Glencore was the Tesla-linked battery-material supplier identified as having the most recorded human-rights allegations. The Verge reported on June 15, 2023, that Tesla buys cobalt and nickel from Glencore, which had at least 70 allegations recorded since 2010 and topped the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre’s list for the second consecutive year. That is a dated result from the tracker snapshot covering 2010–2022, not a current ranking.
Which Tesla supplier topped the list?
Glencore, a mining and commodities company, was the supplier at the top of the list cited in the 2023 report. The count refers to allegations logged by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC), not court findings or regulatory determinations. The Verge’s figure was at least 70 allegations against Glencore since 2010.
Tesla’s reported purchases of cobalt and nickel establish a supply-chain connection. They do not show that Tesla operated the mines, controlled every site, or caused each alleged abuse.
What “second year in a row” means
The phrase describes the ranking reported by The Verge on June 15, 2023, using BHRRC’s Transition Minerals Tracker: 2022 Analysis. It means Glencore had the highest allegation count in that snapshot for a second consecutive year. Because BHRRC updates the database and expands its coverage, the statement should not be presented as Glencore’s current standing without checking the latest tracker.
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How the allegation totals changed
| Tracker snapshot | Coverage | Allegations | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| BHRRC 2022 analysis | 2010–2022; six minerals: cobalt, copper, lithium, manganese, nickel and zinc | 510 total, including 65 first recorded in 2022 | More than two-thirds involved 14 large extractive companies, including Glencore. |
| Analysis covering 2010–2023 | Seven minerals | 630 | Ten companies, including Glencore, were linked to more than half of the allegations. |
| Current BHRRC tracker page, 2025 | 2010–2025; nine minerals, with bauxite, iron ore and rare earth elements added over time | 1,226 | The tracker says it examines more than 250 companies and 299 mining operations. |
These totals are not interchangeable. The 510 figure is the one behind the 2023 “second year” report; the later figures cover additional years, companies, operations or minerals.
What kinds of allegations does the tracker record?
BHRRC’s 2022 analysis grouped allegations around recurring impacts on people and the environment, including:
- attacks on human-rights defenders;
- water pollution or restricted access to water;
- corruption;
- violations of Indigenous Peoples’ rights;
- worker deaths; and
- other environmental damage.
Impacts can overlap. BHRRC said 82% of allegations in that analysis were associated with at least two types of harm, so one database entry may involve workers, a community and environmental effects at the same time.
Why the Glencore connection matters to Tesla
Cobalt and nickel are used in some battery chemistries, making mining conditions part of the wider electric-vehicle supply chain. A purchaser can face exposure to a supplier’s labor, community, environmental and human-rights risks even when it does not own the mine.
Rank #3
That exposure is a risk signal, not proof of a particular financial loss. Glencore’s own 2022 reporting notice says adverse community reactions, or allegations of human-rights and social incidents, could materially affect an operation’s cost, profitability, ability to obtain financing, viability, and workforce safety and security.
What Glencore says it is doing
In the same reporting, Glencore described its participation in the Fair Cobalt Coalition. The company says the coalition works to eliminate child and forced labor, improve artisanal and small-scale mining practices, and support alternative livelihoods. Those are company-reported commitments; they do not resolve or disprove individual allegations in the BHRRC database.
Rank #4
- The 2S battery capacity indicator module can be used to display lithium battery, lead acid battery, and Ni-MH battery.
- Clear and bright display, outline red, display block Blue. The different electricity quantity will illuminate corresponding blocks electricity quantity.
- How to use it: Connect the positive and negative terminals of the display board to the positive and negative terminals of the battery under test. The digital tube displays the real-time battery power.Note : after connecting a few series of lithium batteries in series, it is necessary to connect t-i-n to the corresponding pads.For example if a 2S battery is measured (two 3.7V lithium batteries are connected in series), a short circuit on the pad corresponding to S2 of the board is required.
- Widely applications: Can be widely applied to portable mobile equipment, electro mobile, balance car, cleaning machine, measuring equipment etc. battery capacity indicator.
- Note: The electricity quantity parameter is a reference value, there will be about 2% error range; This model is not waterproof, the electronic components should be used in a dry environment; The number of corresponding battery strings and use them within the corresponding voltage range. Do not exceed a voltage of 4.3*N at most.(for example, if the t-i-n on the pad of S3 is selected, the maximum voltage detected by the module should not exceed 4.3*3=12.9 V).
How to interpret a company ranking responsibly
An allegation count can identify where scrutiny is concentrated, but it cannot by itself measure the severity, substantiation or outcome of each case. A more useful comparison also asks:
- What right or impact is alleged, and how serious is the reported harm?
- Where did it occur, and which workers, communities or Indigenous Peoples were affected?
- Does the company publish a credible human-rights due-diligence process and site-level information?
- Did it investigate, remedy harm, compensate affected people or change the operation?
- Are allegations new, recurring or linked to the same project?
Readers should therefore keep “allegation” separate from “established violation” and date every comparison to the tracker version used.
Safeguards BHRRC recommends
BHRRC calls for robust human-rights due diligence; protection for workers, communities and defenders; fair negotiation with affected people; and free, prior and informed consent for Indigenous Peoples and communities where applicable. Mutuso Dhliwayo of the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association argued that centering Indigenous peoples, local communities and vulnerable workers is necessary for a fair and fast energy transition.
What this means for Tesla investors and consumers
The 2023 ranking is best read as a supply-chain governance warning, not as evidence that Tesla caused the listed harms or that a specific investment will gain or lose value. Anyone assessing Tesla or Glencore should check the newest BHRRC tracker, the companies’ latest disclosures, and any court or regulator findings before drawing a current conclusion. The database is updated over time, so an old ranking should not be treated as a live league table.
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