Economics and Multi-Criteria Decision Support for Sustainable Cobalt Production

Rosa María Ricoy-Casas; Jose María Lago Cabo; Jorge Eduardo Vila Biglieri; Darko Bozanic

doi:10.31181/ijes1512026237

Authors

Rosa María Ricoy-Casas University of Vigo, Faculty of Communication and Social Sciences, Department of Sociology, Political Science and Administration, and Philosophy, Vigo, Spain Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9130-1102
Jose María Lago Cabo University of Vigo, Faculty of Communication and Social Sciences, Department of Sociology, Political Science and Administration, and Philosophy, Vigo, Spain Author https://orcid.org/0009-0007-1515-2305
Jorge Eduardo Vila Biglieri University of Vigo, Faculty of Business and Economics, Department of Financial Economics and Accounting, Vigo, Spain Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7684-4096
Darko Bozanic University of Defence in Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9657-0889

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31181/ijes1512026237

Keywords:

Economic Risk Assessment, Critical minerals, PESTLE analysis, SWOT modelling, Resource economics, Operational research

Abstract

Mining critical minerals in the Democratic Republic of Congo comes with tough governance hurdles, environmental damage, and deep socioeconomic strains. This study’s approach blends SWOT with PESTLE analysis, drawing on the insight of experts from 32 organizations in 11 countries, including Canada, France, Germany, India, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and the United States. This two‑pronged approach makes it easier to fully examine the structural, political, and socio‑environmental sides of the cobalt industry in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The PESTLE analysis paints the DRC’s political climate as unstable and steeped in corruption, with social governance in deep crisis and environmental oversight falling far short. In the SWOT analysis, strengths at 14.49 and opportunities at 12.54 edge ahead of weaknesses at 12.95 and threats at 11.27 on average. This forms the foundation for the study’s conclusion: greater transparency in institutions, fairer labour market governance, and stronger environmental laws could help curb the extractive injustices tied to cobalt mining in the DRC.

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