An illegal cobalt mining site, Shabara, Lualaba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2021. Photo by Hugh Kinsella Cunningham/Redux.
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The contemporary world forever longs for evolution. Amidst the call for society to reform its energy use from fossil fuels to renewable energy, cobalt has become one of the most valuable and instrumental materials in the modern world.
Cobalt is the pinnacle material because it powers lithium-ion batteries in smartphones, laptops, electric vehicles, and renewable energy storage systems. Furthermore, its durability and magnetic properties are indispensable for aerospace components, high-performance magnets in electric motors, and crucial medical devices such as MRI machines.
But despite its central role in advancing technology and fostering sustainability, the extraction and trade of cobalt has raised significant ethical and environmental concerns. Most cobalt mining occurs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where labor conditions are often exploitative, with reports of child labor and hazardous working environments.
The DRC, a sub-Saharan country, is the primary source of the world’s cobalt, accounting for over 70% of global production. It is also among the five poorest nations in the world. Approximately 74.6% of Congolese people lived on less than $2.15 daily in 2023. Thus, the need for work is an imminent and harsh reality for many African families, leading many to send their children to artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sites, which account for 15% to 30% of the cobalt output in the Congo. These mines have been a major concern for human rights organizations due to their involvement of children. Still, the workers seem to get younger with each passing day.
Also of concern is the environmental degradation caused by mining operations, including deforestation and water contamination, which poses severe threats to local ecosystems and communities. Thus, this article examines the question of the actual cost of clean energy.
Mining is crucial to the DRC economy, with mining taxes contributing to nearly half of the government’s revenue in 2019—mainly from copper and cobalt. This situation, paired with allegations against the government claiming corrupt involvement with the mining industry, has led to a “resource curse,” meaning practices in the mining industry perpetuate poverty instead of fostering development.
This point is essential: the first-world community is developing at the price of generations of Congolese youth. About one of six people living in extreme poverty in Sub-Suharan Africa lives in DRC, a statistic that is worsening as mining production becomes more robust. Is this the price we must pay for clean energy worldwide?
The role of first-world countries in the exploitation of cobalt must be addressed. As the primary consumers of cobalt, they are complicit in a system that forces children into dangerous labor. The demand for cobalt to power smartphones, electric vehicles, and renewable energy solutions is directly linked to the conditions in which it is extracted.
The global north’s focus on sustainability and technological progress must be reconciled with the ethical cost of its reliance on cobalt from the DRC. These countries must acknowledge their role and take steps to ensure the ethical sourcing of cobalt. This realization is the first step towards a more sustainable and ethical future. While crucial, pursuing clean energy and technological advancements should not come at the cost of human exploitation in the DRC. It is troubling that our reliance on cobalt, essential for renewable energy and electronics, fuels child labor and environmental harm.
As consumers who benefit from technologies tied to these practices, we also bear responsibility. We must demand greater corporate accountability and push for alternative materials that reduce dependency on cobalt. Clean energy is vital, but not at the expense of human lives. The pursuit of environmentally and ethically sustainable solutions is essential.
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This article was edited by Katherine Hohman.
