Biden turns to Africa to counter China

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Jan 20, 2023 View in browser   By Arianna Skibell Artisanal cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo. | Afrewatch 2020/International Institute for Environment and Development/Flickr The U.S. effort to wrest control of the supply chain for electric car batteries from China is playing out in African mines, where reports of child abuse and forced labor are rampant, writes POLITICO's E&E News reporter David Iaconangelo. Zambia and Congo are major sources of cobalt and copper, key ingredients for lithium-ion batteries. Once extracted, the bulk of those minerals are exported to China, where 75 percent of the world's lithium-ion batteries are made. The U.S. wants to disrupt that flow by helping Congo and Zambia not only extract minerals but also process, manufacture and assemble them into batteries. "This is the future, and it is happening in [Congo] and in Zambia," Secretary of State Antony Blinken proclaimed last month at the signing of a U.S. agreement with the central and southern African nations. While the U.S. agreement to help these African countries create a competitive battery industry doesn't mention China, success there could create a new base for competing against the Asian superpower. At the same time, it could open the door for new partnerships with U.S. car companies. That could be crucial for helping President Joe Biden meet his goals of having electric vehicles account for half of all new U.S. car sales by decade's end. Analysts predict a looming supply shortage of critical minerals. Where this gets controversial: Labor abuses are well known in the Congolese cobalt sector, which provides 70 percent of the world's supply. Both Amnesty International and the U.S. Labor Department have documented human rights violations such as forced child labor. Human rights advocates have denounced the State Department's overture to Africa's major miners as unconscionable, as have Republicans who would like to see the White House get behind more domestic critical minerals mining. Other analysts say U.S. influence could help enforce global labor standards.   Thank goodness it's Friday — thank you for tuning in to POLITICO's Power Switch. I'm your host, Arianna Skibell. Power Switch is brought to you by the journalists behind E&E News and POLITICO Energy. Send your tips, comments, questions to askibell@eenews.net. Listen to today's POLITICO Energy podcast Today in POLITICO Energy's podcast: Catherine Morehouse and James Bikales discuss the importance of a groundbreaking Arizona transmission project. Lobbying Known as a center for lobbyists, lawyers and think tanks, the K Street corridor is seen in northwest Washington. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo Scoring cash from the new climate law, filling energy gaps spurred by the Russian war in Ukraine and swaying the Biden administration on regulations are top priorities for energy and environmental lobbyists this year, write Robin Bravender and Timothy Cama. After recent years were dominated by lobbying Congress on big-ticket legislation, much of the action will move to the executive branch this year — though not all. Here's what 10 influential energy and environmental lobbyists say they're planning to focus on in the year ahead. Power Centers Waves lap ashore near condo buildings in Sunny Isles, Fla., on Aug. 9, 2021. | Joe Raedle/Getty Images Carbon markets Among climate wonks, few topics spur as much debate as the role of voluntary carbon markets in the fight against global warming, writes Avery Ellfeldt. To some, they are a scam. To others, an innovation solution. Either way, there's a growing effort to bring order to the voluntary carbon market and put uniform rules in place. GOP scrutiny begins House Republicans are aiming to reverse a controversial Biden administration decision that waived solar tariffs against Chinese-made solar products coming from Southeast Asia, writes Brian Dabbs. Rep. Bob Latta of Ohio is planning to bring administration officials before the Energy and Commerce Committee to grill them on the decision. Europe strikes back Months of European frustration with the billion-dollar subsidies in Biden's Inflation Reduction Act kept simmering anew this week on the continent, leading to some tense moments at the World Economic Forum that ended today in Davos, Switzerland, POLITICO's Alexander Ward and Suzanne Lynch report. Some EU leaders aired their gripes directly to Sen. Joe Manchin, the law's chief architect — who insisted that "this piece of legislation was not intended to harm anybody. It was intended to keep America strong so we could help our friends." Meanwhile, EU countries are starting to introduce their own subsidy packages, and French President Emmanuel Macron and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez have agreed to jointly pursue a "proactive" response, writes Clea Caulcutt. in other news A New Zealand fur seal. | Getty Images Dynamic duo: How a seal and a robot helped uncover a potential climate change disaster. Following: Six environmental justice policy fights to watch in 2023.   STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president's ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.     Subscriber Zone A showcase of some of our best subscriber content. A petroleum tanker is seen off the Texas coast in this aerial view from a drone. | Tom Pennington/Getty Images Environmental and local advocacy groups have sued the Biden administration over its approval of a proposed deepwater oil export facility in the Gulf of Mexico. A Danish energy developer said it would write down the value of a planned New York wind farm by $360 million, citing inflation and rising interest rates. The Transportation Department plans to issue standards and a "Buy America" waiver for its $5 billion electric vehicle charging grant program in the "next couple of weeks." That's it for today, folks. Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!   LISTEN TO POLITICO'S ENERGY PODCAST: Check out our daily five-minute brief on the latest energy and environmental politics and policy news. Don't miss out on the must-know stories, candid insights, and analysis from POLITICO's energy team. Listen today.       Follow us on Twitter Arianna Skibell @ariannaskibell   Follow us

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