The Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI) has submitted responses to the Government of Canada’s two public consultations on measures to address forced labour and labour exploitation in global supply chains.
The first consultation will help to inform how Canada, under Bill C-35 (An Act respecting the prohibition of the importation of goods produced by forced labour), develops and maintains a list of goods suspected of being produced with forced labour. Importers of listed goods would be asked to provide information showing that their goods are not linked to forced labour. The consultation also called for input on the types of information companies importing goods on the list could provide.
The second consultation will help to inform potential due diligence measures, complementing Bill C-35, that would require Canadian businesses operating abroad to identify, prevent, address and remediate risks to fundamental labour rights across their operations and supply chains.
In its submission, the SSI welcomed Bill C-35, along with potential complementary due diligence measures, as important steps towards effectively preventing forced labour-linked imports, as well as strengthening responsible business conduct and creating a more consistent framework for addressing human rights in global value chains.
The SSI highlighted the valuable role that multi-stakeholder initiatives, independent third-party audits, and certification systems can play in supporting companies to meet their obligations under forced labour legislation, and to support their due diligence efforts by providing credible, standardised, and independently verified information.
Drawing on its experience in the solar sector, the SSI also recommended clear fitness criteria to evaluate the robustness of assurance systems, stakeholder engagement processes, traceability mechanisms, and independent assessments. The response reinforces the SSI’s commitment to supporting robust human rights legislation and efficient due diligence practices, as well as contributing constructively to the development of effective and workable requirements and expectations for companies.
The SSI response to the consultation on Bill C-35’s list of goods suspected to be linked to forced labour can be read here.
The SSI response to the consultation on potential due diligence measures can be read here.