This project supports communities affected by the local nickel mining industry and promotes corporate accountability in the global electric vehicle supply chain.
In the heart of Indonesia's nickel boom, we are conducting an environmental and human rights assessment in Labota and Sorowako, Sulawesi, where a once small fishing village has been transformed into a sprawling industrial hub for electric vehicle (EV) battery production. The project supports local communities affected by mining and industrial pollution and aims to promote corporate accountability in the global EV supply chain.
This initiative is realized in partnership with Friends of the Earth Japan and WAHLI.
Accounting for 51% of the world’s total mine production, Indonesia is the world's largest producer of nickel, a key material in electric vehicle batteries. The Morowali Industrial Park on Sulawesi Island, valued at over $15 billion, has become a major global hub for nickel processing and battery manufacturing. The region, which is responsible for approximately 15% of Indonesia's massive nickel output, has seen rapid industrialization, including coal-fired power plants, steelworks, and battery factories with exclusive seaports and airports. However, the development of essential public services has lagged far behind: there is no proper waste management system, and access to adequate healthcare, education, and other basic infrastructure remains severely limited.
Despite supplying global markets – including Europe and the United States – with “green” mobility solutions, the environmental and social cost of this development is being borne by the local population. The indigenous village of Labota, now engulfed by this industrial transformation, suffers from severe pollution, lack of oversight, and growing concerns over health and safety. Mining takes place in an area that is also both a biodiversity hotspot and an important cultural heritage site. This contrast is particularly evident in Sorowoko, a small mining town that has grown on the shores of Lake Matano, an important freshwater reserve not far from Labota.
Research and reports from civil society groups have highlighted how pollution from mining and battery production is harming air, water, and soil quality, significantly disrupting the lives of local fishing and Indigenous communities. Yet, there is a severe lack of official data and environmental monitoring by national or international institutions.
Unfortunately, Labota is not an isolated case. Numerous reports – including a recent one from the Business and Human Rights Resource Center – have shown how the current structure of EV supply chains often displaces the environmental burden onto communities in resource-rich countries like Indonesia. In this project, we aim at contributing with robust and independent data to further expose these hidden costs.
In collaboration with local civil society organizations, we are leading a comprehensive environmental and human rights impact assessment in Labota and Sorowako. The project focuses on nickel mining operations and the adjacent battery manufacturing facility, both of which are key components in the global EV supply chain.
Our work will involve two sampling campaigns to monitor air, water, and soil quality alongside selected health indicators. In parallel, we will conduct interviews and focus group discussions with local residents to document potential human rights violations in both the mining sites and the factory. These qualitative methods will also serve to deepen our understanding of the broader socio-economic dynamics affecting the local population.
All collected data will be shared with the local and international community, supporting legal and advocacy actions in Indonesia and an EU-wide awareness campaign targeting the EV industry.
In May 2025, Flaviano and Stefano went to Indonesia for the first sampling campaign and photographic report. In collaboration with the local partners, we collected approximately 15 water and sediment samples downstream of mining and industrial areas. The water samples also included two wells within the Labota mine area that are used for drinking purposes. Back to Italy, we brought the samples to an accredited lab for heavy metal analyses – including hexavalent chromium, a well-known human carcinogen that has been observed in concerning concentrations in previous local campaigns.
The analyses showed that all sediments contained highly concerning levels of chromium and nickel, with concentrations that are 2 – 200 higher than their probable effect level – i.e., the value above which environmental effects are likely to occur. Furthermore, 60% of water samples had concentrations of hexavalent chromium above the Indonesian drinking water quality treshold of 10 µg/L, with outliers as high as 81 µg/L. Complementing these data is the stunning visual evidence of environmental degradation captured in Stefano’s photographic material. For more information, check our interim report below (available soon).
