BMW says it is looking into Morocco labour, environment issues after newspaper report
Reuters
Published Nov 12, 2023 21:04
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German carmaker BMW said on Sunday it is seeking clarity on operations at a Moroccan cobalt mine following a newspaper report citing irregularities that breach labour and environmental laws.
BMW has contacted local supplier Managem with a range of queries and requested additional information, a spokesperson for the company told Reuters.
"If there is any misconduct, it must be remedied," the spokesperson said, adding there had been initial allegations in the summer against Managem but the documents provided to BMW had looked credible. Managem's environmental certificates were up to date, he said.
Daily newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung (SZ's) Nov 13 print edition will say its reporters have collaborated with broadcasters NDR and WDR in research finding serious violations of environmental and labour protection regulations at mines in Morocco, according to the advance online edition of the paper.
The report said that excessive levels of arsenic were found in water samples and that Managem was not complying with international standards for the protection of workers and taking action against critical trade unions.
Managem is majority-owned by the Moroccan monarchy and operates a number of mines in several African countries.
Cobalt is needed for electric car batteries, among other applications.
By far the largest proportion of the world's cobalt deposits are located in the Congo, where child labour still occurs, particularly in small mines.
BMW no longer sources cobalt from Congo, said the BMW spokesperson. A fifth of its intake came from Morocco, and the remainder from Australia.
Get The App
Written By: Reuters
Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.