SUS1501 Assignment 3 (COMPLETE ANSWERS) Semester 1
2026 - DUE 23 March 2026
SUS1501 Assignment 3 (COMPLETE ANSWERS) Semester 1 2026
Due Date: 23 March 2026
Sustainable Development Goal 12.6: The Hidden Cost of Our
Electronics
Assignment Topic: "60% of the World's Cobalt is Mined in the DRC.
Significant amounts of this are mined under appalling conditions,
often by child labourers."
1
,The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) supplies approximately 60-
70% of the world's cobalt, a critical mineral used in lithium-ion
batteries powering smartphones, laptops, and electric vehicles . This
creates a troubling ethical dilemma: the devices we rely on daily are
often powered by minerals extracted under exploitative conditions
involving child labour .
QUESTION 1: Which is the most likely utilitarian option?
Answer: Option E
Option E states: "We should buy cobalt from the DRC but demand
ethical certification and fund schools."
Why Option E is the Utilitarian Choice
2
, From a utilitarian perspective, the correct choice is Option E because
it maximizes overall well-being for the greatest number of people.
Utilitarianism is a consequentialist ethical theory that judges actions
based on their outcomes—seeking to produce the greatest good for
the greatest number .
Utilitarian Analysis of Each Option:
Option Statement Utilitarian Assessment
"What's cobalt got to do Ignores harm entirely -
A
with me?" produces no good
Dismisses suffering based
"The DRC is far away, so
B on distance - ethically
I don't care."
bankrupt
3
2026 - DUE 23 March 2026
SUS1501 Assignment 3 (COMPLETE ANSWERS) Semester 1 2026
Due Date: 23 March 2026
Sustainable Development Goal 12.6: The Hidden Cost of Our
Electronics
Assignment Topic: "60% of the World's Cobalt is Mined in the DRC.
Significant amounts of this are mined under appalling conditions,
often by child labourers."
1
,The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) supplies approximately 60-
70% of the world's cobalt, a critical mineral used in lithium-ion
batteries powering smartphones, laptops, and electric vehicles . This
creates a troubling ethical dilemma: the devices we rely on daily are
often powered by minerals extracted under exploitative conditions
involving child labour .
QUESTION 1: Which is the most likely utilitarian option?
Answer: Option E
Option E states: "We should buy cobalt from the DRC but demand
ethical certification and fund schools."
Why Option E is the Utilitarian Choice
2
, From a utilitarian perspective, the correct choice is Option E because
it maximizes overall well-being for the greatest number of people.
Utilitarianism is a consequentialist ethical theory that judges actions
based on their outcomes—seeking to produce the greatest good for
the greatest number .
Utilitarian Analysis of Each Option:
Option Statement Utilitarian Assessment
"What's cobalt got to do Ignores harm entirely -
A
with me?" produces no good
Dismisses suffering based
"The DRC is far away, so
B on distance - ethically
I don't care."
bankrupt
3
