In Conversation with the Fair Cobalt Alliance: Building a Fairer Cobalt Supply Chain

We spoke to David, co-founder and Director of Partnerships & Innovation at The Impact Facility. David has also played a key role in developing and Fair Cobalt Alliance (FCA), a multi-stakeholder platform dedicated to improving the lives of artisanal cobalt mining communities in the DR Congo. He leads FCA’s fundraising and partnership efforts, driving impactful collaboration across the cobalt supply chain.

In this interview, we explore FCA’s approach to responsible mining, child labour prevention, and how businesses can contribute to a fairer, more sustainable cobalt sector.

In March 2019, our team conducted field research in Lualaba Province, DRC, assessing working conditions at the Kasulu and Kamilombe artisanal cobalt mining sites, the status of children’s rights in surrounding communities, and local livelihood opportunities. The findings—alongside a 2021 report by Save the Children (then an FCA member) on how businesses can promote child rights in ASM—highlighted a key issue: low earnings from artisanal mining, combined with widespread poverty and large household sizes, often force children to contribute to family incomes or pay for their own school fees.

We realised that while our efforts to improve mine safety and economic resilience were essential, they weren’t enough to address the root causes of child labour.

From the outset, the FCA, guided by OECD Due Diligence Guidance and child rights experts, rejected the idea of simply banning child labour. Instead, we advocated for meaningful remediation that prioritises the physical and mental well-being of the child. The Hub, established by The Centre for Child Rights and Business, embodies this approach. It offers a practical path away from mining for children, working through local cooperatives and civil society actors to ensure long-term scalability and sustainability, beyond the lifespan of any single project.

ASM is here to stay. Disengagement doesn’t solve its challenges, but rather perpetuates and entrenches them even further. Left informal and unregulated, artisanal and small-scale miners become vulnerable to exploitative actors who ignore environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards, offer unfair prices to miners with limited market access, and perpetuate the poverty that drives child labour.

The OECD Due Diligence Guidance urges companies to stay engaged and actively address risks in their supply chains. Investing in the continuous improvement of ASM operations creates a pathway to gradual compliance with international standards. This not only increases the volume of formal, responsibly sourced cobalt on the market but also improves miners’ working conditions and livelihoods. For companies, this opens up access to new, ethical supply streams and contributes to a more stable and transparent cobalt supply chain—a clear win-win for miners and companies alike.

While companies may claim to source cobalt from outside the DRC, the reality is that the DRC is the largest cobalt producer in the world, accounting for 76% of the world’s newly mined cobalt in 2024, with ASM contributing around 2%. Additionally, approximately two-thirds of global cobalt is refined in China, where batch processing and lack of traceability mean ASM material is likely to enter even the most controlled supply chains.

FCA facilitates direct engagement by hosting member visits to mining communities, helping them understand the reality on the ground, the people and the socio-economic potential of the sector. We provide regular updates on field projects and recently launched a cobalt credits mechanism, allowing companies to support responsible ASM cobalt production. These credits fund improvements aligned with standards such as the ASM Cobalt Normative Framework (RMI, 2023), helping ASM sites meet downstream sourcing requirements.

This engagement is critical to a just energy transition. It humanises the sector, which supports an estimated 150,000–250,000 people in the DRC, and motivates continued investment in safety, livelihoods, and formalisation.

Given the proximity of many ASM sites to industrial operations, there’s potential for FCA member companies to offer apprenticeships in trades like welding, carpentry, masonry, or tailoring. These practical skills can open doors to sustainable livelihoods both within and beyond mining areas.

For especially academically-talented youth, educational sponsorships, beyond what The Hub currently provides, could support careers in mining or other professions. These pathways offer youth a dignified alternative to mining, breaking the cycle of poverty and child labour.

Due diligence regulations in Europe and the U.S. have already prompted many companies to map and address risks in their supply chains—moving ASM engagement beyond corporate social responsibility into core business strategy.

But isolated efforts aren’t enough. That’s why FCA exists—as a collective action platform bringing together civil society, cobalt producers, electronics companies, and other value chain actors. By pooling resources and expertise, we drive joint investments in safer, more dignified ASM practices and improved incomes for mining communities.

Catalysing change at scale requires continued collaboration, coordinated investment, and a long-term commitment to formalisation, professionalisation and child protection.

Learn more about the Fair Cobalt Alliance here.