JA Solar, a manufacturer of high-performance photovoltaic products, has received a Silver Medal in the EcoVadis 2021 Sustainability Rating. The award recognizes JA Solar in the top 12% of all organizations surveyed by EcoVadis, and in the top 1% of companies when it comes to sustainable procurement.
EcoVadis Medals reflect the quality of the company’s sustainability management system, and are awarded based upon the percentile ranking of a company’s EcoVadis score at the time of assessment. JA Solar received remarkable results in all four criteria including the environment, labor and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement — cementing its position as a leader in corporate social responsibility (CSR).
“We are honored to receive this Silver Medal from EcoVadis in recognition of our ongoing CSR efforts. At JA Solar, we are committed to building an environmentally-friendly, resource-saving business. We will continue to do our part to create a world where more people benefit from clean energy, while protecting human rights and preserving the natural environment,” said Xinwei Niu, the Executive President of JA Solar.
JA Solar strives to establish a long-term ecological value system with investors, upstream and downstream partners, employees and communities. An active champion of sustainable development, it has joined institutions such as the United Nations Global Compact, China Business Climate Action initiative and China Green Choice Alliance.
The company also places great emphasis on energy conservation, consumption and emissions reduction, and increasing the availability and adoption of renewable energy. JA Solar integrates environmental protection throughout all aspects of its business, from R&D to production, packaging, logistics and recycling. It has also fully implemented ISO 14001, the international standard for an effective environmental management system (EMS).
In the interests of safeguarding employee rights, JA Solar adheres to an open, fair and just employment policy. The manufacturer strictly abides by the local labor laws, standards and regulations for its factories and offices, and has established unions both for its headquarters and production bases. In addition, JA Solar regularly holds workers’ congress and employee symposiums to ensure the voices of its employees are heard, and actively promotes harmony and stability in labor-management relations.
On the ethics front, JA Solar has joined both the China Enterprise Anti-Fraud Alliance and Sunshine Integrity Alliance, and established numerous policies to ensure its operations and management are always in line with legal ethics standards and principles. The company remains true to the laws, regulations and international standards for fair competition, strongly prohibits all unethical and illegal behaviors, and believes in gaining a competitive advantage through quality and service.
A leader in terms of sustainable procurement, JA Solar strongly believes in establishing tight-knit partnerships with suppliers to build a collaborative, win-win ecosystem. The company conducts stringent evaluations on potential partners as part of its procurement decision-making process, including conducting EHS risk identification and evaluations; issuing Occupational Health, Safety and Environment Notifications; and requesting partners sign its Social Responsibility Commitment. By incorporating ethical, environmental, social, health and human rights factors into its processes, JA Solar encourages suppliers to strengthen their social responsibility practices, as well as strengthening its own.
EcoVadis is the world’s most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings. Its assessments span 198 industry categories and 155 countries, with an evaluation method conducted in line with international standards such as the Global Reporting Initiative, United Nations Global Compact and ISO 26000.
Beyond EcoVadis, JA Solar’s CSR efforts are fast gaining recognition in the global community. Its recent social responsibility report passed inspection by SGS, the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company.
