--- title: Manufacturing Electric Cars Comes at an Ethical Cost description: The electric car industry must understand that transparency of human rights risks abuses arising in their supply chains is the way forward. canonical: https://time.com/4939738/electric-cars-human-rights-congo/ author: Mark Dummett article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-09-28T17:18:56.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:54:07.650Z article:section: Ideas og:title: The Dark Side of Electric Cars: Exploitative Labor Practices og:description: The industry must not ignore human rights for the sake of green innovation og:url: https://time.com/4939738/electric-cars-human-rights-congo/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltdf676076aeb38cb8/6988dda48fd2eef3ca358d59/electric-car-cobalt.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4500 og:image:height: 2531 og:image:alt: Report Shows Electric Cars Are Twice As Green As Five Years Ago og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Dark Side of Electric Cars: Exploitative Labor Practices twitter:description: The industry must not ignore human rights for the sake of green innovation twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltdf676076aeb38cb8/6988dda48fd2eef3ca358d59/electric-car-cobalt.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The Dark Side of Electric Cars: Exploitative Labor Practices > Sponsored content. 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It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. #### How can I read about how TIME chooses its covers? Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. ## Video: Al Gore and Jerry Brown on America's Renewable Future [Watch (HLS stream): Al Gore and Jerry Brown on America's Renewable Future](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/4ET5hn04.m3u8) (2:10)  _Published 2017-08-28. Al Gore and Jerry Brown discuss America's renewable energy future_ by [Mark Dummett](https://time.com/author/mark-dummett/) ## Mark Dummett Sep 28, 2017 5:18 PM UTC  A charging plug connects an electric vehicle (EV) to a charging station on August 17, 2017 in London, England. A charging plug connects an electric vehicle (EV) to a charging station on August 17, 2017 in London, England. Dan Kitwood—Getty Images by [Mark Dummett](https://time.com/author/mark-dummett/) ## Mark Dummett Sep 28, 2017 5:18 PM UTC The Scottish government recently [announced](http://www.thedrive.com/news/14115/scotland-will-phase-out-gas-and-diesel-cars-by-2032) plans to, by 2032, phase out petrol and diesel vehicles. By 2040, the only cars on United Kingdom roads [will also be electric](http://www.thedrive.com/news/12859/u-k-to-ban-internal-combustion-engines-by-2040), and petrol stations will be replaced by car charging points. Meanwhile, in the United States, [Elon Musk](http://time.com/4838979/elon-musk-twitter-floors/) has announced the launch of the [Tesla Model 3](http://fortune.com/2017/07/29/tesla-model-3-handover/), which he hopes will become the world’s first mass-market [electric car](http://time.com/4812443/tesla-model-x-road-trip-review/). This shift to green technology is extremely welcome. [Climate change](http://time.com/4933743/hurricane-irma-climate-change-global-warming/) is one of the biggest [human rights](http://time.com/4939044/philippines-human-rights-budget-rodrigo-duterte/) challenges of our time, and cities from London to Delhi are choking on vehicle fumes. The move to electric cars will improve air quality and cut the [carbon emissions ](http://time.com/4696658/scott-pruitt-epa-carbon-climate-change/)that have pushed our planet to [breaking point](http://time.com/4542889/carbon-dioxide-400-ppm-global-warming/). But some electric cars are not, currently, as ethically “clean” as manufacturers would have us believe. Amnesty International’s [research](https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2016/09/electric-cars-running-on-child-labour/%29) has shown that cobalt mined by children and adults in extremely hazardous conditions could be entering the supply chains of some of the world’s largest carmakers. A key component of the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries on which electric cars run is cobalt. [More than half](https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/country/2014/myb3-2014-cg.pdf) of the world’s cobalt comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Despite its mineral riches, the DRC is one of the poorest countries in the world, and has [suffered from decades of war and corrupt leaders.](http://time.com/4607046/democratic-republic-congo-aid/) With so few formal jobs in the country, hundreds of thousands of Congolese men, women and children, have been driven to dig their own mines to earn their livelihoods. Government officials told us that 20% of the cobalt exported from the DRC comes from these so-called “artisanal” miners. The true figure is likely higher. The artisanal mines produce cheaper cobalt than industrial mines (partly because people are paid so little and are unregulated) and as demand has grown, we have heard of new mine sites being developed across the region. What this means is that a huge amount of the global cobalt supplies comes from these mines. While we do not know where most of it ends up, it is reasonable to assume that it is entering the supply chains of the handful of companies which dominate the car battery market. Working with a Congolese NGO, Afrewatch, Amnesty International [found](https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr62/3183/2016/en/%29) children as young as seven in the mining areas. None of the adult or child miners we saw wore facemasks that could prevent them from inhaling cobalt dust, which could lead to potentially fatal lung disease. Mines collapse frequently, burying people underground. No one knows the exact figure, but UNICEF [estimates that](https://www.unicef.org/childsurvival/drcongo%5F62627.html) 40,000 children work in mining across the south of the DRC where cobalt is found. [Using company records](https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr62/3183/2016/en/%29), our investigation into the supply of cobalt traced it from the mines in the DRC to Chinese buying companies and smelters, through battery component manufacturers in China and South Korea and on to battery makers who supply many of the world’s leading electric car companies. So, what should these companies be doing? In 2012, The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) laid out clear [guidelines](https://www.oecd.org/corporate/mne/GuidanceEdition2.pdf) for companies sourcing cobalt and other minerals from [high-risk areas like the DRC](http://time.com/4184726/cobalt-child-labor-smartphone-amnesty-international/). According to these guidelines, electric car manufacturers and battery makers should be able to say who their smelters or refiners are, and should make public their own assessment of whether the smelter’s due diligence practices are adequate in identifying and addressing human rights risks and abuses. We have contacted many of the largest companies and, not a single car manufacturer told us they had actually done this. This could be because cobalt has been overlooked by narrowly drafted “conflict minerals” rules adopted in the United States in 2010 and the European Union [earlier this year](https://www.euractiv.com/section/development-policy/news/parliament-adopts-binding-law-on-conflict-minerals/), meaning it escapes strict regulation. But there is no excuse for some of the richest companies in the world not to undertake proper due diligence. Since our report came out in 2016, there has been some progress. Several companies — including some from China — have formed a body called the [Responsible Cobalt Initiative](http://www.cccmc.org.cn/docs/2016-11/20161121141502674021.pdf) to help the industry conduct due diligence in line with the OECD standards, and tackle the issue of child labour in the DRC. They include leading tech firms, such as Apple; HP; Huawei and Sony; as well as Samsung SDI, a battery manufacturer; and Huayou Cobalt, a smelter and refiner, whose subsidiary purchases cobalt from artisanal mines. None of the members of this group is as yet a carmaker. Meanwhile in the DRC, [the government announced](https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2017/09/democratic-republic-of-congo-government-must-deliver-on-pledge-to-end-child-mining-labour-by-2025/) that it would take action to eliminate child labor in its mines by 2025 and appealed for international help to do so. The electric car industry must understand that transparency of human rights risks abuses arising in their supply chains is the way forward. I have been told by numerous executives from different global brands how difficult it is to map the cobalt supply chain. But surely any responsible company, understanding that there’s a risk of child labor, should make every effort possible to understand who their suppliers are, and the conditions under which their components were produced. Earlier this year, [Apple became the first company](https://www.apple.com/uk/supplier-responsibility/) to publish the names of their cobalt suppliers — proving that it can be done. Which carmaker will win the race to do likewise? The other response we hear from companies is that they want to stop buying from artisanal mines in the DRC altogether. But this could have a negative impact on the already impoverished communities that rely on mining. Companies that have benefitted from child labor should not just walk away from the problem now that it has been exposed. The solution lies in regulating these artisanal mines, ensuring that that they are safe places to work, while children attend school instead. Governments around the world should pass laws that require companies to check and publicly disclose information about where they source minerals. The voluntary approach is not enough. This does not have to be a choice between two evils. We need to phase out [fossil fuels](http://time.com/4662116/renewable-energy-fossil-fuels-growth/), and electric cars are an integral part of a greener future. But as electric car manufacturers move to the forefront of the market, they need to drastically improve their practices and take steps to ensure that their role in the energy revolution is truly clean and fair. A green future built on the backs of exploited children in the DRC is no kind of progress. ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] The famous economist Rudi Dornbusch once said, things take longer to happen than you think they will. And then they happen much faster than you thought they could. I think that's the pattern we now see unfolding with electric vehicles, with solar and wind electricity, with batteries, which are now coming down Rapidly in cost, the retrofit of buildings, the improved design of communities and cities. We see it with the commitment of an increasing number of towns and Cities to switch over to a hundred percent renewable energy. Then a growing number of regions the electricity from solar and wind is now cheaper than electricity from burning fossil fuels, even if you don't factor in the cost of all the pollution and the damage it's causing. That's exciting, but it's my hope that political and policy leaders. Starting phasing out the fossil fuels and the other causes of the climate crisis and embrace these solutions. We had created in alliance of two coalitions. Norway has joined, as well as Canada and Mexico and Germany, and so many other provinces. Representing over a billion people. This is something that we can do. And we're making progress. Thank you very much. A lot of work to be done. California's a big state. It's the sixth largest economy were it separate in the world. And it's a state that's growing. It's exciting. There's Silicon Valley. There's the movie industry. There's a tremendous agricultural industry. It's a place of ideas that ferment. We are on our own positive program. [ MUSIC ] On DC air pollution, on building high- speed rail, I have a very aggressive climate action policy. Actions, rules, tax incentives, electric car incentives. We're doing everything we can. Adopting policies, broadcasting them, joining with others to make sure Americans are doing Their part in reducing greenhouse gasses, and we'll continue to do more. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4939738/electric-cars-human-rights-congo/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4939738/electric-cars-human-rights-congo/"},"headline":"The Dark Side of Electric Cars: Exploitative Labor Practices","datePublished":"2017-09-28T17:18:56.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:54:07.650Z","description":"The industry must not ignore human rights for the sake of green innovation","url":"https://time.com/4939738/electric-cars-human-rights-congo/","keywords":["Technology","world affairs"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltdf676076aeb38cb8/6988dda48fd2eef3ca358d59/electric-car-cobalt.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Mark Dummett","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/mark-dummett/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltdf676076aeb38cb8/6988dda48fd2eef3ca358d59/electric-car-cobalt.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Report Shows Electric Cars Are Twice As Green As Five Years Ago","caption":"Report Shows Electric Cars Are Twice As Green As Five Years Ago","creditText":"Dan Kitwood—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/technology/","name":"Technology"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4939738/electric-cars-human-rights-congo/","name":"The Dark Side of Electric Cars: Exploitative Labor Practices"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Al Gore and Jerry Brown on America's Renewable Future","description":"Al Gore and Jerry Brown discuss America's renewable energy future","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/4ET5hn04/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2017-08-28T21:51:55.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/4ET5hn04.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4939738/electric-cars-human-rights-congo/","duration":"PT2M10S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4939738/electric-cars-human-rights-congo/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```