The ‘Conflict Mineral Facade’ project investigated how conflict minerals ended up in new electric Volkswagens. The Dutch-German team examined the supply chain of Europe’s largest car manufacturer and identified several problematic smelters which have been accused of purchasing conflict minerals and supplying Volkswagen.
Volkswagen stated that it “cannot confirm or rule out” the involvement of these smelters in its supply chain. 'The Volkswagen Group does not have a direct business relationship with any of the [...] companies or mines, nor do we procure materials directly from them', said a VW spokesperson in a written statement. According to the carmaker, the “complexity of global supply chains” is responsible.
'The car industry is not paying enough attention to what is happening in Congo,' said Sasha Lezhnev, a senior policy advisor at The Sentry platform. 'Companies such as Volkswagen need to pay more attention to the war.'
On the right: Photograph by Enough Project/Laura Heaton
