Agenda item

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Councillor Cox presented his motion on notice highlighting that the Council should demonstrate its values in practice by addressing climate change without compromising human rights, acknowledging evidence of abuses linked to solar supply chains and the district’s historical responsibility to oppose exploitation. Whilst the motion supported the use of renewable energy it proposed practical steps such as auditing supply chains, improving transparency and promoting ethical sourcing.

Councillor Glover-Ward seconded the motion.

Councillor Copley proposed the following amendment:

·               Replace resolution 2) Update Procurement Policy: Formalise an "Ethical Procurement Policy" that requires all future bidders for council-led solar PV projects to provide a full "Supply Chain Transparency Statement," tracing components back to the raw material (polysilicon) stage in accordance with the Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI) standards on any recognised alternative or successor standards.

·               With: 2) Update Procurement Policy: Formalise an "Ethical Procurement Policy" that requires all future bidders for council-led solar PV projects to provide a full "Supply Chain Transparency Statement," tracing components back to the raw material (polysilicon) stage in accordance with the Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI) standards on any recognised alternative or successor standards. Any procurement requirements arising from this policy shall be applied proportionately, with due regard to accessibility for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The Council shall also, where practicable, support SME participation through the use of recognised independent assurance schemes and proportionate evidence requirements consistent with the aims of this policy.

Councillor Dumont seconded the amendment. 

Members debated the proposed amendment and indicated support for its intent, particularly in helping small businesses achieve higher ethical standards whilst maintaining proportionality. Concerns were raised about whether the approach should apply more widely given supply chain and cost implications, but it was explained that larger companies were already subject to requirements under the Modern Slavery Act and that the amendment had therefore been aimed at smaller businesses not currently covered by legislation.

Having been proposed and seconded, the amendment was put to the meeting and upon a vote being taken, was declared CARRIED.

Councillor E Buckmaster proposed the following amendment:

·               Replace resolution 4) Provide information to residents: Require that when providing advice, guidance or support to residents on energy efficiency or domestic retrofit, officers signpost residents to credible information sources on how to acquire ethically produced solar PV panels.

·               With: 4) Provide information to residents: Require that when providing advice, guidance or support to residents on energy efficiency or domestic retrofit, including reasonable endeavours through Hertfordshire Climate Change Sustainability Partnership Energy Hubs and Environmental Forums, officers signpost residents to credible information sources on how to acquire ethically produced solar PV panels.

Councillor R Buckmaster seconded the amendment. 

Having been proposed and seconded, the amendment was put to the meeting and upon a vote being taken, was declared CARRIED.

Members discussed the substantive motion.

Members expressed support for the principle of the motion, whilst acknowledging wider economic realities, including affordability for residents and reliance on lower-cost imports.

It was noted that importing goods from countries with lower environmental and welfare standards undermined domestic standards and effectively shifted negative impacts overseas. Concerns were also raised about global supply chains, particularly the lower costs associated with production in countries with reduced regulatory standards.

Whilst concerns were highlighted in relation to certain regions in relation to allegations of cultural repression and exploitation, Members noted that manufacturing conditions varied significantly and that not all overseas production involved poor labour practices.

Having been proposed and seconded, the motion as amended was put to the meeting and upon a vote being taken, was declared CARRIED. It was noted that Councillors Andrews and Stowe abstained from the vote.

RESOLVED: That the Council Notes:

1.    That East Hertfordshire District Council (EHDC) is committed to its Climate Change Strategy and the transition to renewable energy.

2.    The significant increase in planning applications and private sector projects involving large-scale solar photovoltaics (PV) within the district.

3.    Credible international reports, including from the UN and the Sheffield Hallam University Helena Kennedy Centre, which identify a "high risk" of state-sponsored forced labour in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of China being used in the production of polysilicon, a compound essential to for synthesising monocrystalline silicon found in modern solar PV panels—with a number of credible sources reporting this to be a key component of 95% of solar panels1.

4.    That the UK Procurement Act 2023 empowers local authorities to exclude suppliers from bidding for contracts if there is evidence of modern slavery or serious professional misconduct in their supply chains.

The Council Believes:

1.    That the transition to "Net Zero" must be a "Just Transition" that does not come at the cost of human rights or the exploitation of forced labour.

2.    That as a public body, EHDC has a moral duty and a legal duty under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 to ensure its own procurement activities and the developments it encourages are ethically sourced.

The Council Resolves to:

1.    Audit Council Procurement: Conduct a review of the council’s own supply chains for any planned solar installations, including drafting specifications for solar PV hardware in accordance with the Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI) standards or any recognised alternative or successor standards.

2.    Update Procurement Policy: Formalise an "Ethical Procurement Policy" that requires all future bidders for council-led solar PV projects to provide a full "Supply Chain Transparency Statement," tracing components back to the raw material (polysilicon) stage in accordance with the Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI) standards on any recognised alternative or successor standards. Any procurement requirements arising from this policy shall be applied proportionately, with due regard to accessibility for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The Council shall also, where practicable, support SME participation through the use of recognised independent assurance schemes and proportionate evidence requirements consistent with the aims of this policy.

3.    Planning: Request that the Executive Member for Planning and Growth and the Director for Place include "Supply Chain Ethics" as a recommended advisory note (informative) on all approvals for large-scale solar farms, encouraging developers to use Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI) certified hardware or other hardware compliant with any recognised alternative or successor standards.

4.    Provide information to residents: Require that when providing advice, guidance or support to residents on energy efficiency or domestic retrofit, including reasonable endeavours through Hertfordshire Climate Change Sustainability Partnership Energy Hubs and Environmental Forums, officers signpost residents to credible information sources on how to acquire ethically produced solar PV panels.

5.    Lobby National Government: Write to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, supporting the "forced labour" amendments to the Great British Energy Bill, urging stronger national import bans on goods produced with forced labour and requesting that central government provides financial and technical assistance to local authorities, businesses and residents on how to ascertain the ethical standards associated with solar PVs thus enabling the most ethical solutions even if they are more expensive.