"Green Capitalism" Comes at the Cost of the Congo

As the sun rises on a desolate landscape, families wake up early to head towards the mines. While scavenging for pieces of cobalt to survive on, children, teenagers, mothers, and fathers all reminisce of a time when the soil they stand on belonged to them. Instead, the homes they used to inhabit are reduced to rubble, and every inch of land is ripped apart for the chance to recover a single speck of cobalt. A first-hand account of a Congolese teenager details, "At 13, I followed the young men from my village to the mines. I wanted to earn some money to buy myself a pair of trousers and change my life, just like all the other young people in the village. When I had been working there for three years, several diggers were crushed in a rockfall." Cobalt is a curse on the Congo and a blessing for the West.

The West is focused on an energy transition through "sustainable" practices. The implementation of green policies, investment, and production results in an increase in demand for the materials necessary to facilitate such an ambitious process. Cobalt is one of those materials. Unfortunately, DR Congo draws in the entire world's attention as 73.0% of global cobalt output is attributed to the country. As a result of the rich natural resources, the nation suffers at the hands of neo-colonial powers. However, the exploitation of the Congo is not a new development.

The Belgian Congo is one of history's most egregious violations of human rights. In the late 19th Century, European powers drew imaginary lines across the heart of Africa, controlling land they had never set foot on. Under the influence of King Leopold II, Belgium obtained the "international legitimacy" to own the Congo's abundant forests. As Belgium forced the Congolese people into slavery, the area was renamed "Congo Free State". The following chaos could only be described in one word: genocide. Back then, instead of cobalt, it was rubber. Instead of a battery for electric vehicles, it was tires for early models of cars. In the process of shipping these materials out west, nearly 10 million inhabitants of the Congo had died in poor working conditions. As King Leopold II passed away, the only difference was a change in the name of the colony; by and large, the mass exploitation continued. Even with slavery abolished, Belgium simply adapted by paying the Congolese low wages. However, after decades of protest and international scrutiny, Belgium finally let go of its chokehold on the colony. June 30th, 1960, is the DR Congo's independence day. Nearly 70 years later, there isn't much to celebrate.

The DR Congo's sensitive geopolitical arena complicates the mining industry even further. Clashes between various armed groups have become the norm for over 30 years now. Currently, fighting between the M23, a Rwandan-backed rebel group, and the Congolese security forces is rapidly escalating each day. Armed conflicts in the eastern DRC are distant from private mining enterprises, yet the displacement of Congolese families puts them directly in the crossfire of a decades-long clash. Nearly 7 million people are displaced, civilian attacks run rampant, and prisoners of war remain in inhumane living conditions. Meanwhile, mining projects are continually renewed and expanded further, resulting in even worse outcomes for the conflict.

Rockslides and collapses are the key characteristics of DRC mines. In essentially a system of modern-day slavery, children are expected to work 12 hours a day. Crucially, safety equipment is unheard of here. Think Global Health writes, "An estimated 500,000 to 2 million people in DRC rely on mining activities for employment." Millions of people spend long work hours isolated in tunnels that could collapse at any given moment. In the process of finding renewability, the Congo became a public health safety hazard to the millions of inhabitants. What's worse is that many families simply go to the mines to scour for scraps in the hopes of finding a piece of cobalt to trade in. Yet, the families that have lived on this land for generations can no longer afford to stay. Cobalt mining not only affects physical health, but also the environmental health of surrounding areas. Nearby dump sites contaminate the soil, making it virtually uninhabitable for families. The positive feedback loop is a toxic cycle in which Congolese citizens have no choice but to leave a dire situation for an even more unfortunate one. The only two options are work and stay, risking death from various diseases and unsafe conditions, or leave the area, risking the possibility of walking into an armed conflict.

The mainstream media has stayed silent on the Congo. Simply put, investigating and reporting on the Congo is a difficult task. Obviously, companies in the cobalt mining business do not willingly disclose their well-documented crimes. Moreover, the fruits of exploitative labor are too good to spoil. Exposing companies like Apple for providing batteries to our phones using unethical methods is an issue that news outlets cannot mention. Blissful ignorance is a better path for mainstream media. It's clear, staying silent on the Congo is staying complicit. However, even when reporting is done on the Congo, it's typically framed in a racially biased outlook. Minerals are mentioned in relation to M23's inconsequential profits. However, seldom discussed is the mass exploitation conducted by foreign corporations in China, North America, and Europe.

While the world looks to reduce its overall carbon footprint, the Global South becomes a sacrifice zone. The Congo is only one example of a larger trend expected to escalate much further. According to a report done by the UN, the global extraction of raw materials is expected to increase by 60% by 2060. Ironically, extraction processes contribute to 60% of global heating impacts and 40% of air pollution impacts. "Green Capitalism" simply cannot save us from negative environmental impacts. The advent of electric vehicles across China, North America, and Europe cannot seek to offset the detrimental effects in the very process of creating the "green" mode of transportation. In the near future, the Global South will fall victim to even worse conditions. Structurally, the exploitative system of Green Capitalism will inevitably result in neo-colonialist principles reinstated. Congo is the first sacrifice. More are on their way.

The latest colonial-induced suffering of the Congolese people comes in the form of "sustainability". Cobalt mining, as leading expert Siddarth Kara puts it, is "the slave farm perfected". The Congolese work through rough conditions and unlivable wages simply because there's no other choice. It is a perfect system of exploitation. Moreover, the world has stayed silent on modern-day slavery, and a structurally violent system that keeps it in check. Putting profits over lives is actively harming the environment and the Global South, despite what corporations would lead you to believe. "Green Capitalism" is not a viable solution.