Amnesty slams EV firms over workers’ rights in battery production

LONDON, United Kingdom — Major electric car makers are failing to show that they are protecting workers and communities from exploitation and environmental harm in producing metals for their batteries, Amnesty International said on Oct. 15.

The global human rights organization rated 13 major car makers on how transparent they were in showing whether their supply chains for metals, such as cobalt and nickel, met international rights standards.

“The huge rise in demand for the metals needed to make electric vehicle (EV) batteries is putting immense pressures on mining-affected communities,” said Amnesty’s Secretary General, Agnes Callamard. “The human rights abuses tied to the extraction of energy transition minerals are alarming and pervasive and the industry’s response is sorely lacking.”

Highest, lowest ratings

It called on car makers to tackle risks in their supply chains, such as forced evictions, environmental pollution, disrupted access to water, and abuse of indigenous peoples’ rights.

It said the sector had made progress since its first report on the issue in 2017 but much remained to be done.

German car maker Mercedes-Benz scored highest in the ratings, followed by US electric car specialist Tesla.

Chinese firm BYD along with Mitsubishi Motors and Hyundai scored lowest.

“The commitments these companies report on are often vague and provide little evidence of meaningful action,” Callamard said.

In September 2023, Amnesty accused multinational companies of evicting and intimidating residents near cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It also documented human rights violations targeting Indigenous people linked to nickel extraction in the Philippines.

Callamard called on governments to strengthen regulation of companies’ human rights efforts.

The companies covered by Amnesty’s survey included the Mercedes-Benz Group, Tesla, Stellantis, Volkswagen, Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, Ford Motor, Renault, General Motors, BYD Company, Mitsubishi Motors, Hyundai Motor Company, Nissan Motor, and Cobalt International Energy. —Agence France-Presse