In a joint report, published on July 22, 2021, on the social and environmental responsibility of global car manufacturers, the NGOs Human Rights Watch and Inclusive Development International announce that efforts are being made on the cobalt sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), but not enough on the aluminum supply in Guinea.

The report was produced with the participation of nine major car manufacturers: BMW, Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Groupe PSA, Renault, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo. According to the two NGOs, none of the nine manufacturers had, prior to the report, mapped their aluminum supply chain to understand the human rights risks. Thus, criticized by NGOs, car manufacturers are stepping up their efforts to limit the environmental and social impact of the exploitation of bauxite, a mineral used to produce the aluminum present in cars. The latter, dependent on many African materials to build their cars, are singled out for their failings in terms of respect for human rights and environmental protection, particularly in Guinea, which has the largest bauxite deposits. in the world. Automakers must ensure that binding human rights and environmental standards are built into their purchasing contracts and require suppliers to do the same, the two NGOs stress in the report. In 2020, 60% of bauxite exports from Guinea were carried out by Société Minière de Boké (SMB) and CBG, knowing that the country is the leading exporter of bauxite to China.