Amnesty International calls on EV manufacturers to protect human rights

While electric vehicles (EVs) may hold potential to bring great benefit to the environment by reducing fossil fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions, the industry still has plenty of room for improvement in terms of overall harm reduction. Global human rights organization Amnesty International has released a new report entitled “Recharge for Rights: Ranking the Human Rights Due Diligence Reporting of Leading Electric Vehicle Makers,” in which it details the human rights due diligence policies and self-reported practices of 13 major EV manufacturers. Amnesty International used criteria based on international standards to assess the companies, and found most of them lacking.

The organization issued each manufacturer with a scorecard, with criteria including commitment to human rights policies, risk identification process, supply chain mapping, and reporting and remediation. Out of 90 points, none of the companies scored higher than 51, with BYD coming in last with a score of 11. Mercedes-Benz scored the highest at 51 out of 90.

The report spotlights issues that have long been of concern as the EV industry grows. Mining for the minerals EV batteries require takes place largely overseas, much of it in African and South American countries, and the rights and livelihoods of local communities have been shown to fall by the wayside.

“The huge rise in demand for the metals needed to make electric vehicle batteries is putting immense pressures on mining-affected communities,” says Amnesty International Secretary General Agnès Callamard. “The human rights abuses tied to the extraction of energy transition minerals are alarming and pervasive and the industry’s response is sorely lacking. Communities are suffering from forced evictions, health issues caused by pollution, and difficulties accessing water. As demand for electric vehicles increases, manufacturers must ensure people’s human rights are respected.”

Callamard states that some progress was made across the board, but the report still shows a significant lack of transparency around supply chains. Even companies that ranked higher and have made commitments to human rights due diligence in the past demonstrated limited evidence of implemented practices.

“The lack of transparency around supply chains demonstrated by these companies is a serious problem considering the likelihood that they may be sourcing batteries made with minerals such as cobalt or nickel mined in conditions that could harm people’s human rights,” Callamard says.

The failure to provide detailed information about supply chains and mineral extraction sites means that the companies’ stakeholders have a difficult time assessing the impact of operations on nearby communities.

The EV industry has options for better protecting human lives and the environment moving forward. Precision mining, for example, uses less water, disturbs less earth, and safeguards human workers from the more dangerous and difficult tasks. In addition, the materials making up EV batteries have been shown to be highly recyclable, so there’s a lot of potential for a circular, domestic supply chain. These are only a couple of the alternatives that exist to avoid damaging mining practices, and if EV manufacturers embrace them – and demonstrate real actions to respect and protect human rights – they’ll go a long way toward not only reducing global harm but gaining consumer trust.

“As the global transition to electric vehicles gains momentum, drives global competition, and allows for huge profit, Amnesty International is calling on all car makers to improve their human rights due diligence efforts and bring them in line with international human rights standards,” Callamard says. “We are also calling on governments to strengthen their own human rights due diligence regulation over the companies incorporated on their territories or their exports and import licenses.

“Those lagging behind need to work harder and faster to show that human rights isn’t just a fluff phrase, but an issue they take seriously. It’s time to shift gears and ensure electric vehicles don’t leave behind a legacy of human rights abuses – instead, the industry must drive a just energy future that leaves no one behind.”