Tag Archives: xinjiang

The Renewables Future is Built on Modern Slavery

September 12, 2024Uncategorizedbatteries, Climate change, cobalt, democratic republic of congo, energy transition, forced labour, modern slavery, polysilicon, renewables, solar panels, xinjiangmartijn

<span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span>I spoke to the folks at 360info about ways in which modern slavery and climate change intersect. Particularly, we talked about how efforts to mitigate climate change can inadvertently lead to an increase in labour exploitation.

The mineral Cobalt is in almost everything required for the future. Laptops, smartphones, and semiconductors all use this rock, which is mostly pulled out of mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Cobalt, along with Lithium is also set to revolutionise the way we live and power our world through solar panels and enormous battery storage, but as much as 30% of the cobalt mined in the DRC is done so by people working under conditions described as modern slavery. So the question is, now that we know, what do we do about it? In this episode, we explore what is being done to preserve our world against modern slavery a problem that traps 50 million people around the world. Providing expert insight is Associate Professor Martijn Boersma from the University of Sydney.

Modern Slavery and Renewable Energy

February 3, 2023UncategorizedChina, Climate change, cobalt, Congo, forced labour, modern slavery, renewable energy, solar panel, solar power, uyghur, xinjiangmartijn

Australia should approach its renewable energy transition with caution, experts say, amid concerns of labour exploitation in the production of solar panels.

Polysilicon is the most common material used to produce solar panels, and around 45 per cent of the world’s supply comes from Xinjiang, China.

The United Nations says China may be committing crimes against humanity in Xinjiang, with experts accusing the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) of exploiting its Uyghur Muslim minority into forced labour to make products including solar panels.

China strongly denies allegations of human rights abuses against its Uyghur Muslim population.

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Muslim countries vote down UN Human Rights Council Xinjiang debate

November 21, 2022Uncategorizedexploitation, forced labour, global supply chains, governance, government, human rights, human rights abuses, Human Rights Council, modern slavery, uyghur, xinjiangmartijn

Uyghur Australians have condemned Muslim-majority member countries of the United Nations Human Rights Council for voting down a debate on allegations of human rights abuses against minorities, including Muslims and Uyghurs in Xinjiang, China.

Among the 19 members who voted against the debate were Pakistan, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.

Australian resident and exiled Uyghur, Arslan Hidayat, described it as another “stab in the back” — singling out the votes from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, both Turkic countries with historical connections to the Uyghur community.

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Research Article: Making sense of Downstream Labour risk in Global Value Chains

January 24, 2022Uncategorizedchild labour, corporate social responsibility, cotton, exploitation, forced labour, governance, human rights, labour, labour risk, labour standards, migrant workers, modern slavery, stakeholders, Supply Chain, supply chains, trade unions, transparency, vulnerable workers, worker exploitation, working conditions, xinjiangmartijn

While the efforts by actors on the buyer-side of value chains – such as brands and retailers – to address upstream labour abuses are well documented, there is a lack of research into how actors on the production-side of value chains – such as raw material producers – can identify and address downstream labour risks. This research presents the findings of an action research project that focused on the Australian cotton industry. By applying a sense-making lens, we propose four properties that can be used to identify labour risk in global value chains, providing insights into the capacity of producers to address downstream labour abuses. We suggest that there is a possibility for a ‘book-end’ approach that combines upstream and downstream actions by buyers and producers in global value chains.

The article can be found on the Journal of Industrial Relations website.

Why do Companies Find it so Hard to Choose Between Profit and Principle?

April 5, 2021Uncategorized2022 World Cup, companies, cotton, exploitation, fashion, governance, government, governments, human rights, human rights abuses, labour, Martijn Boersma, migrant workers, modern slavery, muslims, Qatar, Revenue, Supply Chain, supply chains, systematic exploitation, uyghur, xinjiangmartijn

Businesses with ties to the Xinjiang province in China find themselves at a junction.

Caught in debates concerning Uyghur people being the victim of modern slavery and genocide, they must deal with concerns expressed by Western governments and human rights groups, and an increasingly agitated Chinese Communist Party.

Some commentators have suggested that foreign companies that (in)directly profit from the systematic exploitation of Uyghurs in China must choose between profit and principle.

It seems like a straightforward question: do companies want to profit from the state-organised repression, exploitation and extermination of an ethnic minority, or do companies condemn the treatment of Uyghur people in China and deal with the backlash?

The conundrum underlying the question is as old as capitalism itself: what social costs are we willing to accept in order for companies to make a profit?

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Tag Archives: xinjiang

The Renewables Future is Built on Modern Slavery

Modern Slavery and Renewable Energy

Muslim countries vote down UN Human Rights Council Xinjiang debate

Why do Companies Find it so Hard to Choose Between Profit and Principle?