The dirty secret inside clean tech

We need precious metals to run green tech but what’s the cost of mining them?

Norway has approved commercial-scale deep-sea mining off its shores in the hunt for precious metals which are in high demand for green technologies. However, environmental scientists warn it could be devastating for marine life. Climate reporter Esme Stallard takes us through the controversial plans.

One of the metals Norway is looking for is cobalt. Currently the world’s main source of cobalt lies in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where miners toil in often poor conditions and armed conflict in the country has contributed to what the United Nations says is one of the “largest humanitarian crises in the world”.

BBC Africa’s Wedaeli Chibelushi describes the picture in the country and explains why some TikTokers are quitting vaping because of mines in the DRC.

Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Alex Rhodes and Adam Chowdhury Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks