Solar Energy Boom Could Worsen Forced Labor in China, Group Says
- China’s Xinjiang produces about half world polysilicon supply
- Researchers propose model for measuring forced labor risk
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The rising demand for solar energy threatens to increase the risk of forced labor in the supply chain, which often includes raw materials produced in China’s Xinjiang region.
An analysis conducted by the Rights Lab at the University of Nottingham and supported by the British Academy warns of a handful of consequences if the solar industry doesn’t quickly find a way to make sure there’s no forced labor in its supply chains. Without intervention, the increase in demand for solar energy is likely to worsen conditions for workers, it says.