Cobalt, lithium, nickel and graphite, historically of secondary interest to miners, have gained exceptional value in a world trying to set fossil fuels aside due to their use in electric batteries.

But will mining ever been sustainable and fair?

From Congo to Serbia, the rising quest for these materials is demonstrating how the clean energy revolution, meant to save the planet from perilously warming temperatures in an age of enlightened self-interest, is already caught in a familiar cycle of exploitation, greed and gamesmanship that often puts narrow national aspirations above all else.