Last week, the UK Government officially acknowledged the Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI) as a tool to help implement its amendment to the GB Energy Bill addressing forced labour in solar supply chains. Rachel Owens, CEO of the Solar Stewardship Initiative, (she/her), commented: “We welcome the UK Government’s recognition of the SSI as a key assurance … Continued
Statement: The Solar Stewardship Initiative welcomes the UK Government’s GB Energy Bill amendment to address forced labour in solar supply chains
Rachel Owens, CEO of the Solar Stewardship Initiative, (she/her) said: “The Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI) welcomes the UK government’s proposed amendment to the GB Energy Bill aimed at addressing forced labour in solar supply chains for UK markets. Strengthening supply chain due diligence is the duty of a responsible sector, and essential to ensure that … Continued
The SSI appoints Rachel Owens as new Chief Executive Officer
The Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Rachel Owens as its new Chief Executive Officer. Rachel brings a wealth of experience across philanthropy, civil society and government advocating for sustainability, corporate accountability and transparency, positioning her as a strong leader to drive SSI’s mission forward. Rachel joins the SSI from … Continued
The Solar Stewardship Initiative updates its Core Documents to strengthen responsible solar supply chains
The Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI) has updated its Core Documents – the Claims Guide, Assurance Manual, Complaints & Appeals Mechanism, and Assessment Body and Assessor Approval Procedure to ensure they continue to evolve alongside the Initiative’s growth and reflect the newly published SSI Traceability Standard. These updates reinforce the SSI’s commitment to robust governance, transparency, … Continued
The SSI joins the Green Economy Coalition to strengthen responsible solar supply chains
The Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI) is proud to announce its membership in the Green Economy Coalition (GEC), the world’s largest alliance dedicated to transforming economic systems for a greener and fairer future. The GEC brings together businesses, trade associations, NGOs, UN agencies and civil society groups to advocate for sustainable economic reform. By joining this … Continued
The SSI lifts temporary suspension of JA Solar membership following investigation
Based on the findings of the investigation it commissioned, the Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI) Board has unanimously decided to lift the temporary suspension of JA Solar’s membership imposed on 16 January 2025 with immediate effect, recognising the company’s full cooperation and commitment in good faith to the established SSI Principles. The SSI reiterates its commitment … Continued
Statement: Updates to the UFLPA Entity List – 15 January 2025
On 15 January 2025, Donghai JA Solar Technology Co, LTd, a subsidiary of JA Solar, was one of 37 cross-sector entities added to the United States’ Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Entity List. Donghai JA Solar Technology Co LTd presence on the list prevents entry of their products into the US market. The Solar … Continued
First ESG assessments successfully completed and more underway under the Solar Stewardship Initiative
The Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI) is pleased to announce the successful completion of its first Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) assessments, with additional ones already ongoing. These independent, third-party assessments, conducted by auditors at key solar production sites, mark a significant step forward in the SSI mission to promote transparency, accountability, and responsible practices across … Continued
The Solar Stewardship Initiative publishes its Supply Chain Traceability Standard
The Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI) has reached a new major milestone in its mission to create end-to-end transparency and promote responsible practices across the solar value chain with the publication of its Supply Chain Traceability Standard. This new Standard provides a robust framework for tracing silicon (or other semiconducting materials) throughout the solar supply chain. … Continued
The Solar Stewardship Initiative achieves milestone with multi-stakeholder governance approval and seeks new non-industry Board member applications
The Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI) has reached a major milestone in finalising its inclusive governance model. Following consultations with its Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAG) and other non-industry stakeholders, the SSI Board has officially approved its fully-fledged Multi-Stakeholder Governance Terms of Reference, acting the initiative’s commitment to equal representation of interests. Under the finalised structure, there … Continued
Supply Chain Traceability Standard – Public Consultation now live
The SSI is seeking feedback on all aspects of the draft Supply Chain Traceability Standard and will conduct pilot testing in the coming months. Please use this form to share your feedback during the public consultation. Submissions will be open until October 21st, 2024, 23:59 CET. If your organisation is interested in participating in the … Continued
The Solar Stewardship Initiative welcomes its first Assessment Bodies
The Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI) is pleased to announce its partnerships with the first seven Assessment Bodies (ABs) set to support the work of the SSI: Intertek (parent company of Clean Energy Associates) DNV KIWA SGS Sinovoltaics TUV Sud TUV Rheinland These ABs will conduct assessments at the manufacturing sites of SSI members, against the … Continued
The first step of Solar Stewardship Initiative Governance achieved
In March 2024, the first step of SSI Governance was achieved, with the initial industry members of the SSI Transition Governance being accepted to the SSI Board. The SSI is being designed as a multi-stakeholder initiative; the permanent governance of the SSI, which will be achieved later in 2024, will be governed by balance of … Continued
Solar Stewardship Initiative publishes first solar supply chain ESG Standard
The Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI) is a solar-specific supply chain assurance scheme, working to further develop confidence in how, where, and by whom, solar products are manufactured. Following the successful conclusion of the SSI pilot and public multi-stakeholder consultation, the new SSI ESG Standard has been published – it’s the first supply chain ESG Standard … Continued
Flagship Solar Supply Chain Sustainability Initiative Launches Public Consultation.
Wednesday 17th May 2023: Today, the Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI) has opened a process for interested organisations to provide feedback on its development. The SSI was launched in October 2022, by SolarPower Europe and Solar Energy UK, with the goal of securing and demonstrating responsibility, transparency, and sustainability across the solar value chain. The Initiative … Continued
Solar Industry unites behind Supply Chain Sustainability Initiative
SolarPower Europe and Solar Energy UK launch the Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI), setting out the solar industry’s concrete plan to reinforce a responsible, transparent, and sustainable solar value chain. Work on the SSI has been ongoing since February 2021, and is now publicly endorsed by over 50 solar companies, spanning the full value chain. A … Continued