Two largest German car makers took steps to prove that lithium mining in Chile is sustainable
Volkswagen and Daimler seem to be preparing for electric vehicle boom.
Chile’s Atacama is South America’s lithium reservoir, the supply of battery metal. Yet, fragile ecosystem of the region suffers from lithium mining. According to Reuters, two major German automakers Volkswagen and Daimler are interested in sustainable lithium mining in Chile.
Reuters was informed that these two companies have launched a study to make lithium mining more sustainable. “The growing importance of batteries has made the sustainability of lithium major priority for these companies,” Reuters cites its source of information.
Volkswagen confirmed having contracted the study, yet Daimler refused to comment. The current steps of these two German companies might relate to the fact that Chilean environmental court proclaimed Atacama ecosystem fragile and warned of a high level of uncertainty around water supply in the region. Water is an important part of lithium mining process as well as necessary commodity to protect Atacama ecosystem.
