The move is designed to combat child labour in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and will impact its vehicles from 2020 onwards.

BMW will buy cobalt from Australia and Morocco to ensure the mineral is responsibly sourced, shunning the Democratic Republic of Congo and its questionable mining practices.

According to Bloomberg, the decision coincides with a London Metal Exchange review into whether its cobalt is linked with child labour.

Andreas Wendt, BMW board member responsible for procurement, told media the decision will affect the next generation of battery-electric models, set to arrive in 2020.

In the short term, the company won't buy cobalt from small Congolese mines as their practices are "simply not compatible with [BMW's] sustainability standards", according to Wendt.