WHAT THE EV. Part 2.The Hidden Cost of Clean: Mapping the EV Supply Chain's Human Impact
Where the Green Revolution Really Begins
The electric vehicle revolution starts in places most buyers will never see. In the cobalt mines of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where children work 12 hour shifts for $1.50 a day. In Chile's Atacama Desert, where lithium extraction drains ancient aquifers faster than they can replenish. In Indonesia's industrial zones, where nickel smelters turn rice paddies into toxic wasteland.
These extraction sites form the foundation of what we call "clean" transportation. The gap between marketing promises and mining realities reveals how global supply chains distribute environmental and human costs far from end consumers.
The Congo's Cobalt Reality
The Democratic Republic of Congo controls 70% of global cobalt reserves, producing 170,000 metric tons in 2024-over 60% of world supply. Cobalt stabilizes EV batteries, making it irreplaceable in current battery chemistry.
In Kolwezi, the mining hub, approximately 40,000 children work in artisanal mines according to Amnesty International's 2024 documentation. These children, some as young as seven, use basic tools to extract cobalt from dangerous, unstable pits. A 12 year old worker named Joseph explained his situation to researchers: "I work 12 hours a day. If I don't, we don't eat."
Swiss mining giant Glencore operates Kamoto, the DRC's largest industrial cobalt mine, producing 25,000 tons annually. However, artisanal cobalt often enters the same supply chains through intermediaries, mixing industrial and child-mined sources. Despite corporate claims of ethical sourcing, tracking remains inconsistent.
The DRC government receives substantial payments from mining contracts, a leaked 2024 agreement showed a $500 million signing bonus for Chinese mining rights, while local communities lack basic infrastructure like schools and hospitals.
This investigation traces power structures from Chinese factories to Congolese mines, from shipping fires to state surveillance systems. Subscribe for full access to research that mainstream coverage won't touch.