The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) recently published its Solar and Energy Storage Supply Chain Traceability Standard (the “Standard”) and made it available for public comment through November 4, 2024. Comments should be submitted through the Standards Public Review Comment Form.
The Standard is intended to apply to all solar and storage products lines and is relevant to raw or refined material suppliers, component or equipment manufacturers, U.S. importers, U.S. regulators, and third-party auditors, among others in the industry. It will assist organizations in complying with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (“UFLPA”).
The Standard provides best practices and requirements to assist organizations with identifying the source of an item’s material inputs; tracing the inputs through the supply chain; and finally, assessing and addressing forced labor risks present in the supply chain. Specifically, the Standard provides guidance related to conducting forced labor-focused due diligence, including how to develop a material traceability system to identify and address indicators of forced labor in supply chains.
Given the complexity and challenges inherent in complying with the UFLPA, the Standard provides welcome guidance to the solar industry.
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