improve cobalt production

What to do with the laptops and electric cars Congo
Between 67,000 and 108 000 workers in promoting cobalt in Congo mines
usually not registered. They often work under hazardous conditions,
fatal accidents are commonplace. Each year, more than one hundred
people die from landslides, flooding or Schachteinstürze. Child labor
is also widespread: 19000-30000 Children under 15 years to build from
the ore or wash and sort the minerals conveyed.

These are key findings of a study by the Öko-Institut on the social
impact of the production of cobalt in the Democratic Republic of
Congo. "The working conditions in the production of cobalt in the
Congo should be improved," therefore calls Andreas Manhart, scientists
at the Institute for Applied Ecology. "Therefore, both the Congolese
government, which is today re-elected, and the great purchasers of the
precious metal in Europe are partly responsible."

Manufacturers worldwide need large amounts of cobalt for the
production of batteries for electric vehicles and portable electronic
devices. The Democratic Republic of Congo delivers 45,000 tons of ore
annually and covers slightly more than half the world's cobalt
production. At least 60 percent of this amount of workers in the small
mining degraded by the simplest means, washed, sorted and sold to
middlemen in the world market. If you add these products to perform
work in, so put in any laptop for about ten minutes of miners working
in South-East Congo. In modern hybrid cars, there are more than six
hours.

But the small mining is also an important economic support in the
crisis-ridden and impoverished country. It creates far more jobs than
mechanized mining methods, and fed many families. "The Government of
the Congo has already recognized this potential and initiated reforms
first," says Manhart. "However, despite initial support services for
the workers, for example, with the establishment of a separate body
for the promotion of small mines, is the way to a sustainable cobalt
mining in Congo still long."

The Öko-Institute recommended a gradual improvement of working
conditions on the ground: So to be supported will include the
formation of cooperatives of miners. It involves both simple technical
support to improve work safety, and general aspects of commodity
trading. This means that the workers get better access to information
such as current market prices of the ore. Because today they are often
systematically disadvantage in price negotiations, as they often do
not know the true value of the ore they promote.

For such measures under the Government of the Congo, the European
consumer of cobalt or cobalt-containing products are in demand. On the
one hand, companies must increasingly be measured against the
sustainability impacts of their products - even if they take place in
distant regions. On the other hand, it is also about security of
supply of so-called "critical resources". Ultimately, the terms of
trade - decide who gets to compete for the contract, the raw materials
- including working conditions and environmental impacts.

A boycott would, however, despite the poor working conditions, the
wrong way: "Such a general boycott would be logistically very
complicated on the one hand, since many members would have to be
certified in the processing and retail chain and checked regularly,"
says Manhart. "Ultimately, a trade ban would only lead to the fact
that large customers could distance themselves from the poor
conditions. The miners on the spot, however, would remove a
significant market, so they were more dependent on either of the other
sub-markets, or would lose all their income. "