Benedikt Sobotka made a stand against child labour at cobalt mines

Benedikt Sobotka: We have a responsibility towards children in countries where we extracts raw materials to the batteries industry.

Hydrocarbons remain the key method to obtain energy in 2019. Nevertheless, people in developed countries are increasingly choosing electric cars, as petrol and diesel engines emit skin tightening and www.businesscloud.co.uk in to the atmosphere and pollute air with nitrogen and sulphur compounds. The number of electric cars will are 130 million towards the end of 2030 and each home and office will likely use smart devices ran by batteries. Oslo, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Paris, London, Madrid already stated that they’re going to ban all vehicles working on petrol or diesel fuel in central areas. The way situations are going, batteries will replace the environmentally damaging coal and oil as fuel sources.

Minerals for batteries have to be extracted and processed with robust safety standards, proper working conditions, norms for responsible extraction and business ethics planned.

Global social responsibility

Take, for instance, cobalt. Over 2 / 3 of cobalt are extracted in the Democratic Republic with the Congo. Cobalt mining brings a significant amount of employment for folks throughout DRC but a sizable percentage could possibly be tainted by illegal child labour.

In 2017, world leading companies including BASF, Enel and Volkswagen met with the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos to debate business ethics in minerals extraction to the production of batteries. As a result, the firms joined together to found the Global Battery Alliance, with Eurasian Resources Group as being a founding member, aimed at prohibiting the application of child labour and promoting battery recycling to boost the sustainability with the industry.

The CEO of Eurasian Resources Group, Benedikt Sobotka reiterated the business’s resolve for help tackle child labour in the Democratic Republic in the Congo. He hopes that from the Alliance and collaboration between major companies, international organisations and civil society, the illegal involvement of kids in mining within the battery supply chain is going to be addressed.

Eurasian Resources Group supports children inside DRC

Through longstanding partnerships including with all the Good Shepherd Sisters and Pact, Eurasian Resources Group concentrates on helping tackle child labour and strengthen child protection norms.

In 2018 and early 2019, ERG continued to compliment over 10,000 students through its educational initiatives inside DRC.

Benedikt Sobotka, CEO of Eurasian Resources Group, holds that this global battery sector should confer benefits to its participants over the value chain including children and local communities in the DRC.