Chapter 07 · Materials & footprintsCircular Economy & Materials
Cobalt
Definition
Cobalt is a hard, lustrous metal essential to most lithium-ion battery cathodes, superalloys and catalysts. The Democratic Republic of the Congo supplies over 70% of mined cobalt, with artisanal and small-scale mining accounting for an estimated 15–30% of Congolese output — a segment documented to involve child labour and hazardous working conditions.
References
DRC production share, ASM share, child-labour listing
documented child-labour estimates and investigative reporting
Overview
What it means
Electrification of transport has made cobalt a flashpoint where the energy transition meets human-rights due diligence.
How it is used
The metal appears on the US Department of Labor's List of Goods Produced by Child Labor; downstream companies trace it via initiatives such as the Responsible Minerals Initiative's Cobalt Reporting Template.
Why it matters
Demand growth, supply concentration and documented abuses make cobalt a defining case for responsible sourcing and battery-chemistry innovation.