UK Government Bans Use of Solar Panels Made with Forced Labor in New State Energy Company

The British government has announced a significant policy change ensuring that its new state-owned renewable energy company, Great British Energy, will not source solar panels made with forced labor, RFA reported. This amendment to the Great British Energy Bill was introduced following criticism from opposition parties and members within the ruling Labour Party.

China dominates the global renewable energy market, supplying over 40% of the UK’s solar photovoltaic imports. A critical material, polysilicon, is sourced from Xinjiang, where Uyghur Muslims face documented human rights abuses, including forced labor. The U.S. Labor Department has classified polysilicon from Xinjiang as a product of forced labor since 2021.

Initially, the UK government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer rejected provisions to block such products. However, the Department of Energy Security reversed course, stating the amendment will enable Great British Energy to ensure supply chains are free from forced labor.

The move drew mixed reactions: the Conservative Party called it a “humiliating U-turn,” while activists like Rahima Mahmut of Stop Uyghur Genocide praised it as a “massive step toward justice.”