Latest news with #GreatBritishEnergyBill
American Military News
26-04-2025
- Business
- American Military News
UK state energy company will not source solar panels made with slave labor from China
This article was originally published by Radio Free Asia and is reprinted with permission. The British government says a new state-owned renewable energy company will not be allowed to source solar panels made with Chinese slave labor. The government announced Wednesday that it will introduce an amendment to ensure that the planned company, Great British Energy, will not have slavery in its supply chains. China is the dominant global player in the renewable energy market including solar energy. The BBC cited customs data that Britain imports more than 40% of its solar photovoltaics from China. A key component is polysilicon sourced from the Xinjiang region in China's far west, where minority Uyghur Muslims have faced persecution including use of their forced labor. In 2021, the U.S. Labor Department listed polysilicon as a product made with forced labor in China in violation of international standards. The British government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer had initially rejected an amendment to the Great British Energy Bill to include provisions to prevent purchase of solar panels made with slave labor. However, on Wednesday, it changed track. 'Great British Energy will act to secure supply chains that are free of forced labor, under an amendment brought forward by the government today,' the Department of Energy Security said in a news release. It said a new measure in the bill 'will enable the company to ensure that forced labor does not take place in its business or its supply chains.' The opposition Conservative Party described it as a 'humiliating U-turn' for Ed Miliband, the secretary of state for energy and climate change, but it was also supported by some members of the ruling Labour Party. Rahima Mahmut, executive director of the activist group Stop Uyghur Genocide, welcomed the amendment, posting on X that it was a 'massive step toward justice.' Forced labor is on a long list of serious human rights problems that have been documented in Xinjiang and is cited along with the incarceration of an estimated 1.8 million people in detention camps since 2017 and forced birth control by the U.S. government and others as evidence of genocide of the Uyghurs. China denies the rights abuses.
Euronews
25-04-2025
- Business
- Euronews
UK government to ban use of ‘slave labour' solar panels by new state-owned energy company
ADVERTISEMENT Solar panels made with slave labour in China won't be used by the UK's new state-owned energy company, the government announced today. GB Energy was launched by Labour in July, in a bid to boost renewables and lower energy bills, and will be formally established when the Great British Energy Bill is passed by Parliament. After weeks of debate on the issue, energy secretary Ed Miliband is introducing an amendment to the legislation to try and ensure GB Energy's supply chains are free of slavery. 'Unfortunately, there's a problem right the way throughout the renewables sector with state-imposed forced labour in China,' Luke de Pulford, executive director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (Ipac) told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. 'They have labour transfer schemes where the government conscripts, very often ethnic minorities, and forces them to work against their will, and sadly, many such workers are placed within renewable industry in China .' Related Why fossil fuels are like renting a home - and solar panel imports soon pay for themselves Chinese solar panels tied to exploitation of Uyghur Muslims Around 45 per cent of the world's supply of polysilicon - a core component in solar panels - comes from China's Xinjiang region. It is produced through the systemic exploitation of the Uyghur ethnic minority living here, according to an investigation by researchers at the UK's Sheffield Hallam University. Official Chinese government documents detail the 'placement' of 2.6 million 'minoritised' citizens in jobs in farms and factories in Xinjiang and elsewhere through state-sponsored 'surplus labour' and 'labour transfer' initiatives. The 2021 report, In Broad Daylight, found significant evidence that 'labour transfers are deployed in the Uighur Region within an environment of unprecedented coercion, undergirded by the constant threat of re-education and internment. 'Many Indigenous workers are unable to refuse or walk away from these jobs, and thus the programmes are tantamount to forcible transfer of populations and enslavement.' Related Eight countries in Europe use renewables for more than half of their heating and cooling needs World surpasses 40% clean electricity with Europe leading as a 'solar superpower' Do the UK and EU use these solar panels? Although alternatives are emerging, almost all solar modules rely on polysilicon, which is extracted from mined quartz. The UK imports more than 40 per cent of its solar PV from China, according to HMRC data. Asked how difficult it will be for the government to increase its use of renewables without using Chinese slave labour, de Pulford acknowledged it will require 'a transition' in order to 'diversify' solar supplies. 'But it's not impossible and companies are, I think, slowly inching towards a better place – we have to find a better way of doing it, that doesn't mean that we have a green transition reliant upon Uyghur slavery,' he told the BBC. Fatih Birol, leader of the International Energy Agency , told the broadcaster: "I really salute the UK government's decision." He added that the materials for green technology are important but "should really be produced in a socially and environmentally acceptable way". ADVERTISEMENT The EU has previously taken steps to keep renewable components made with slave labour out of its supply chains. In November , the European Council moved to ban products in the Union market that are made using forced labour.
Telegraph
24-04-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Starmer speaks at global energy summit
Ahead of today's conference, Ed Miliband introduced an amendment to the Great British Energy Bill, which means the state-owned energy company will have to ensure it does not source materials from slave labour when building new solar panels and wind turbines. The amendment, introduced on Tuesday, is particularly aimed at eliminating forced labour linked to the Chinese state's alleged mistreatment of minority groups from the supply chains of British clean power. While the Energy Secretary acknowledged he felt 'queasy' about dealing with other nations that have a record of using slave labour, he insisted the UK could not stop engaging with them entirely as 'multi-lateralism' is needed to tackle the climate crisis. China is the 'biggest global emitter', he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme, adding: 'We've got to engage with China. We've got to persuade them to come on this journey, because this is a collective action problem. 'Unless we do this together, we're not going to tackle the issue we face, and we are going to be held in infamy, frankly, by future generations.'
Wales Online
24-04-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Ed Miliband updates plan for different energy bills depending where you live
Ed Miliband updates plan for different energy bills depending where you live People in different parts of the UK could pay more or less for gas and electricity depending on their postcode Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero The Government will not split the UK's energy market into regions if it raises people's bills, Ed Miliband has said. The Energy Secretary is considering proposals for zonal pricing in the UK power market. Under the plan, different areas of the country would pay different rates for their electricity, based on local supply and demand. Critics fear the move could lead to higher bills in the South East of England, according to the Telegraph. But Mr Miliband insisted the reforms were far from finalised, and told LBC: 'I'm not going to take a decision that is going to raise prices in some parts of the country. That is not what I'm going to do. 'Honestly, this is about reforms to cut prices for people, that is my absolute bottom line here.' The Government will make a 'calm and considered decision' on the matter, the Energy Secretary had earlier told Sky News. Article continues below Elsewhere, Mr Miliband has introduced an amendment to the Great British Energy Bill, which means the state-owned energy company will have to ensure it does not source materials from slave labour when building new solar panels and wind turbines. The amendment, introduced on Wednesday, is particularly aimed at eliminating forced labour linked to the Chinese state's alleged mistreatment of minority groups from the supply chains of British clean power. While the Energy Secretary acknowledged he felt 'queasy' about dealing with other nations that have a record of using slave labour, he insisted the UK could not stop engaging with them entirely as 'multi-lateralism' is needed to tackle the climate crisis. China is the 'biggest global emitter', he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme, adding: 'We've got to engage with China. We've got to persuade them to come on this journey, because this is a collective action problem. 'Unless we do this together, we're not going to tackle the issue we face, and we are going to be held in infamy, frankly, by future generations.' The Prime Minister has meanwhile announced £300 million funding for domestic offshore wind supply chains as part of a push to secure clean energy investment in the UK. Sir Keir Starmer, making the announcement before an energy security summit in London, said the fast-tracked funding would create jobs and strengthen UK security, as he called for international investment in British clean energy. 'Let my message to the world go out: come and build the clean energy future in Britain,' the Prime Minister said. The Prime Minister, ministers and business leaders are meeting in London on Thursday for a two-day summit on the future of energy security which is hosted by the UK Government and International Energy Agency. Article continues below Before the summit environmental campaigners said developing homegrown renewable resources as well as insulating draughty homes were critical for energy security. Mike Childs, from Friends Of The Earth, urged the Government to set a legally-binding target to make the UK a renewable energy superpower and a net exporter of clean, green energy by 2050. Greenpeace's Doug Parr said it was encouraging the Government was trying to capitalise on the growing green economy, but he warned: 'Our dependence on volatile fossil fuels is the reason so many families are struggling with sky-high bills right now. 'Any row-backs on the Government's clean energy plan would only serve to make oil and gas bosses even richer, while the rest of us continue to suffer the consequences, including staying beholden to petrostates.'
The Independent
23-04-2025
- Business
- The Independent
PM fast tracks £300m for offshore wind in push for clean energy investment
Sir Keir Starmer has announced £300 million funding for domestic offshore wind supply chains as part of a push to secure clean energy investment in the UK. The funding through publicly owned company Great British Energy, brought forward as an initial investment ahead of the spending review, will be invested in a domestic supply chain for components such as floating platforms and cables for the offshore wind industry, the Government said. The Prime Minister, making the announcement ahead of an energy security summit in London, said the fast-tracked funding would create jobs and strengthen UK security, as he called for international investment in British clean energy. Sir Keir said: 'Delivering the plan for change means winning the race for the clean energy jobs of the future, which will drive growth and help us reach clean power by 2030. 'That is why I am bringing forward much-needed investment in our domestic offshore wind supply chains, strengthening our security and creating good jobs for our welders, electricians, and engineers. 'Let my message to the world go out: come and build the clean energy future in Britain.' It is part of a push to encourage developers and investors to invest in clean energy in the UK, which Labour has made a core plank of its growth strategy. The Government has committed to delivering most of Britain's energy through green sources by the end of the decade, which will require a huge ramping up of offshore and onshore wind, solar panels and the grid. It is hoped the announcement of the funding, part of the £8.3 billion announced for Great British Energy, will mobilise additional private investment and secure manufacturing facilities for energy supply chain components which are key for the domestic offshore wind industry. Companies will be able to apply for grants if they can show they will produce long term investment in UK supply chains. It comes as Energy Secretary Ed Miliband is expected to introduce an amendment to the Great British Energy Bill to force the new publicly-owned company to ensure parts for renewables such as solar panels are not linked to forced labour in China. Mr Miliband, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, Minister for Investment Baroness Poppy Gustafsson, National Wealth Fund chief executive John Flint and Great British Energy chairman Juergen Maier are writing to global clean energy developers and investors calling on them to invest in Britain. Mr Miliband said: 'It is only by taking back control of our energy that we can protect families and businesses from the rollercoaster of global markets we don't control. 'That is why this Government is doubling down on our clean energy superpower mission – driving economic growth, good jobs and investment across our country.' RenewableUK said there was a 'huge opportunity' for the UK to secure thousands of new jobs and investment in supply chains for renewables, and make home-grown energy supplies more secure. Deputy chief executive of the industry body, Jane Cooper, said: 'The Prime Minister's funding will be critical to ensuring the UK grasps the industrial opportunities in the offshore wind supply chain, at a time of intense global competition for clean energy investment. 'By nurturing existing UK companies, and ensuring we're a competitive location for international investors, there's an opportunity to triple our manufacturing capacity over the next decade, adding £25 billion to the UK economy and creating an additional 10,000 jobs in the supply chain.' The Prime Minister, ministers and business leaders are meeting in London on Thursday for a two-day summit on the future of energy security which is hosted by the UK Government and International Energy Agency. Ahead of the summit, environmental campaigners said developing homegrown renewable resources as well as insulating draughty homes were critical for securing our energy security. Mike Childs, from Friends Of The Earth, urged the Government to set a legally-binding target to make the UK a renewable energy superpower and a net exporter of clean, green energy by 2050. Adam Berman, director for policy and advocacy at Energy UK, said the investment was a vote of confidence in the UK's clean energy supply chain. 'It's positive to see the Government continuing to recognise the role offshore wind plays in delivering jobs and growth across the country as part of a broader transition to clean power that can drive down bills and bolster our energy security,' he said. TUC assistant general secretary Kate Bell said the investment was an important step forward, adding: 'As chaos grips global trade, we need strong domestic supply chains delivering good quality jobs and energy independence, here in the UK. 'This is good news for workers, for energy consumers and for the country.' Greenpeace's Doug Parr said it was encouraging the Government was trying to capitalise on the growing green economy, but he warned: 'Our dependence on volatile fossil fuels is the reason so many families are struggling with sky-high bills right now. 'Any row-backs on the Government's clean energy plan would only serve to make oil and gas bosses even richer, while the rest of us continue to suffer the consequences, including staying beholden to petrostates.'
