The Ethics of Lithium and Cobalt Mining for Electric Vehicles

The ethics of lithium and cobalt mining for electric vehicles
As electric vehicles continue to find their space among clean alternatives compared to the ordinary gasoline-driven vehicles, increasing scrutiny of critical extracted materials like lithium and cobalt is coming forward. Both form the main part of manufacturing lithium-ion batteries, the main power source behind electric vehicles, and raise substantial ethical concerns at the level of extraction and consumption in the domains of environmental sustainability, human rights, and societal impacts within regions of mining activity.

Role of Lithium and Cobalt in EV Batteries
Lithium and cobalt are two important materials used in making the production of lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion batteries are applied in electronic devices and electric vehicles. Lithium is the primary element used in EV batteries; it enables energy to be stored in a lightweight and rechargeable manner. Cobalt stabilizes the battery while increasing its efficiency as well as lifespan. The demand for electric vehicles has significantly increased the demand for both these minerals worldwide.

However, mining of these materials poses ethical and environmental concerns. There is a pressing requirement for the responsible management of supply chains related to these materials as the need for electrification is increased with more automobile companies and technology organizations relying on the electrification path.

Environmental Issues
The extraction of Lithium and cobalt is usually conducted by destructive processes, which degrades the environment. Lithium is produced through the primary routes that involve hard rock mining, and also by brine extraction for lithium. The latter two will have major ecological impacts. Rock mining has a natural, inevitable impact with deforestation and habitat destruction in addition to erosions due to soil flushing because large proportions of earth are being digested. Most amounts of lithium recovered arise from extraction of brines. They require a large amount of water. This type of extraction often comes from salt flats-mostly in deserts like those found in Chile-Atacama and parts of Argentina. This would dry up water bodies in such areas, very dangerous in desert regions.

Democratic Republic of Congo is the major provider of Cobalt mining and the degradation here is widespread in the area. Mining chemicals also have a rough effect on soils and waters. These have impacted local ecosystems over a period, and therefore local communities have been impeded.

Human Rights Issues
Barring the environmental, the mining of lithium and cobalt poses many major human rights issues. Democratic Republic of Congo, which is the country responsible for cobalt production accounting to approximately 70% of global production, is well known for its child labor and hazardous working conditions at cobalt mining sites. Workers, who include children, experience terrible working conditions, with no protection gear and proper working tools. Thus, these miners are prone to hazardous chemicals and mishaps or even death in the case of a volatile artisan mining operation.

Issues in South America on lithium mining concerning human rights. Besides social and environmental concerns, the rights to land and water are what the nearby communities around lithium-extracting operations in Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia have an issue with since they believe that when they work on mining activities, their rights are not being consulted or respected. Lithium extraction seems to intensify the existing inequalities one more time as this once again throws an issue on the aspect of equity distribution.

Supply Chain: Transparency and Accountability
This places immense pressure on the businesses involved in electric vehicles and electronics companies to determine if their supply chain is open and ethical. Among the world's leading car and technology companies, there are agreements for sourcing lithium and cobalt exclusively from suppliers with higher environmental accountability and human rights. Some invest in alternative technologies that are free from cobalt and lithium; yet, those alternative technologies haven't widely spread.

There are innumerable organizations and initiatives working toward improving the standards of ethical mining practices. Responsible Cobalt Initiative is particularly focused on the issues concerning the social and environmental aspects of cobalt mining in DRC, whereas Global Battery Alliance aims for all parts of the battery supply chain to be held at an unprecedentedly high bar of sustainability and ethics.

Nevertheless, transparency in supply chains is still non-existent. Companies are still unable to trace where their products' materials come from, and a lot has to be done. The complexity of managing a supply chain combined with nearly nonexistent rules and controls in some mining areas makes it difficult to tell if every party in the chain takes the right ethical and environmental steps.

The Call for Sustainable Replacements
Companies now are coming out looking for greener alternatives to lithium and cobalt thus trying to find a way around those challenges. At present, scientists found solid state batteries that will be more secure, more efficient, and less dependent on hazardous minerals. As much as possible, recycling lithium-ion batteries will minimize new mining.

Some of the current trendy models are a circular economy. This involves an organization's ability to recover and recycle material from an old battery in manufacturing a new one. Recycling probably reduces mining's environmental and social impacts by great margins, although it is not easy to accomplish and the process is quite expensive.
This growing demand for electric vehicles creates an obvious need for responsible sourcing of raw materials. As the world shifts toward greener technologies, there is a dire need to address ethical concerns around lithium and cobalt mining in order not to have that transition to electric mobility come at the cost of human rights or environmental health.

The government, industries, and consumers will adjust.
For electric vehicles to be ethical and green, there will need to be increased regulation, more transparent supply chains, and investment in sustainable alternatives.

Sources: Lithium and cobalt mining reports from various industry sources, human rights organizations, environmental NGOs.