DR Congo’s Cobalt Mines Face Transparency Issues

The DR Congo accounts for about two-thirds of the world’s cobalt, a key component of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that power electronic devices and electric vehicles, dwarfing the output of its closest competitors. But reports of dangerous working conditions and child labor in the country’s informal mines have sparked an outcry over what is being referred to as « blood cobalt ». This is forcing manufacturers who market themselves as sustainable to look for ways to source « clean cobalt », untainted by abusive labor practices.