Britain’s state-owned energy company, Great British Energy, will be barred from using solar panels linked to Chinese slave labour, after a policy reversal by the government, the BBC reports.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband will amend legislation to ensure there is no modern slavery in GB Energy’s supply chains.
The decision comes just weeks after ministers rejected a proposal to stop GB Energy from sourcing solar panels when there was “credible evidence of modern slavery” in the supply chain.
The production of solar panels in China’s Xinjiang region has been linked to the alleged exploitation of Uyghur Muslims.
China dominates the global renewables market, with the UK importing more than 40% of its solar PV from China, according to HMRC data.
Labour had previously faced criticism after dozens of its MPs abstained during a House of Lords vote on the slavery amendment, proposed by crossbench peer Lord Alton.
A government source told the BBC there has since been “an acknowledgement of the argument that GB Energy should be an industry leader.”
The U-turn has been welcomed by international observers. Dr Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, told the BBC: “I really salute the UK government’s decision. Materials for green technology should really be produced in a socially and environmentally acceptable way.”
However, the move has sparked political backlash. Acting Conservative shadow energy secretary Andrew Bowie called it a “humiliating U-turn from Ed Miliband,” describing it on social media as a “major blow” to the government’s renewable energy ambitions.
The amendment, which is yet to be published, will set specific ethical requirements for GB Energy’s supply chains.
