[ad_1]
Solar panels on Swedish roofs can be produced with forced labor in China, according to reports and warnings from industry organizations.
One of the companies that invests in the sale of solar panels to Swedish customers is Vattenfall.
– In principle, all solar panels have connections with Xinjiang province in one way or another. This is a problem for the whole industry, and really for the whole of Europe, says Vattenfall’s sustainability director, Annika Ramsköld.
Last year, more than 60 percent came of the world’s solar cells and solar panels from China. And the silicon raw material for solar cells comes largely from the Xinjiang region, where human rights organizations estimate that more than a million of the Muslim population may have been deported to recycling fields. The Chinese authorities claim that these are labor market projects.
According to a recently released report by a US consulting firm, the world’s leading solar cell manufacturer may have links to forced labor and other human rights violations in Xinjiang.
– We were surprised that no one seemed to have analyzed the risks of forced labor in the production of solar cells, says Nathan Picarsic, one of the authors of the acclaimed report from the consulting firm Horizon.
The report notes the deep ties of solar cell manufacturers to Chinese state-owned industrial programs where there is a risk that people will participate under threat or coercion.
To the Vattenfall bestseller They include solar panels manufactured by the designated Chinese company Jinko. According to Chinese public documents, Vattenfall’s subcontractor participated in the state labor market program in Xinjiang last year. The program that was highlighted as part of the controversial retraining of Muslims.
The subcontractor rejects the criticism and refers to its own investigation.
– They have reported it and said they have not found any solid evidence that something is happening.
According to Annika Ramsköld, Vattenfall has requested more information. She says that due to the pandemic, inspections cannot be done on site and she does not see the situation as completely satisfactory.
– Of course, we do not accept forced labor, and now we are working to understand how we can ensure that there are solar panels that are not connected to Xinjiang province.
