The UK's dependence on Chinese solar panels, coupled with concerns over forced labor in their production, raises serious ethical and security questions.
The UK faces the risk of becoming a dumping ground for Chinese-made solar panels produced with forced labor as shipments are diverted from the United States due to tariffs and counter-levies. Experts warn that the UK's near-total reliance on China for solar panels , which accounts for 80% of the global supply, poses a significant threat to both energy and national security.
\They point to China's dominance in processing critical minerals essential for solar panel production, raising concerns about overreliance on a single source. Moreover, the use of forced labor in polysilicon production in Xinjiang, a key component in solar panels, is a major ethical dilemma. While Beijing denies these allegations, the United Nations and Western nations have accused China of committing crimes against humanity against the Uyghur people. \Despite the UK's Modern Slavery Act of 2015, which criminalizes slavery, human trafficking, and forced labor in supply chains, critics argue that the law needs strengthening and relies heavily on corporate goodwill. The EU's upcoming legislation in 2024, holding large companies liable for supply chain violations, including modern slavery, sets a higher standard than the UK's current legislation. The US also introduced the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act in 2021. The UK's reliance on Chinese solar panels, coupled with the lack of robust legislation addressing forced labor concerns, could make it vulnerable to becoming a dumping ground for ethically dubious products
FORCED LABOR SOLAR PANELS CHINA UK ENERGY SECURITY HUMAN RIGHTS MODERN SLAVERY ACT
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