BMW investigates allegations against Moroccan cobalt supplier
The car manufacturer BMW is investigating allegations against a Moroccan cobalt supplier which, according to media reports, is said to have violated environmental and social standards. A spokesperson said on Monday in Munich that BMW had launched an investigation and asked the raw materials company Managem for a statement. "We take possible violations seriously and are investigating them." In the event of misconduct by the supplier, BMW would demand immediate remedial action.
According to research by NDR, WDR and "Süddeutsche Zeitung", there are suspicions that the Moroccan mining company is leaking large quantities of toxic arsenic into the environment when mining cobalt for electric car batteries. Managem has denied all allegations.
NDR, WDR and SZ reported that research carried out together with the French medium "Reporterre" and the Moroccan medium "Hawamich" "now indicates that large quantities of arsenic are being released into the environment from the Bou Azzer mine. This suspicion is based on analyses of water and urine samples in the region." Workers also said that the Moroccan company was not complying with international standards for the protection of workers and was taking action against critical trade unions.
BMW sources most of the cobalt required for its battery cars from Australia and around a fifth from Morocco. The French car manufacturer Renault also acquired Managem as a cobalt supplier last year and emphasized that "the responsible production of cobalt by the Managem Group has been confirmed by certification according to the standards of the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) and by assessments by NQC and ECOVADIS". The world's largest cobalt deposits by far are found in the Congo, where, however, there are repeated reports of child labor, violence and violations of European environmental standards.
- Despite sourcing a significant portion of its cobalt from Australia, BMW also relies on suppliers like the one under investigation in Morocco for their electric car batteries.
- The Electric car industry, particularly companies like BMW, has a responsibility to ensure their raw material suppliers adhere to environmental and social standards to minimize their impact on the environment.
- If the allegations against the Moroccan cobalt supplier are found to be true, BMW would need to consider sourcing alternative electric raw materials from suppliers with a better environmental and social track record.
Source: www.dpa.com
