Date of Award

Spring 5-1-2026

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Department

Environmental Studies

Advisor(s)

John Van Buren

Abstract

This paper examines the hidden environmental, geopolitical, economic, and social costs of the cobalt supply chain. Fueled by the demand for battery technology and electric vehicles, cobalt has become an essential element to the green energy transition. With the largest share of global cobalt deposits, the Democratic Republic of the Congo bears a disproportionate share of the industry’s harms. Cobalt mining in the DRC is marked by environmentally degrading practices and inhumane working conditions, compromising Congolese health, safety, and well-being. Chapter 1 discusses the environmental impacts of DRC cobalt mining and its adverse effects on public health. Environmentally degrading mining practices are threatening diverse ecosystems, thereby compromising fundamental ecological functions essential to human survival. Chapter Two explores how the DRC’s colonial and political history has enabled government corruption and facilitated the inequitable distribution of cobalt assets today. It explains how the systematic extraction of Congolese resources was established and how this system has prevented the nation from capturing economic benefits from the industry. Chapter Three examines the cobalt supply chain, highlighting China’s outsized control across its stages. It discusses the geopolitical and national security implications of China’s dominance and the current government's efforts to address them. Chapter 4 delves into workers' rights abuses prevalent in the DRC cobalt industry, including child labor, hazardous conditions, and exploitative wages. It addresses the structural drivers of child labor and the systemic failures of the DRC government and private companies to remedy the industry’s exploitative conditions. The concluding chapter presents five policy recommendations to address the diverse environmental, geopolitical, economic, and social challenges associated with cobalt mining.

Download

Share

COinS