The Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI) is pleased to announce its partnerships with the first seven Assessment Bodies (ABs) set to support the work of the SSI:
- Intertek (parent company of Clean Energy Associates)
- DNV
- KIWA
- SGS
- Sinovoltaics
- TUV Sud
- TUV Rheinland
These ABs will conduct assessments at the manufacturing sites of SSI members, against the SSI ESG Standard.
Alexia Ruvoletto (she/her), Head of the SSI Secretariat said: “This is an important step in the SSI’s journey. Expert, independent, and trustworthy assessment is the cornerstone of any true supply chain assurance system. We’re delighted to welcome our first Assessment Bodies on board, and we look forward to working together to drive a more responsible, transparent, and sustainable solar value chain.”
Q&A
Discover the SSI FAQ
What is the SSI ESG Standard?
The SSI ESG Standard is designed to evaluate a company’s performance in three key areas:
- Governance and Business Ethics
- Environment
- Human and Labour Rights.
SSI members from manufacturing sites must commit to completing an ESG assessment of two sites within 12 months by an SSI-approved AB. The SSI Assurance Process is implemented at a site level. A ‘site’ comprises several activities in the same geographic area and under the same management control.
Discover the SSI ESG Standard
Who assesses site compliance with the SSI ESG Standard?
Assessment Bodies or Assessors who meet the usual international standards of independent auditing can be accepted to conduct SSI audits. Specific SSI requirements mean that Assessment Bodies or Assessors need to be accredited under the globally-recognised standards; ISO 17065 or 17021, with a relevant scope by an International Accreditation Forum (IAF) member accreditation body. Assessment teams are made up of assessors with the knowledge and competencies to cover all subject matters of the SSI Standard(s) and always include an assessor with social auditing experience.
How does site assessment and certification work?
Assessors visit a site and follow a rigorous methodology of verification, including unsupervised worker interviews, site walkthroughs, and documentation review.
Any major non-conformance means the site cannot qualify for any SSI certification. An example of major non-conformance would be evidence of forced labour conditions. Under SSI terms, this evidence could include the obvious, i.e. where workers can’t leave the work site freely. But also, the SSI Assurance procedure considers more subtle signals, such as cases where there is no clear due diligence of sub-contractors / employment agencies; in this instance the risk of exposure to forced labour is considered too great, and so the relevant site would not be certified by the SSI.
Minor non-conformance with the SSI ESG Standard is permitted to a certain extent, e.g. a partially obscured fire exit sign. Sites are awarded different grades, Bronze, Silver, and Gold – with Gold being the highest performance. On repeat assessment, if previously identified minor non-conformances have not been addressed, the issue is then rated a major non-conformance.
Discover the SSI Assurance Process
Will the SSI conduct audits in Xinjiang?
If Assessment Bodies cannot freely access a site, or region, then sites cannot be certified under the SSI, whether in Xinjiang or anywhere else in the world.
The SSI will not conduct assessments or certifications for sites in regions that are inaccessible to unsupervised visits. The SSI is a tool to reinforce and demonstrate the credibility of sites that are freely accessible and are committed to upholding robust ESG standards. There are sufficient accessible sites around the world for the SSI to build a certified network of solar suppliers.
Will the results of assessments be published?
Yes, the different levels achieved by certified sites (Bronze, Silver, Gold) will be publicly available on the SSI website. The audit results will be summarised and posted on the SSI website. Sites found to be in breach of human rights or using forced labour, will not be certified at any level. There are incentives for sites to improve their level by reassessments that are planned yearly. Sites will be given a corrective action plan if they did not receive Gold level certification in the first year.
Does the SSI evaluate all the links in the supply chain?
Not yet. In 2024, the SSI is working on its second Standard, the SSI Supply Chain Traceability Standard. This is set to take the SSI assurance scheme further. With the combination of the SSI ESG Standard and the SSI Supply Chain Traceability Standard, the SSI will be able to certify exactly how each link of the supply chain is connected, creating the so-called chain of custody.
As of Q1 2024, the Working Group on the SSI Traceability Standard has been set up, and we invite interested parties to explore membership. In accordance with ISEAL good practice, the SSI Traceability Standard will be subject to public consultation and piloting, like the SSI ESG Standard. The SSI aims to publish the Supply Chain Traceability Standard at the end of 2024.