IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jrpoli/v95y2024ics0301420724005166.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sourcing cobalt in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for a responsible net-zero transition: Incentives, risks and stakeholders

Author

Listed:
  • Cao, Xintong
  • Sharmina, Maria
  • Cuéllar-Franca, Rosa M.

Abstract

Net-zero technologies and the electrification of transport rely heavily on cobalt-containing equipment. Growing demand for cobalt entails environmental, social and economic sustainability risks of cobalt mining, particularly artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Many studies have raised the importance of motivating stakeholders to source cobalt responsibly. Through a systematic literature review, we identify nine sustainability risks that need to be addressed in the cobalt supply chain, analyse measures for incentivising responsible cobalt sourcing, and map links between the sustainability risks and the measures, to elaborate on the engagement of downstream stakeholders and identify methodological gaps. We group such measures into four incentive mechanisms, where integrating ASM into the cobalt supply chain while further formalising the ASM sector (Incentive Mechanism III) is the key to addressing most sustainability risks. Further deconstructing Incentive Mechanism III demonstrates that upstream stakeholders and governments shoulder most responsibility for its implementation. Engagement of downstream companies (such as electric vehicle manufacturers) is inadequate, given their significant influence both on consumers and on the cobalt supply chain. To engage downstream stakeholders more actively, we recommend establishing dedicated ASM funding pools and providing training for ASM communities.

Suggested Citation

  • Cao, Xintong & Sharmina, Maria & Cuéllar-Franca, Rosa M., 2024. "Sourcing cobalt in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for a responsible net-zero transition: Incentives, risks and stakeholders," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jrpoli:v:95:y:2024:i:c:s0301420724005166
    DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2024.105149
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301420724005166
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.resourpol.2024.105149?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. William Nikolakis & Lijo John & Harish Krishnan, 2018. "How Blockchain Can Shape Sustainable Global Value Chains: An Evidence, Verifiability, and Enforceability (EVE) Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-16, October.
    2. Cathryn Earl & Izhar Hussain Shah & Simon Cook & Christopher Robert Cheeseman, 2022. "Environmental Sustainability and Supply Resilience of Cobalt," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-10, March.
    3. Hilson, Gavin, 2008. "'A load too heavy': Critical reflections on the child labor problem in Africa's small-scale mining sector," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(11), pages 1233-1245, November.
    4. Geenen, Sara, 2012. "A dangerous bet: The challenges of formalizing artisanal mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 322-330.
    5. Takam Tiamgne, Xavier & Kalaba, Felix K. & Nyirenda, Vincent R., 2022. "Mining and socio-ecological systems: A systematic review of Sub-Saharan Africa," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    6. Zvarivadza, T., 2018. "Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining as a challenge and possible contributor to Sustainable Development," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 49-58.
    7. Lisa A. Levin & Diva J. Amon & Hannah Lily, 2020. "Challenges to the sustainability of deep-seabed mining," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 3(10), pages 784-794, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Salas-Urviola, Fernando B. & Calsina-Paricahua, Lesmes G. & Vilca-Salas, Ayde C., 2021. "Analysis of the formalization process of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM): Case region Puno-Peru," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    2. Natalia Yakovleva & Diego Alfonso Vazquez-Brust & Francis Arthur-Holmes & Kwaku Abrefa Busia, 2022. "Gender equality in artisanal and small-scale mining in Ghana: Assessing progress towards SDG 5 using salience and institutional analysis and design," Post-Print hal-04702883, HAL.
    3. Kumah, Richard, 2022. "Artisanal and small-scale mining formalization challenges in Ghana: Explaining grassroots perspectives," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    4. Fernando Morante-Carballo & Néstor Montalván-Burbano & Maribel Aguilar-Aguilar & Paúl Carrión-Mero, 2022. "A Bibliometric Analysis of the Scientific Research on Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-29, July.
    5. Yi Wang & Yafei Yang & Zhaoxiang Qin & Yefei Yang & Jun Li, 2023. "A Literature Review on the Application of Digital Technology in Achieving Green Supply Chain Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-18, May.
    6. Yu, Miaozhi & Wang, Yifan & Umair, Muhammad, 2024. "Minor mining, major influence: Economic implications and policy challenges of artisanal gold mining," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    7. Büttgen, Marion & al.,, 2021. "Blockchain in Service Management and Service Research - Developing a Research Agenda and Managerial Implications," SMR - Journal of Service Management Research, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 5(2), pages 71-102.
    8. Stoop, Nik & Verpoorten, Marijke & van der Windt, Peter, 2019. "Artisanal or industrial conflict minerals? Evidence from Eastern Congo," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 660-674.
    9. Henry Kwabena Kokofu & Gordon Kofi Sarfo-Adu & Mark Aferdi Dadebo & Gladys Nkrumah & David Kwaku Galley, 2022. "Sustaining the Environment in an Era of Small-Scale Mining in Ghana: Optimizing the Role of Institutions," International Journal of Global Sustainability, Macrothink Institute, vol. 6(1), pages 1-26, December.
    10. Banda, Webby & Chanda, Emmanuel K., 2021. "A proposed cooperatives strategy for artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector in Zambia," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    11. Pokorny, Benno & von Lübke, Christian & Dayamba, Sidzabda Djibril & Dickow, Helga, 2019. "All the gold for nothing? Impacts of mining on rural livelihoods in Northern Burkina Faso," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 23-39.
    12. Poignant, Adrian, 2023. "Small-scale mining and agriculture: Evidence from northwestern Tanzania," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    13. Sachin Kumar Mangla & Yiğit Kazançoğlu & Abdullah Yıldızbaşı & Cihat Öztürk & Ahmet Çalık, 2022. "A conceptual framework for blockchain‐based sustainable supply chain and evaluating implementation barriers: A case of the tea supply chain," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(8), pages 3693-3716, December.
    14. Christopher C. M. Kyba & Grégory Giuliani & Florian Franziskakis & Klement Tockner & Pierre Lacroix, 2019. "Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Sites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Are Not Associated with Nighttime Light Emissions," J, MDPI, vol. 2(2), pages 1-10, April.
    15. de Haan, Jorden & Geenen, Sara, 2015. "Mining cooperatives in South Kivu: saviour or extortionist?," IOB Analyses & Policy Briefs 14, Universiteit Antwerpen, Institute of Development Policy (IOB).
    16. Juliana Segura-Salazar & Luís Marcelo Tavares, 2018. "Sustainability in the Minerals Industry: Seeking a Consensus on Its Meaning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-38, May.
    17. Jeffrey R. Bloem, 2019. "Good Intentions Gone Bad? The Dodd-Frank Act and Conflict in Africa’s Great Lakes Region," HiCN Working Papers 300, Households in Conflict Network.
    18. Gatsinzi, Angelique & Hilson, Gavin, 2022. "‘Age is just a number’: Articulating the cultural dimension of child labour in Africa's small-scale mining sector," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    19. Li, Yongbo & Barrueta Pinto, Mark Christhian & Kumar, D. Thresh, 2023. "Analyzing sustainability indicator for Chinese mining sector," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    20. Ruth Zárate Rueda & Yolima Ivonne Beltrán Villamizar & Luis Eduardo Becerra Ardila, 2023. "Neo-Extractivism and Formalization of Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining—The Case of the Santurbán Moorland (Colombia)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-16, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jrpoli:v:95:y:2024:i:c:s0301420724005166. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/30467 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.