The congo situation is not because it is lithium but because it is congo.

Mining like that can easily be equipped with modern equipment and supported by a sophisticated supply chain to make production socially and environmentally sustainable as well as economically viable.

The issue is the upfront cost of investment is high and thus governments like Congo do not have the funds or the ability to raise the funds to make it so. The funds are so massive that even the MNC buyers are unable to invest on their own. It is easier for the corporations to just hire local thugs and ESG marketing executives to hide the truth from the masses.

It is for this reason why I am passionate about impact investing. Just like the VC model helped many disruptive technologies cross the business valley of death, impact investing can help fund the high upfront cost to create a more sustainable future.