Carmaker Daimler AG has gone "on the offensive" to secure a sustainable raw materials supply chain and has developed a number of initiatives across key raw materials to create transparency and to protect human rights, the Germany-based group has said.
The move comes amid continuing concerns about unsafe working conditions and the use of child labor in artisanal mining, particularly for cobalt in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The country is the world's largest producer of cobalt and also has more than 50% of the global cobalt reserves.Daimler, which owns Mercedes-Benz Cars among others, does not buy its cobalt, lithium and nickel directly from mines but instead makes its purchases through a network of sub-suppliers beyond the primary supply level, it said.It added that it requires its suppliers to communicate and monitor its...