Critical Mineral Mining & Human Rights Abuse: Are We Numb or Powerless?

Key points

• Consumption of electronics and cases of human rights abuse in the supply chains of electronics are growing at an alarming rate.

• As consumers, we find ourselves at a loss of how to counteract the crisis. Unsurprisingly, this situation can lead to burn out, often expressed as apathy, in well-meaning consumers.

• Herein, we explore ways to restore our agency in the matter through thoughtful purchase decisions and end of life management of our electronics.

Introduction

When I joined the renewable energy industry 3 years ago, I felt at home. I thought this was the one industry whose sole purpose of existence is to make the world more sustainable. What I did not know at the time was that the renewable energy faces its own unique set of sustainability challenges - environmental, social and governance based.

In 2023, I began taking a keener interest in the supply chain of batteries - from upstream (raw material extraction) to midstream (material processing) and downstream (battery manufacturing, end-use and recycling). Through this ongoing journey, my perspective on the sustainability of the renewable energy industry has become more nuanced. Some call it the paradox of the energy transition - to make the world more sustainable, we need to extract materials from the earth at larger scales than has been done in the history of humanity. We can interpret this as: to save the world we must first destroy it (at least partially).

Defend right

Some might argue that the negative impacts of the energy transition are unavoidable. I mean, the raw materials have to come from the ground somewhere. We live in material world after all - we cannot wish batteries and solar panels into existence.

The discussion quickly turns to: Can this ‘destruction‘ be executed responsibly? More specifically:

1. Can critical minerals be extracted in way that minimizes environmental impacts?

2. Can critical minerals be extracted in a way that minimizes social impacts?

3. Can critical minerals be extracted in a way that minizes social impacts?

These are questions that renewable energy stakeholders are grappling with - some more genuinely than others. I personally concede that the energy transition cannot escape some negative environmental ramifications in the short term. What I fail to understand is why are we even talking about minimizing social and governance impacts? They are completely avoidable hence should not be there! I mean, when did you last hear about child labor and blatant corporate bribery occuring in the Global North? For that reason, I have sought to understand why human rights abuse in particular remains a thorn in the flesh of countries in the Global South, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Scandals galore

I bet this is not the first time you are hearing about human right abuses in the mining of critical minerals in the Global South. The Business & Human Rights Resource Center (BHRRC) has created a valuable resource called the Transition Minerals Tracker that has been documenting allegations of human rights abuses across mines and companies since 2010. The Tracker lists the following as the top 10 offending companies and top 7 affected countries.

*80% owned by China Molybdenum, 20% by Gecamines

By mine type, the highest number of allegations were associated with copper, zinc, copper/cobalt, nickel and lithium mines in that order.

The immediate beneficiaries of these unethical practices include the familiar Big Tech members who have also been accused of consuming conflict minerals: Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Alphabet (Google) and Amazon. This Global Witness report details how these companies evade responsibility by leveraging dubious and ineffective due diligence processes.

What can we do about it?

Whenever I see a new scandal, I cannot help but wonder - have we become numb to this continual stream of stories of human suffering? Do we simply feel powerless? Is this the new normal? It is barely surprising that continual stream of negative press involving some of the most powerful corporations can lead to burnout, expressed as apathy, even in a well-meaning consumer.

A few organizations have stepped in to restore the agency that status quo threatens to devour. Some actionable ways to increase our agency in the fight against human rights abuse in electronics supply chains are discussed below.

Reducing one’s electronic waste (e-waste) has a direct impact on reducing one’s consumption of new electronics. The David Suzuki Foundation recommends extending the life of one’s personal devices through the 6Rs:

1. Re-evaluate & Research: Can I meet my needs with fewer electronics? What are the responsible sourcing credentials of the product available to me?

2. Repair & Reuse: Can I or a local repair cafe fix the fault? Continue using the device once repaired.

3. Recycle and Rescue: Donate, resell or leverage recycling programs to prevent my electronics from ending up in landfills.

For those willing and able to forego the costly luxuries of flagship smartphone models, ethical smartphone manufacturers such as Fairphone and Teracube offer just what you need! Fairphones might not have the latest features available in flagship smartphones but they offer higher value in the following ways:

1. Ethical sourcing and manufacturing: Fairphone’s certified supply chain features fair labor conditions and 36% recycled materials.

2. Higher repairability: modular construction with ten swappable parts (including battery and display) make the phone easier to repair compared to flagship phones.

3. Extended warranty: in addition to the standard 2-year warranty, Fairphone offers a complimentary 3-year extended warranty on registered Fairphone 4 and Fairphone 5 models.

Fairphones are available through Fairphone stores and website in Europe and through Murena in parts of North America.

Conclusion

At the end of day, it is upon us to use our purchase decision and end of life management of personal devices to reverse this electronics tragedy one device at a time. If all else seems to fail, resort to the serenity prayer and keep sane.

“They want to us to pretend that nothing is wrong…got to defend right.“

Dezarie