Investors for Sustainable Solar
Advancing responsible sourcing and operations for safer chemical use and respect for human rights
Investors for Sustainable Solar is a collaboration coordinated by the Investor Environmental Health Network (IEHN), including Boston Common Asset Management, Domini Impact Investments, Mercy Investment Services, and WHEB Asset Management LLP.
Why this collaboration?
The solar energy sector is essential for the transition to a low-carbon economy needed to ensure the world does not warm beyond 1.5°C. Yet, it is dependent on materials that may be toxic, scarce, or sourced and made using forced or child labor in high-risk regions. This creates financial and reputational risks for the companies and may present negative human rights and environmental health impacts to communities and workers.
This new collaboration will engage leading solar photovoltaic energy and inverter companies on their efforts to adopt best practices for safer, more sustainable, and responsible solar energy production. Industry guidance for best practice aligned with investor expectations can be found in the following initiatives:
- Criteria in EPEAT’s ecolabel for PV and invertors
- Benchmarks in the Chemical Footprint Project Solar Survey
- Clean Electronic Production Network’s Towards Zero Pledge
- Environment justice indicators in the Solar Scorecard
- Global Electronics Council’s State of Sustainability Research on Chemicals of Concern
- The Collaborative for the Regenerative Economy (CoRE) advances solutions advances solutions for a renewable energy economy that is more benign and regenerative for people and the planet.
- UN Guiding Principles on Business & Human Rights, with relevant guidance for investors from the Investor Alliance for Human Rights
For more information, please contact Alexandra McPherson at Alexandra [at] cleanproduction.org