Will the UK’s solar power boom be built on the back of slave labour?

Technicians fitting solar photo voltaic panels to a house roof in Ambleside, Cumbria, UK.
One MP described the government's decision to block a ban on Chinese solar panels as "a sad and incredible day" (Image credit: Getty Images)

Is the UK’s clean energy transition at risk of being powered by modern slavery?

That was the stark question raised in a heated Parliamentary debate on the Great British Energy Bill, as MPs clashed over whether the government is doing enough to prevent solar panels linked to forced labour from entering the UK’s energy supply chain.

Joseph Mullane
News Editor

News Editor Joseph has previously written for Today’s Media and Chambers & Partners, focusing on news for conveyancers and industry professionals.  Joseph has just started his own self build project, building his own home on his family’s farm with planning permission for a timber frame, three-bedroom house in a one-acre field. The foundation work has already begun and he hopes to have the home built in the next year. Prior to this he renovated his family's home as well as doing several DIY projects, including installing a shower, building sheds, and livestock fences and shelters for the farm’s animals. Outside of homebuilding, Joseph loves rugby and has written for Rugby World, the world’s largest rugby magazine.