Our net zero transition cannot be carried on the backs of those in slavery
3 min read
We must move quickly in collaboration with our international allies to root out this appalling practice.
Modern slavery hides in plain sight throughout our society. Here in Britain, it is thriving. The Home Office recently revealed that more people than ever are trapped in forced labour in our country.
The picture abroad is no better – with the crime expanding across the globe, driven in part by the imports of products which, at some stage in their production process, have exploited an individual’s labour.
From the food on our shelves, to the cotton in our clothes, to the components in our electronics. Entire industries are at risk of perpetuating grave injustices, unwittingly propping up models of production that rely on exploitation.
Renewable energy is a particularly vulnerable sector. Human rights abuses are endemic in the lower tiers of our renewable energy supply chains. For example, take child labour in the Democratic Republic of Congo for cobalt mining; labour exploitation in Indonesia for nickel processing; Uyghur state-imposed forced labour in Xinjiang for polysilicon and steel.
There is no doubt that we desperately need to transition to low carbon alternatives, but without safeguards in place, the UK’s transition to net zero will be carried through on the backs of those in slavery. GB Energy, the UK’s new publicly owned energy company, is our chance to show that going green can be done ethically.
I recently contributed to the UK Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s (CPA UK) new handbook for parliamentarians Legislating Against Modern Slavery in Supply Chains. My chapter covers how we can advocate for government action, particularly in the case of renewables.
It follows my seven-month-long campaign, along with UK cross-party colleagues, to prevent public money being spent on renewables reliant on slave labour. Part of this battle has been to secure coordinated, cross-government action. For too many years, the approach to tackling modern slavery has been siloed and disjointed. An issue so wide-ranging and complex requires multiple departments to work in lockstep to arrive at a workable solution.
I am proud that last week, the Minister for Energy endorsed the campaign and took action. He committed to creating a protective shield around GB Energy by launching a cross-ministerial working group with a remit to root out and respond to forced labour. He also committed to blacklisting rogue companies from gaining public contracts and setting a strategic direction for GB Energy — leading the energy sector from the front.
This is a welcome start, but it is only the beginning of the journey.
News stories remind us, time and time again, that the UK’s Modern Slavery Act has failed to change corporate behaviour. Though truly pioneering when it was enacted 10 years ago, it is no longer leading the way. Countries around the world have caught up and gone further.
Within the pages of the CPA UK’s handbook, there are reflections from international parliamentarians who are charging ahead in the fight against forced labour. We must learn from colleagues in Canada, Australia, the EU and the United States – the latter has entirely prohibited the import of goods made with forced labour in Xinjiang.
Reading this book, UK parliamentarians are faced with a difficult question. How have we gone from the world’s leader to the world’s laggard on modern slavery? To turn it around, we must seriously consider strong regulatory measures, like comprehensive forced labour import bans and mandatory human rights due diligence.
As modern slavery continues to infect our society, at home and abroad, we must move rapidly against this insidious disease. That means learning and taking inspiration from countries that are further ahead — the new ‘pioneers’ — a title I hope we can one day reclaim.
Sarah Champion is the Labour MP for Rotherham and chair of the International Development Committee.
