Manufacturers and investors should beware the reputational and operational risks of dealing in Indonesian nickel
Earlier this month, the US government sounded the alarm over the use of forced labor in the nickel mines of Indonesia.
The finding has major implications for the energy transition because large amounts of nickel are needed to produce electric vehicle (EV) batteries and other low-carbon energy technologies.
Indonesia, which holds nearly a quarter of the world’s nickel reserves, employs around 6,000 Chinese migrant workers under often exploitative conditions: low wages, extended hours, surveillance and isolation.
This new listing highlights what has long been known about Indonesia’s troubled nickel industry and underscores China’s determination to dominate critical mineral supply chains—regardless of the human or environmental cost.
For the rest of this article: https://asiatimes.com/2024/09/indonesia-blood-nickel-risks-too-grave-to-ignore/