"CNN Investigation: Daimler promises to audit cobalt supply 'to the mine'", 2 May 2018

[T]he maker of Mercedes cars pledged to investigate its supply chain to ensure child labor is not being used to power its electric vehicles.

"We want to prevent violations of human rights effectively at an early stage, and have created the necessary tools to do so," said [...] director of integrity and legal affairs at Germany's Daimler (DDAIF).

CNN published an investigation on Tuesday showing that children are still working in small, artisanal cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

CNN shared its reporting from the DRC with Daimler on April 3, including evidence that dealers at markets in the DRC were buying cobalt from those small mines without verifying its source and mining method.

Daimler has "explicitly forbidden" child labor in its supply chain for years, but like other carmakers has acknowledged how difficult it is to verify the source of cobalt -- a mineral used in lithium-ion batteries...

Daimler said [...] it would work with 1,500 suppliers worldwide to raise sustainability standards in the supply chain "to the next level" as part of a new approach the company called "the Human Rights Respect System." ...

The measures Daimler is taking include on site audits with teams of experts and apply to cobalt, as well as other materials used in battery cells. Raw materials such as steel and aluminum are also included. [also refers to BMW and Volkswagen]