CEO DATELINE - Solar companies pledge to prevent forced labor within sector
CEO DATELINE - Solar companies pledge to prevent forced labor within sector
- February 5, 2021 |
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Kathryn Walson
One hundred and seventy-five solar companies, including some of the world's biggest solar manufacturers, announced Thursday they had signed a pledge committing to "helping ensure that the solar supply chain is free of forced labor and raising awareness within the industry," the pledge states.
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The one-paragraph pledge continues, "We support the development of an industry-led solar supply chain traceability protocol as a tool for identifying the source of primary raw materials and inputs and tracking their incorporation into finished products."
The pledge is part of an industry-wide effort led by the Solar Energy Industries Association.
"We're proud to stand with these companies to vehemently oppose the use of forced labor in the solar supply chain. Forced labor will not be tolerated in our industry," John Smirnow, SEIA's vice president of market strategy, said in a statement.
"Given reports of labor abuses in Xinjiang and the inability to conduct independent audits there, solar companies should immediately move their supply chains out of the region. We've been calling on this for several months now and expect that most of the major suppliers should be out by June 2021, at the latest."
The pledge remains open for signatures, and all companies and organizations in the solar industry can join SEIA's effort, the association's statement said.
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