Champions of accelerating pressure on solar energy around the world face a previously overlooked challenge: the industry’s supply chains are heavily dependent on Xinjiang, a Chinese region that the US government and others say is the scene of genocide against local ethnic minorities, including the mostly Muslim Uighur residents.
About half of the world’s supply of polysilicon, an essential ingredient in most solar panels, comes from this part of northwestern China, where human rights groups and U.S. officials say China runs an extensive network of detention camps that, according to the U.S. more than 1 was held. million Uighurs, a Muslim minority group.
Some in the renewable energy industry say they are afraid that silicone and other essential materials sourced from Xinjiang could be linked to forced labor. And lack of unrestricted access to Xinjiang means that it is difficult to ensure that providers are not linked in some way to human rights violations.
Global pressure to curb trade with Xinjiang is increasing. Both the US and the European Union are considering legislation that could lead to the import ban on more products from the region, including silicone. The US already banned the import of cotton and tomatoes produced by Xinjiang in January.
Many Western solar companies are already scrambling to reduce exposure to the region, for fear that their industry will receive next attention.