Is Uyghur forced labor powering the U.K. solar industry?
As the United Kingdom prepares to embark on an ambitious expansion of its solar energy infrastructure called the Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI), advocates and senior officials are concerned about the U.K.’s heavy reliance on solar companies implicated in Uyghur forced labor.
“One of the most dirty and complicit industries”
The Telegraph reports that Alicia Kearns, chair of the foreign affairs select committee, has a stark warning about the potential consequences if the U.K. fails to enact tough new laws to address this looming crisis.
“Solar is one of the most dirty and complicit industries in Uyghur blood labour… The UK is at risk of becoming a dumping ground for slave labour-produced solar panels as both the US and EU have taken action. The fight against forced labour is a collective responsibility. We must work for a clean energy transition, but without becoming complicit in not just slavery, but genocide.”
The U.K. government’s impending Solar Roadmap outlines a transformative vision for the nation’s solar industry, aiming to increase solar capacity from 18 gigawatts to around 70 gigawatts by 2035. However, the vast majority of solar panels are expected to be sourced from China.