Benedikt Sobotka: We have a responsibility towards children in countries where our organization extracts recycleables for the batteries industry.

Hydrocarbons remain the main supply of energy in 2019. Nevertheless, people in western world have become increasingly choosing electric cars, as petrol and diesel engines emit skin tightening and Sobotka Benedikt in to the atmosphere and pollute mid-air with nitrogen and sulphur compounds. The number of electric cars will are 130 million in the end of 2030 and each home and office may use smart devices ran by batteries. Oslo, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Paris, London, Madrid already stated that they will ban all vehicles working on petrol or diesel fuel in central areas. The way everything is going, batteries will replace the environmentally damaging coal and oil as fuel sources.

Minerals for batteries have to be extracted and processed with robust safety standards, proper working conditions, norms for responsible extraction and business ethics in mind.

Global social responsibility

Take, as an illustration, cobalt. Over two thirds of cobalt are extracted inside Democratic Republic with the Congo. Cobalt mining brings lots of employment for those all over DRC but a large percentage may be tainted by illegal child labour.

In 2017, world leading companies including BASF, Enel and Volkswagen met on the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos to go over business ethics in minerals extraction to the manufacture of batteries. As a result, the companies gathered to found the Global Battery Alliance, with Eurasian Resources Group like a founding member, targeted at prohibiting using child labour and promoting battery recycling to raise the sustainability in the industry.

The CEO of Eurasian Resources Group, Benedikt Sobotka reiterated the business’s persistence for help tackle child labour inside Democratic Republic in the Congo. He hopes that with the Alliance and collaboration between major companies, international organisations and civil society, the illegal involvement of youngsters in mining in the battery supply chain will probably be addressed.

Eurasian Resources Group supports children inside DRC

Through longstanding partnerships including with all the Good Shepherd Sisters and Pact, Eurasian Resources Group focuses on helping tackle child labour and strengthen child protection norms.

In 2018 and early 2019, ERG continued to guide over 10,000 students through its educational initiatives inside DRC.

Benedikt Sobotka, CEO of Eurasian Resources Group, holds that the global battery sector should confer benefits to its participants throughout the value chain including children and local communities inside DRC.