permit amendments will then be pursued for an increase to 6,500 mt/year. ![]() With growing demand prospects, the Toronto-based company is assessing opportunities to potentially build a second cobalt refinery to address projected supply shortages for EV market, Mell added.Įlectra is on track to commission its first cobalt refinery in Ontario by the end of the year. Mell said Electra forecasts cobalt demand to grow more than 11,500 mt/year by 2025 compared with 2021 levels. "The evolution towards lower cobalt content in the dominant EV batteries will be more than offset by larger battery packs and growing adoption rates," CEO Trent Mell said in a statement. Receive daily email alerts, subscriber notes & personalize your experience. ![]()
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