Cobalt Miners: The human cost of clean energy

Workers at the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) Shabara cobalt mine are led by Eagle Mujinga. The DRC contributes to the global supply chain that fuels renewable energy and electric vehicles. It is the world’s largest producer of cobalt. Miners in the DRC are exposed to risky working conditions and only make a few dollars per day to supply the multibillion-dollar industry.

When miners accuse foreign buyers of underweighing and undervaluing the cobalt they extract, there is an ape caught in the middle. Can Mujinga manage demands from miners while maintaining contact with foreigners once he becomes a miner himself?