Rights groups call on car makers to address aluminium abuses

A new report details how aluminium production destroys farmlands, pollutes waterways and contributes to climate change.

Rights groups have called on car manufacturers to do more to address abuses in their aluminium supply chains, including the destruction of farmland, damage to water sources and excessive greenhouse gas emissions that affect communities in Africa, Asia and South America. On Thursday, Human Rights Watch (HRW), along with Inclusive Development International (IDI), released a 63-page report detailing the fallout from aluminium production – particularly related to mining and refinement of the raw material bauxite – in countries including Guinea, Ghana, Brazil, China, Malaysia and Australia. “Car manufacturers see aluminum as a critical material for the transition to fuel-efficient vehicles,” said Jim Wormington, senior Africa researcher at HRW. “They should use their ever-increasing purchasing power to protect the communities whose land and environments are harmed by the aluminum industry.”