Cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has become a critical component of the global energy transition, with the country supplying over 70% of the world’s cobalt for electric vehicles and renewable energy systems. However, the mining process has severe environmental and health impacts on local communities, undermining climate resilience and degrading ecosystems.
The DRC is the world’s largest cobalt producer, with around 50% of the world’s cobalt reserves. The extraction of these minerals is central to the global decarbonization narrative, yet the methods of extraction often harm the environment and local communities. Scientific studies have found heavy metal pollution in soils, groundwater, and human tissue, including cobalt, manganese, and uranium, well above safe thresholds.
Local communities are experiencing worsening pollution, habitat loss, and climate vulnerability, despite their nation supplying the minerals for a zero-carbon future. This paradox underlines the urgency for integrating mining into broader climate adaptation frameworks. The health impacts of cobalt mining are aggravated by chronic poverty, weak infrastructure, and limited access to healthcare, with reproductive health issues, respiratory problems, and cardiovascular illnesses prevalent among mining communities.
The DRC ranks among the least prepared countries for climate change, despite its vast carbon storage forest. The nation faces mounting floods, drought, and landslide risks, with climate shocks disproportionately affecting children and rural communities. To address these challenges, a framework for climate-smart mining and adaptation is necessary, including climate-smart regulations, land-use zoning, ecosystem-based adaptation, and strengthened environmental health oversight.
The global demand for critical minerals often overlooks the environmental and social costs of extraction in the DRC. International supply chains have been criticized for perpetuating injustice when sourcing cobalt under exploitative conditions. Consumers and governments must insist on climate-resilient, socially accountable mining that puts the environment and people first.
As the world prepares for COP30, mining-rich nations like the DRC will be under growing scrutiny to ensure that critical mineral extraction aligns with climate adaptation and social equity goals. The DRC’s National Adaptation Plan and NDC outline a path to integrated resilience, but implementation requires alignment between extractive industries and adaptation priorities. Treating mining as central to climate strategy is crucial to avoiding the minerals meant to heal the planet leaving one of its most vulnerable nations paying the highest price.
