BMW to buy cobalt to offset child mining fears

BMW will buy cobalt directly from mines in Australia and Morocco to ensure the metal purchased for its electric vehicles is sourced ‘responsibly’, according to the head of procurement at the German car maker.

The measure comes as the London Metal Exchange carries out a supply-chain review to address concerns that cobalt stored in its warehouses may be linked to child labour. The supply of the commodity, mostly mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo, faced scrutiny in recent years as humanitarian groups said that it is being produced in unethical conditions.