ESMC Calls for Immediate Action to Eliminate Forced Labour in Solar PV Supply Chains

The Working Group for Sustainable Solar PV Supply Chains at the European Solar Manufacturing Council has adopted the recommendation paper: “Stop Forced Labour in the Solar Supply Chain – Actions in the Near Future.”

“Forced labour should have no place in the solar PV supply chain. We welcome the upcoming EU ban, but unfortunately, it will take too long before it is fully operational. Therefore, we urge all stakeholders to stop purchasing solar modules that could contain polysilicon sourced from forced labour areas, such as Xinjiang, China. Public procurers have a particularly important role to play in this regard. Choosing European-made solar modules is the safest option to avoid exposure to forced labour and other unethical practices,” said Jens Holm, Sustainable Policy Director.

To support the implementation of the forced labour ban, the European Commission will establish a database of risk products and regions. ESMC recommends that the European Commission include Xinjiang and other regions in China, such as Inner Mongolia, as risk areas for state-imposed forced labour. Furthermore, ESMC urges the Commission to include quartz and silicon as risk products linked to forced labour.
China’s oppression of the Uyghur population in Xinjiang, with labour camps and torture, must be stopped. Unfortunately, a significant portion of the world’s polysilicon and quartz is produced in Xinjiang using forced labour. We now demand that the EU put an end to these products on the European market, says Jens Holm.

Read the recommendation paper here