Benedikt Sobotka: We have a responsibility towards children in countries where us extracts recycleables to the batteries industry.
Hydrocarbons remain the primary source of energy in 2019. Nevertheless, people in western world are increasingly choosing electric cars, as petrol and diesel engines emit fractional co2 businesscasestudies.co.uk in the atmosphere and pollute mid-air with nitrogen and sulphur compounds. The number of electric cars will are 130 million in the end of 2030 and each home and office may use smart devices ran by batteries. Oslo, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Paris, London, Madrid already asserted that they are going to ban all vehicles implementing 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 should be extracted and processed with robust safety standards, proper working conditions, norms for responsible extraction and business ethics planned.
Global social responsibility
Take, as an illustration, cobalt. Over 60 % of cobalt are extracted within the Democratic Republic from the Congo. Cobalt mining brings a lot of employment for people all over DRC but a substantial percentage might be tainted by illegal child labour.
In 2017, world leading companies including BASF, Enel and Volkswagen met at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos to talk about business ethics in minerals extraction for that output of batteries. As a result, the firms joined together to found the Global Battery Alliance, with Eurasian Resources Group like a founding member, directed at prohibiting using child labour and promoting battery recycling to raise the sustainability with the industry.
The CEO of Eurasian Resources Group, Benedikt Sobotka reiterated the business’s dedication to help tackle child labour within the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He hopes that over the Alliance and collaboration between major companies, international organisations and civil society, the illegal involvement of youngsters in mining inside battery supply chain will be addressed.
Eurasian Resources Group supports children inside DRC
Through longstanding partnerships including while using 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 aid over 10,000 students through its educational initiatives within the DRC.
Benedikt Sobotka, CEO of Eurasian Resources Group, holds the global battery sector should confer benefits to its participants through the value chain including children and local communities inside the DRC.