Car manufacturers are continuing to fuel human rights abuses by failing to responsibly source the key minerals critically needed for electric vehicle batteries, a report suggests.
As global demand for battery minerals soars, carmakers needed to identify and mitigate human rights risks in their supply chains in countries where minerals are extracted such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Philippines, according to a report by Amnesty International.
Electric vehicle (EV) batteries contain minerals and metals such as cobalt, copper, lithium and nickel – essential for energy technologies which require a battery storage unit.
The International Energy Agency says demand for these critical minerals will increase nine-fold between 2024 and 2050. To meet this demand an estimated 350 new mines will need to be opened.
Amnesty warned the rush to extract minerals for the energy transition has a “dark side” including forced evictions, threats to health from environmental pollution, dangerous working conditions and abuse of indigenous people’s rights.
Mining for the minerals used in electric vehicles can entail huge risks for people and the environment. Amnesty research has shown how industrial cobalt is linked to forced evictions in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Amnesty is calling on car companies to use their massive leverage as global minerals buyers to influence upstream mining companies and smelters to mitigate these human rights risks.
A study of 13 EV manufacturers found none of them demonstrated “they are yet conducting adequate human rights due diligence on their battery metal supply chains”.
“While some progress was made, across the board, the scores were a massive disappointment,” it said.
China’s BYD, one of the largest and fastest-growing electric vehicle companies, ranked bottom of Amnesty’s assessment, with the German manufacturer Mercedes-Benz rated top. Tesla was the second highest rated EV maker.
“BYD’s disclosures show a serious lack of transparency on human rights diligence in its battery supply chains,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty’s secretary general.
“Other low-scoring firms, such as Hyundai and Mitsubishi, lack the necessary depth and information about implementation across key human rights due diligence areas.
“The commitments these companies report on… provide little evidence of meaningful action, showing they have a long way to go to meet international standards.”
“The lack of transparency around supply chains demonstrated by these companies is a serious problem considering the likelihood that they may be sourcing batteries made with minerals such as cobalt or nickel mined in conditions that could harm people’s human rights,” said Ms Callamard.
“The huge rise in demand for the metals needed to make electric vehicle batteries is putting immense pressures on mining-affected communities,” she added.
“Those lagging behind need to work harder and faster to show that human rights is an issue they take seriously. It’s time to shift gears and ensure electric vehicles don’t leave behind a legacy of human rights abuses.
While some of the companies assessed have taken positive steps to acknowledge their human rights responsibilities and align corporate policies with international human rights standards, a lot more needs to be done Amnesty said.
Major EV manufacturers could do more to show they’re actually implementing their policies through addressing human rights risks and providing effective remedy to affected people.
Amnesty’s assessment was based on each car maker’s publicly available reports, policies and filings. Their report does not capture every action companies may undertake.
Amnesty called for governments to introduce and enforce mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence legislation covering companies’ global operations and supply chains; ensure access to effective remedies for human rights harms linked to the impacts of EV manufacturers’ global operations.
Companies should also be required to implement environmental safeguards and rehabilitation plans; ensure protections for workers’ rights; as well as acting to address gaps and failures identified in the report and publicly disclose measures taken to mitigate human rights risks in the battery mineral supply chain.