The maker of Mercedes cars has promised to investigate its cobalt supply chain to ensure child labor is not being used to power its electric vehicles.
“We want to prevent violations of human rights effectively at an early stage, and have created the necessary tools to do so,” said Renata Jungo Brüngger, director of integrity and legal affairs at Daimler.
The German carmaker’s statement came 24 hours after CNN published an investigation showing that children are still working in small, artisanal cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
CNN shared its reporting from the DRC with Daimler on April 3.
Daimler said it would work with 1,500 suppliers worldwide to raise sustainability standards in the supply chain “to the next level” as part of a new approach the company called “the Human Rights Respect System.”
“We actively create transparency in the supply chain, right down to the mine if necessary,” said Sabine Angermann, head of purchasing and supplier quality for raw materials and strategy at Mercedes-Benz cars.
“It is not only the direct supplier who must operate sustainably, but the entire supply chain,” she added.
The measures Daimler is taking include on site audits with teams of experts and apply to cobalt, as well as other materials used in battery cells. Raw materials such as steel and aluminum are also included.
“Mercedes-Benz Cars has made the cobalt supply chain transparent for the award of contracts of battery cells,” the company said.
