Through a newly released position paper, the European Solar Manufacturing Council (ESMC) has taken a clear position against forced labour in the solar PV supply chain. ESMC strongly condemns forced labour in all forms and commits to work actively against it.
The position paper consists of recommendations to policymakers and a ten-step due diligence program on how manufacturers in the solar PV supply chain should work to discover and eliminate suspected exposure to forced labour in their supply chains.
“Forced labour is a violation of basic human rights and should not be accepted under any circumstance. Therefore, I am very happy and proud of our strong stance against forced labour”, says Carsten Rohr, Chief Commercial Officer at NorSun, co-chair of ESMC and member of the ESMC working group on forced labour and a socially sustainable supply chain.
“The EU must adopt robust legislation as soon as possible to prohibit the sale of products made with forced labour. However, we, within the solar PV manufacturing industry must also work proactively in order to stop the exposure to forced labour, says Jens Holm, Sustainability Policy Director at ESMC.
In spring, ESMC set up a working group on forced labour and a socially sustainable supply chain. On Tuesday 26th September, the working group organises a public webinar on forced labour in the solar PV supply chain.
Image copyright: Systovi
Jens Holm
ESMC Sustainability Policy Director
For more information:
holm@esmc.solar
+4670 825 0889