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France 24
France 24
World
Arnaud ZAJTMAN

Energy transition: The dark side of the electric car battery cobalt rush

REPORTERS © FRANCE 24

Electric cars promise a clean energy transition amid the ongoing climate crisis. They rely on cobalt, a highly strategic mineral necessary for electric car batteries. It is found in particular in DR Congo, which has the largest cobalt reserves in the world. It is mined there at a colossal environmental and human cost involving child labour, water and air pollution, as well as corruption. As the auto industry battles it out, we went to meet the victims of the cobalt rush. FRANCE 24's Quentin Noirfalisse and Arnaud Zajtman investigate.

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