Tesla is backing a new initiative to support informal cobalt miners in the Democratic Republic of Congo as carmakers and miners seek to reassure customers about ethically mined supplies of the battery metal.
The company joined the fledgling Fair Cobalt Alliance, according to an updated list of members on the group’s website. The FCA aims to end the use of child labour at mining sites and improve working conditions in Congo. It’s also backed by miner and trader Glencore and major Chinese cobalt refiner Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt.