Conflict Minerals: Tesla Secures New Cobalt Deal as It Phases out the Controversial Mineral

Jun 16, 2020 | Fred Lambert, Electrek
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Tesla has secured a new cobalt supply deal with mining giant Glencore as it phases out the controversial battery material. Cobalt is a controversial mineral due to most of it coming from mining operations in Congo, a place that has historically been affected by conflict and corruption, which has resulted in child labor in some mining operations. Most tech and auto companies using cobalt have taken steps to avoid sourcing from those operations, but it’s a hard thing to track since it changes hands several times before reaching a battery cell.