lithium mining slavery lithium mining slavery

Canada last year announced a tougher policy on critical mineral investment - particularly from China - as it worked to shore up its domestic supply after the global pandemic exposed supply chain problems. We are going to have to do that in a way that creates profits but also serves people and the planet.. The United States has alleged use of forced labor by China in sectors including mining and construction. automakers to shift their entire supply chain out of Xinjiang (Reporting by Doina Chiacu, additional reporting by Ismail In the case of cobalt, 60% of the worlds supply comes from the Democratic Republic of the Congo where large numbers of unregulated mines use children as young as seven as miners. Around half of all cobalt comes from the DRC, and no company can validly claim that they are unaware of the human rights and child labour abuses linked with mineral extraction in the region, says Mark Dummett, business and human rights researcher at Amnesty International. Terms & Conditions. law took effect banning imports from China's Xinjiang region Even the nightmares and the terrors, it's all worth it. of two Canadians on spying charges. Technically, under the law, there should not be artisanal mining taking place in any industrial mine. In its response to Amnestys allegations, which Amnesty has published in full alongside responses from the other named companies, Apple said it was currently evaluating whether cobalt in the companys products originated in the DRC. Miners working in areas from which CDM buys cobalt face the risk of long-term health damage and a high risk of fatal accidents. He said that some of the company responses to Amnestys assertions were staggering. Many of these multinationals say they have a zero tolerance policy for child labour. For instance,before meals, Quechua and Aymara peoples throw coca leaves or spill their drinks on the ground to share their food with these beings as a sign of gratitude and reciprocity. An artisanal miner carries a sack of ore at the Shabara artisanal mine near Kolwezi, DRC, on Oct. 12, 2022. His new book called, Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives. The mines have taken over everything. April 21, 2023, 10:28 AM PDT. Chinese firms also own, operate or finance most of the Democratic Republic of Congo's cobalt mines, the U.S. Labor Department said in a recent report. Matt Absalom-Wong. it by far the world's largest producer. Fauci says the general public somehow didnt get his messaging that the vulnerable are really, really heavily On Thursday, Lyfts new CEO laid off over 1,000 employees. Mining companies and related businesses want to accelerate domestic production of lithium and are pressing the administration and key lawmakers to insert a $10 billion grant program into Mr. Biden . In a joint-investigation with African Resources Watch (Afrewatch), an African NGO focusing on human rights in the minerals and extractive industries, Amnesty International says it interviewed 90 adults and children working in five artisanal cobalt mine sites. Online Profile, Check A worker hands a shovel to his colleague who is inside a salt recovery pool at the Llipi pilot Plant in the Uyuni Salt Flats on August 14, 2022 in Uyuni, Bolivia. Paul, a 14-year-old orphan, started mining at the age of 12. Diplomatic tensions between Canada and China have been running high since the detention of Huawei Technologies executive Meng Wanzhou in 2018 and Beijing's subsequent arrest of two Canadians on spying charges. Kitco Account, Gold retreats as robust US data lifts dollar; focus on Fed, Sotheby's doubles down on NFTs with the launch of a secondary marketplace, S&P, Dow edge higher as JPMorgan gains; Fed meet in focus, Jamie Dimon bails out First Republic - and FDIC, Collapse of First Republic shows banking turmoil is not over, gold price flirts with $2,000 level, Monday's Charts for Gold, Silver and Platinum and Palladium, May 1, Where are the stops? Canada last year announced a tougher policy on critical mineral investment - particularly from China - as it worked to shore up its domestic supply after the global pandemic exposed supply chain problems. "Because we put forward environmental responsibility as hide caption. In Xinjiang, the resource is at an early stage of exploration and its currently uncertain whether theres suitable projects available for future development, Ganfeng said. Between 2008 and 2018 alone, annual production in the major producing countries rose from 25,400 to 85,000 tons. However the mining and processing of these materials often involve many labor and ethical malpractices, such as child labor and borderline slavery. China in response accused Ottawa of using national security as a pretext and said the divestment order broke international commerce and market rules. Ties to Xinjiang-exposed suppliers are becoming more problematic for a swathe of industries. All rights reserved. Bureau of International Labor Affairs (an agency within the U.S. Department of Labor), Over 70% of the worlds cobalt is extracted from mines in The Democratic Republic of Congo. The introduction of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries has revolutionized . ", Kara says the mining industry has ravaged the landscape of the DRC. At present, we still dont have enough data about the sea floor to be sure what the impact would be of mining there, said Adrian Glover, a deep-sea ecology researcher at the Natural History Museum. With Chile producing 8 million tons of lithium, that means they used 17.6 trillion liters of water. Because we count on working with, in partnership, with Indigenous peoples, paying their living wages, expecting security and safety standards.". Unlike its neighborsChile and Argentina, Bolivia has yet to become a major player in theglobal lithium market. And while those outside of the DRC differentiate between cobalt extracted by the country's high-tech industrial mining companies and that which was dug by artisanal miners, Kara says the two are fundamentally intertwined. Amnesty International then contacted 16 multinational consumer brands listed as direct or indirect customers of the three battery component manufacturers. The former vice president has become the Democratic front-runner with primary victories across the country. The report says that Huayou Cobalt sources more than 40% of its cobalt from the DRC and processes the raw mineral before selling it to battery makers, who claim to supply companies including Apple, Microsoft and Vodafone. Artisanal mining is largely unregulated, still easily mined by child and slave labor, and is the source of 15-30% of DRC cobalt. All rights reserved. WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday linked the production of lithium in China to "slave labor" as he discussed his own country's efforts to ramp up production of . In the so-called Lithium Triangle of South America made up of Chile, Argentina and Bolivia vast quantities of water are pumped from underground sources to help extract lithium from ores, and this has been linked to the lowering of ground water levels and the spread of deserts. Wind and solar plants are set to replace coal and gas power stations, while electric cars oust petrol and diesel vehicles from our roads. But this promise is not worth the paper it is written when the companies are not investigating their suppliers. The report shows that companies along the cobalt supply chain are failing to address human rights risks arising in their supply chain. Already, some solar products have been halted over questions about the source of their raw materials. Volkswagen has also faced pressure over a production facility in Urumqi, prompting chief executive Herbert Diess to argue the car makers presence in Xinjiang can be a force for good. There is no alternative there. The ethical issues come from the artisanal mines, where one can find thousands of people, including children, mining for cobalt. Yet mining is linked to all sorts of environmental headaches. The concept of raw materials can be traced to the theological notion of prime matter. The term originally comes from Aristotle, whose work was introduced to Christianity via Latin translations around the 12th century. Without laws that require companies to check and publicly disclose information about where they source minerals and their suppliers, companies can continue to benefit from human rights abuses. The deepening connection between Ganfeng and Xinjiang is set to draw more scrutiny from investors and consumers. Siddharth Kara's previous book Sex Trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern Slavery, won the 2010 Frederick Douglass Book Prize, awarded for the best book written in English on slavery or abolition. and Scrap, Open The DRC has a long history of bloody conflict fuelled by the regions mineral wealth and the region still has an estimated $24 trillion in untapped minerals. The true figure is unknown as many accidents go unrecorded and bodies are left buried in the rubble. What is the Stone of Destiny and why is it needed for the King's coronation? Password, My Siddharth Kara is an author, researcher, screenwriter, and activist on modern slavery. "If we're honest the lithium produced in Canada is going to be more expensivebecause we don't use slave labour," Mr Trudeau said. Ganfengs plans to expand in Xinjiang risk drawing Elon Musks Tesla closer to the controversy over human rights in the region. All rights reserved. This puts the South American country ahead of Australia (2.7 million tons), Argentina (2 million tons) and China (1 million tons) (volkswagenag.com). He said Canada hadsignificant sources of lithium, but China hadmade strategic choices over decades that hadmade it by far the world's largest producer. So in the 21st century, this is modern-day slavery. By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy. Moreover, the work. The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs. "Industrial mines, almost all of them, have artisanal miners working, digging in and around them, feeding cobalt into the formal supply chain.". Not all U.S. presidents are missed once they leave the White House. "People are working in subhuman, grinding, degrading conditions. In theory, Tesla and other auto makers could find a way to keep their relationships with Ganfeng going while avoiding any metals that come from Xinjiang. China has made strategic choices over the decades that have made See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. It is a major paradox of the digital era that some of the worlds richest, most innovative companies are able to market incredibly sophisticated devices without being required to show where they source raw materials for their components. (Adds Trudeau quote on supply chain) By Doina Chiacu WASHINGTON, April 28 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday linked the production of lithium in China to "slave labor" as he discussed his own country's efforts to ramp up production of the metal used in electric vehicle and other batteries. Cobalt is often mined by children exploited in dangerous and illegal child labor (, Due to research done by Volkswagenag in 2018: The global market for the alkali metal lithium is growing rapidly. Amnesty International and Afrewatch are calling on multinational companies who use lithium-ion batteries in their products to conduct human rights due diligence, investigate whether the cobalt is extracted under hazardous conditions or with child labour, and be more transparent about their suppliers. Ganfeng supplies BMW with lithium from mines in Australia and has not informed the company about its Xinjiang venture, the German car maker said in a statement. hide caption. A worker hands a shovel to his colleague who is inside a salt recovery pool at the Llipi pilot Plant in the Uyuni Salt Flats on August 14, 2022 in Uyuni, Bolivia . But since colonial times, thelegacy of mineral abundancein Bolivia has also been one of pollution, poverty and exploitation. If you are talented and passionate about human rights then Amnesty International wants to hear from you. Bridget Bentz, Molly Seavy-Nesper and Gisele Grayson adapted it for the web. Along With the Carbon Footprint of Lithium Mining: Slavery and a Devastating Legacy Refers to the Social Impact of Lithium-Ion Batteries. Each Andean community praises a nearby mountain whom they believe protects and oversees their lives. In 2012, Unicef estimated that there were 40,000 children working in all the mines across the south, many involved in mining cobalt. (Reporting by Doina Chiacu, additional reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by Bill Berkrot, Sharon Singleton and Jonathan Oatis). In Argentina, however, there are no signs of a turnaround in lithium mining. 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. Our mission to create cleaner living using natural resources could itself cause widespread environmental harm, scientists now warn. The disruption of the land can lead to loss of land and water, and can force the communities to migrate away. And so that's not legal, but it's happening. 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Vodafone, in its response to Amnesty, stated that the company is unaware as to whether or not cobalt in our products originates in Katanga in the DRC both the smelters and the mines from which the metals such as cobalt are originally sourced are several steps away from Vodafone in the supply chain. Now they're back in Kyiv. Canada last year announced a tougher policy on critical The industry leader for online information for tax, accounting and finance professionals. The report documents how traders buy cobalt from areas where child labour is rife and sell it to Congo Dongfang Mining (CDM), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chinese mineral giant Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Ltd (Huayou Cobalt). S&P Index data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. The Catholic Church and the Spanish Empire later used this medieval understanding of matter as something passive, without spirit, tojustify the extractionof resources during colonial times. In December, the United Auto Workers union called on automakers to shift their entire supply chain out of Xinjiang after a report by Britain's Sheffield Hallam University suggested that nearly every major automaker has significant exposure to products made with forced labor. He told researchers that prolonged time underground made him constantly ill: I would spend 24 hours down in the tunnels. To have a battery powered tomorrow, there must be bloodshed today. All Rights Reserved. The Chinese deal representsa new milestone, yetits outcomes are still uncertain: for the economy, for local communities and for the Earth. The reality is that it is a back-breaking life of misery for almost no money. One solution put forward to these green technology problems would be to limit the exploitation of resources on land and turn instead to the sea to gather the materials we need. "Our research shows that lithium-ion batteries are produced with an input - cobalt - made by child labor," it said. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice| Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information| Ad Choices Rather than renouncing cobalt entirely, he says people should focus on fixing the supply chain. The largest of them is Huayou Cobalts Congolese subsidiary CDM. ", Some 20,000 people work at Shabara artisanal mine in the DRC, in shifts of 5,000 at a time. (Image courtesy of Trudeau's press team). A lithium producer for car makers including BMW and Tesla is beginning work to assess battery metals projects in Xinjiang, deepening links between electric vehicle supply chains and a region at the heart of human rights allegations against China. Their production is likely to increase significantly over the next decade and that could cause serious ecological problems. I mean, imagine you're in a part of the world where there are millions of people who barely get a dollar or two a day who are grindingly poor and will accept almost any labor arrangement just to survive. Several promising marine sources have been pinpointed, with the most attention focusing on metal nodules which litter some parts of the ocean floor. Chan School of Public Health and at the Kennedy School, has been researching modern-day slavery, human trafficking and child labor for two decades. The abuses in mines remain out of sight and out of mind because in todays global marketplace consumers have no idea about the conditions at the mine, factory, and assembly line. Because we don't use slave labor," Trudeau Anyone with a smartphone would be appalled to think that children as young as seven carrying out back-breaking work for 12 hours a day could be involved at some point in the making of it.. Lithium mining, which is primarily done in South America, is often associated with poor working conditions and low wages for workers. In turn, they sell to battery makers who claim to supply technology and car companies, including Apple, Microsoft, Samsung, Sony, Daimler and Volkswagen. Miners in the DRC pull up a bag of cobalt vital for the production of rechargeable batteries. An artisanal miner holds a cobalt stone at the Shabara artisanal mine in the DRC. If societies really want a greener future, technological shifts such as EVs will be just part of the answer, alongside other changes like more sustainableurban planningand improved public transportation. World production is set to soar over the next decade. Diplomatic tensions between Canada and China have been running high since the detention of Huawei Technologies executive Meng Wanzhou in 2018 and Beijing's subsequent arrest of two Canadians on spying charges. Between 2008 and 2018 alone, annual production in the major producing countries rose from 25,400 to 85,000 tons. A Volkswagen ID.3, part of the companys efforts to break into the burgeoning electric car market. At stake: fragile. China to "slave labor" as he discussed his own country's efforts A cobalt mine between Lubumbashi and Kolwezi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He condemned China as he discussed his own country's efforts to ramp up production of lithium, which is used in electric vehicle and other batteries. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. Minera Exar is a Canadian company extracting lithium from the region. Digging for cobalt in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where 60% of the worlds supply is found. As a result, the worlds appetite for copper is likely to jump by more than 300% by 2050, according to one recent report. And you've got these militias. The glamourous shop displays and marketing of state of the art technologies are a stark contrast to the children carrying bags of rocks, and miners in narrow manmade tunnels risking permanent lung damage, said Mark Dummett, Business & Human Rights Researcher at Amnesty International. Powered and implemented by Interactive Data Managed Solutions.