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2 Aug 2021

China: Significant proportion of global solar value chain vulnerable to alleged forced labour in Uyghur Region, says major study

Major report gathered evidence - largely drawn from government and corporate sources – revealing that labour transfers are deployed in the Uyghur Region of China within an environment of 'unprecedented coercion, undergirded by the constant threat of re-education and internment'. The study examined how this alleged forced labour regime affects the global solar energy industry – and revealed how it pervades an entire supply chain, reaching deep into international markets. The study concluded that solar industry is particularly vulnerable to forced labour in the Uyghur Region because 95% of solar modules rely on one primary material – solar-grade polysilicon, and because polysilicon manufacturers in the Uyghur Region account for approximately 45% of the world’s solar-grade polysilicon supply. The authors of the report reached out to all companies mentioned for comment, prior to publication. Business & Human Rights Resource Centre then invited selected Chinese, EU, UK and US-headquartered companies along the value chain to respond - responses are linked below.

Company Responses

Cypress Creek Renewables View Response
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners View Response
sPower (part of AES) View Response
Matrix Renewables (part of TPG) View Response
Sunnova Energy International Inc. View Response
ACCIONA Energía (formerly Acciona) View Response
Engie Regeneration Limited View Response
MVV Energie View Response
BayWa r.e. (part of BayWa) View Response
Ortiz Energia (part of Grupo Ortiz) View Response
Iberdrola View Response
Amass International Group Inc.

No Response

F.C. Felhaber & Company, Inc.

No Response

Shanghai EZ New Energy Technology Co, Ltd

No Response

Taizhou Zhonglai Optoelectronics Tech Co

No Response

Jiangsu Runergy New Energy Technology Co., Ltd

No Response

Tongwei Solar

No Response

Astronergy (part of CHINT)

No Response

Vivint Solar (part of Sunrun)

No Response

Con Edison

No Response

Consolidated Electrical Contractors

No Response

Henan Senyuan Group

No Response

Hengtong Group

No Response

Jiawei Renewable Energy

No Response

Sungrow

No Response

TBEA

No Response

Changzhou Shengping Photovoltaic Technology Co., Ltd.

No Response

China Datang Corporation Renewable Power Co., Limited

No Response

Changjiang Huasheng Energy

No Response

Zhejiang Energy Group Co., Ltd.

No Response

Canadian Solar

No Response

LONGi

No Response

JA SOLAR

No Response

METKA EGN

No Response

Swinerton

No Response

Escala Solar

No Response

X-ELIO

No Response

Sonepar Group

No Response

IBC Solar

No Response

Tesla Energy (part of Tesla)

No Response

Grupo Cobra

No Response

Power Solar

No Response

Trina Solar

No Response

Suntech Power

No Response

Risen Energy

No Response

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