- Vattenfall’s best-selling solar cells include panels by the manufacturer Jinko – a Chinese company that has participated in China’s work program in the Xinjiang region.
- “In principle, all solar panels have connections to Xinjiang in one way or another. This is a problem for the entire industry, and really for the whole of Europe,” says Vattenfall’s sustainability manager Annika Ramsköld.
- Human rights organizations estimate that more than a million of the Muslim population in Xinjiang may have been deported to retraining camps – Chinese authorities claim that these are labor market projects.
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 investing in selling solar panels to Swedish customers is Vattenfall.
– In principle, all solar panels have connections to Xinjiang Province in one way or another. This is a problem for the entire industry, and really for the whole of Europe, says Vattenfall’s sustainability manager Annika Ramsköld.
Last year, over 60 percent came of the world’s solar cells and solar panels from China. And the silicon raw material for the solar cells comes largely from the Xinjiang region, where human rights organizations estimate that over a million of the Muslim population may have been deported to retraining camps. Chinese authorities claim that these are labor market projects.
According to a recently released report by a US consulting firm, the world’s leading manufacturer of solar cells 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 solar cell production, says Nathan Picarsic, one of the authors of the acclaimed report from the consulting firm Horizon.
The report points to the solar cell manufacturers’ deep links to state-owned Chinese industrial programs where there is a risk that people will participate under threat or coercion.
To Vattenfall’s bestseller include solar panels manufactured by the designated Chinese company Jinko. According to official Chinese documents, Vattenfall’s subcontractor participated in the state labor market program in Xinjiang last year. The program that was singled out as part of the controversial retraining of Muslims.
The subcontractor rejects the criticism and refers to its own investigation.
– They have reported back from it and said that they have not found any hard evidence that something is going on.
According to Annika Ramsköld, Vattenfall has requested more information. She says that due to the pandemic, inspections cannot be done on site and does not see that situation as completely satisfactory.
– Of course, we do not accept forced labor, and we are now working to understand how we can ensure that there are solar panels that are not connected to Xinjiang Province.
Source: ICELAND NEWS