1 Million “Modern Slaves” at the Service of European Consumers

October 2022. A cobalt mine in Shabara, 50 kilometers from the town of Kolwezi (DR Congo). – © Junior Khanna / AFP

October 2022. A cobalt mine in Shabara, 50 kilometers from the town of Kolwezi (DR Congo). – © Junior Khanna / AFP

An unpublished study explains that every year, Europeans’ obsessive consumption is linked to 1.2 million cases of modern slavery and 4,200 deaths. This strong demand for minerals in particular is destroying humans and the planet.

In your Markdowns, set… Stop ? Two days before Black Friday, a large consumer mass, a Unpublished study Coming to document the hidden and dark side of our purchases. A smartphone, a car, household appliances… all these everyday items are tiny climate and human bombs.

Every year, consumption by Europeans is associated with 1.2 million cases of modern slavery and 4,200 fatal work accidents worldwide. And almost 40 % of the EU’s total greenhouse gas emissions take place outside our borders.

“ The largest part of our emissions is generated outside our borders to satisfy European consumers. points out Guillaume Lafortune from the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (STSN), at the origin of the report. We cannot ignore them just because they occur elsewhere. » [1] Our consumerism causes 4.7 gigatonnes (Gd) of greenhouse gas emissions outside Europe each year, eleven times the emissions of France.

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