Benedikt Sobotka: We have a responsibility towards children in countries where our organization extracts raw materials to the batteries industry.
Hydrocarbons remain the primary supply of energy in 2019. Nevertheless, people in civilized world are increasingly choosing electric cars, as petrol and diesel engines emit skin tightening and Benedikt Sobotka 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 will more than likely use smart devices ran by batteries. Oslo, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Paris, London, Madrid already stated that they are going to ban all vehicles focusing 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 must be extracted and processed with robust safety standards, proper working conditions, norms for responsible extraction and business ethics in mind.
Global social responsibility
Take, for example, cobalt. Over sixty-six per cent of cobalt are extracted within the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Cobalt mining brings lots of employment for folks all over DRC but a big percentage may be tainted by illegal child labour.
In 2017, world leading companies including BASF, Enel and Volkswagen met with the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos to debate business ethics in minerals extraction for that manufacture of batteries. As a result, the companies came together to found the Global Battery Alliance, with Eurasian Resources Group as a founding member, targeted at prohibiting the use of child labour and promoting battery recycling to improve the sustainability in the industry.
The CEO of Eurasian Resources Group, Benedikt Sobotka reiterated the business’s resolve for help tackle child labour in the Democratic Republic from the Congo. He hopes that with the Alliance and collaboration between major companies, international organisations and civil society, the illegal involvement of kids in mining inside battery supply chain will be addressed.
Eurasian Resources Group supports children inside the 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 support more than 10,000 students through its educational initiatives within the DRC.
Benedikt Sobotka, CEO of Eurasian Resources Group, holds that this global battery sector should confer benefits to its participants across the value chain including children and local communities inside the DRC.
