Will the poorest pay the biggest price? The pursuit of rare earth metals, essential for technologies from electric vehicle batteries to solar panels, risks fuelling global conflict and inequality.
Race is on for rare earth elements
Mineral misery: A child carries a heavy bag of spoil from a mining site in the Democratic Republic of Congo, representing the profound human cost behind the materials used in our modern devices. Glossary
Cerium - Cerium is a versatile rare earth metal primarily used in catalytic converters, glass polishing, and alloys.
Myanmar - The largest country in mainland south-east Asia, formerly known as Burma. It is an ethnically diverse place, something that has often resulted in fierce conflict.
Cobalt - A hard silvery-white magnetic metal best known for its use in lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and portable devices.