Introduction
The global shift toward renewable energy technology has significantly increased the demand for cobalt, a critical mineral used in rechargeable batteries—placing the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) at the center of global cobalt supply. However, this surge in demand has intensified a complex humanitarian crisis in the DRC’s cobalt mining industry, characterized by gross human rights abuses and severe environmental degradation. While cobalt is essential and inevitable for the green revolution, its extraction in the DRC is intertwined with inhumane mining practices, including child labour and forced labour, which threaten to undermine the sustainability and ethical foundations of the global energy transition. This situation creates a stark paradox: the development of sustainable energy systems in wealthy nations is unconsciously powered by the exploitative labour and environmental destruction in a resource-rich but socio-economically fragile region. This article explores the structural causes of these practices and exposes widespread human rights violations in both artisanal and industrial mines, where child labour, physical abuse, and unsustainable wages are common. The environmental consequences are equally devastating, involving massive deforestation, soil erosion, and water pollution, further exacerbating the suffering of local communities. Moreover, the insatiable global demand for clean energy technologies has intensified the pressure on the DRC—the world’s largest source of cobalt—thereby amplifying these multifaceted challenges.

Cobalt: The Mineral Behind Modern Life

Cobalt is indispensable in modern technological systems due to its versatility and unique physicochemical properties. It is used primarily in lithium-ion........

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