Clean cars, dirty batteries

BERLIN – Volkswagen needs minerals for electric cars. War-torn Congo and Sudan have them. Long supply chains and an opaque system of certifications make it likely that “conflict minerals” end up in new electric cars from the German car giant.

CHIATURA –  Georgia is a key supplier of manganese, an essential raw material for Europe’s transition to renewable energy which is used in wind turbines and electric cars. This investigation  shows how the EU's rush to secure critical raw materials for its green transition is colliding with weak environmental oversight, opaque corporate networks, and a dramatically shrinking civic space in Georgia.

YEREVAN - In 2018, Armenian citizens overthrew an authoritarian regime in a mass movement. Now, they are taking on an international mining company. Over the past few years, activists and locals have blockaded Lydian International’s flagship $400 million Amulsar gold mining project due to its environmental impact.