Supply Chain Traceability Standard

Introduction

The Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI) works with manufacturers, developers, installers, and purchasers across the global solar value chain to collaboratively foster responsible production, sourcing, and stewardship of materials. The SSI’s mission is to enhance end-to-end transparency, sustainability, and ESG performance across the solar supply chain. Businesses actively involved in the solar value chain can apply to join the SSI and get certified against the SSI Standards. 

The SSI core objectives are to:  

• Ensure the energy transition is just and inclusive, and respects human rights.  
• Establish mechanisms to enhance supply chain integrity in the global solar industry.  
• Enable continuous improvement of ESG performance.  
• Build confidence among regulators, customers, and business partners in the sustainability of the solar value chain.                                                                                                                                                                   

The publication of the SSI ESG Standard in October 2023 was a significant step in achieving these objectives. The SSI Supply Chain Traceability Standard represents another crucial milestone in pursuing a transparent value chain for photovoltaic solar modules. The SSI ESG Standard can certify a ‘link’ – i.e. a production site – in the solar supply chain. The SSI Supply Chain Traceability Standard is the first step to show precisely where the materials used at each link come from and how they are traced. With the combination of the SSI ESG and SSI Supply Chain Traceability Standards, stakeholders along the solar value chain will be reassured that the silicon used in the solar modules was produced responsibly. 

On 21 August 2024, the SSI has launched a public consultation of the first draft of the Supply Chain Traceability Standard as part of our ongoing standards development work. 

Public consultations are a vital part of SSI’s standards development process. They are essential for gaining additional transparency, observations, and insights from all stakeholders, including civil society organizations, NGOs, academia, and industry experts, helping us shape the Standards to ensure they meet diverse expectations.

The SSI Supply Chain Traceability Standard, together with the SSI ESG Standard, is designed to support responsible production and sourcing in the solar value chain as tools for achieving the SSI’s mission. Supply Chain Traceability certification is mandatory for SSI manufacturing members and complements certification against the SSI ESG Standard. 

The Standard sets out requirements for maintaining a traceability system with a future goal to enable an ‘unbroken’ Chain of Custody (CoC) through the solar value chain. A CoC is a documented sequence of physical and legal possession of material as it moves through a supply chain. The Standard defines a ‘segregated’ chain of custody model for specific silicon supply chain tiers and requires a traceability system able to demonstrate a chain of entities to supply the material. The material may have been produced at a number of separate SSI-certified sites; however, it cannot be mixed with other uncertified materials. 

Consultation on all aspects of the first draft of the Supply Chain Traceability Standard was open until October 21st, 2024, 23:59 CET. Thank you to everyone who submitted comments and provided feedback. The results will be published shortly.

If your organisation is interested in participating in the pilot test at one or more of your manufacturing sites, or you would like to join SSI’s Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAG), please contact the SSI Secretariat at [email protected] as soon as possible. 

If you have any questions regarding the public consultation, please contact the SSI Secretariat at [email protected].