International Rights Advocates Names Apple, Tesla, Dell, Microsoft and Google as Defendants in Cobalt Deaths in DRC
A lawsuit brought by the families of 14 child miners killed or injured in cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo has put the spotlight on the sustainability and ethics of mining cobalt, a mineral widely used in the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries. The legal claim, filed in Washington DC by human rights firm International Rights Advocates on behalf of 14 parents and children, names tech companies Apple, Tesla, Dell, Microsoft and Google as defendants. The families are seeking damages for forced labour, and compensation for unjust enrichment, negligent supervision and intentional infliction of emotional distress over deaths and disabling injuries in the mines. The lawsuit argues that the tech firms aided and abetted the mining companies that profited from dangerous conditions and the use of illegal child labour in the mines. The court papers claim that Apple, Dell, Microsoft, Google and Tesla all had the authority and resources to oversee and regulate their cobalt supply chains, and that not doing to so contribute to the catalogue of deaths and injuries.
Cobalt is used in lithium-ion batteries as one of the components of the cathode, along with lithium. Lithium-ion batteries are found in mobile phones, tablets and other consumer devices, while the same fundamental technology is used in electric vehicle batteries and in battery storage sites.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo mines 60% of the world's cobalt supply, with Australia the second largest producer. The mineral is also mined in Zambia, Cuba, China and the Philippines. According to The Guardian, in 2017 the world's battery makers used 41,000 tonnes of cobalt, representing a third of total production. By 2025, this is expected to increase to 117,000 tonnes.
Source : Strategic Research Institute