First Solar Establishes New Solar Industry Benchmark for Transparency with 2023 Sustainability Report
15 Agosto 2023 - 9:00AM
Business Wire
- Detailed reporting on onsite third-party social audits at
manufacturing facilities believed to be industry first
- Reveals that India facility is expected to be world’s first
net-zero water withdrawal PV manufacturing plant
- Reports year-on-year reductions in emissions-, energy-, water-
and waste intensity per watt
First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR) today released its 2023
Sustainability Report and established a new industry benchmark for
transparency by making public details of onsite third-party social
audits conducted across its global manufacturing footprint in what
is believed to be an industry first. First Solar is also believed
to be the first among the world’s largest solar manufacturers to
have conducted third-party social audits across its operational
global manufacturing footprint. First Solar’s integrated
manufacturing process helps eliminate risks and traceability
challenges associated with outsourcing and the multiple supply
tiers of conventional crystalline silicon solar manufacturing.
First Solar, the only major solar manufacturer that is a member
of the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA), conducted three onsite
third-party RBA Validated Assessment Program (VAP) audits at its
manufacturing facilities in the United States, Malaysia, and
Vietnam. While the company’s US and Vietnam operations achieved
platinum status, the highest possible rating, the audits uncovered
the fact that four service providers at its Malaysia facility fell
short of First Solar’s standards. Details of the findings and First
Solar’s corrective actions are included in the company’s 2023
Sustainability Report. The Malaysia facility is expected to have
its VAP closure audit in the fourth quarter of 2023. The purpose of
proven third-party social audits like the RBA VAP social audits is
not to rubber-stamp compliance but to identify and remedy existing
and potential issues to help improve the lives of workers across
the supply chain.
“We have chosen to highlight the audit findings openly, not only
because of our commitment to transparency and Responsible Solar,
but to raise awareness of modern slavery risks that hide in plain
sight and to illustrate the value of an independent third-party
social audit conducted in a credible, comprehensive manner,” said
Mark Widmar, chief executive officer, First Solar. “The solar
industry will anchor the global transition to a sustainable energy
future, and we believe that it must do so responsibly. Quite
simply, our industry’s work to power the energy transition and
enable the fight against climate change does not serve as credits
to offset its social and human rights obligations.”
The report also highlights that First Solar’s new factory in
Tamil Nadu, India, which is scheduled to begin commercial
production in the second half of 2023, is expected to be the
world’s first net-zero water withdrawal solar manufacturing
facility. The facility, located in a region of high baseline water
stress, is designed to minimize its impact on local water resources
and will rely entirely on tertiary treated reverse osmosis water
from the city's sewage treatment plant and have zero wastewater
discharge.
Widmar added, “As we continue our journey to growth we are
doubling down on our commitment to Responsible Solar and
meaningfully contributing to the fight against climate change. This
includes designing our manufacturing facilities and products with
sustainability in mind.”
Compared to 2021, First Solar has lowered its greenhouse gas
emissions intensity by 11%, manufacturing energy intensity by 8%,
manufacturing waste intensity by 28%, and manufacturing water
intensity by 20% in 2022. The company also secured an ‘AA’ rating
from MSCI ESG Research in 2022, the highest in the solar industry,
and a CDP Climate Change ‘A-’ rating.
First Solar’s responsibly produced,
advanced thin film photovoltaic (PV) modules set industry
benchmarks for quality, durability, reliability, design, and
environmental performance. The company’s solar modules have the
lowest carbon and water footprint of any commercially available PV
module today, and it’s the first PV manufacturer to have its
product included in the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment
Tool (EPEAT) global registry for sustainable electronics. The
company has also pioneered a high value recycling program, which
provides closed-loop semiconductor recovery for use in new modules,
while also recovering other materials including aluminum, glass,
and laminates.
About First Solar, Inc.
First Solar is a leading American solar technology company and
global provider of responsibly produced eco-efficient solar modules
advancing the fight against climate change. Developed at R&D
labs in California and Ohio, the company’s advanced thin film PV
modules represent the next generation of solar technologies,
providing a competitive, high-performance, lower-carbon alternative
to conventional crystalline silicon PV modules. From raw material
sourcing and manufacturing through end-of-life module recycling,
First Solar’s approach to technology embodies sustainability and a
responsibility towards people and the planet. For more information,
please visit www.firstsolar.com.
For First Solar Investors
This press release contains various “forward-looking statements”
which are made pursuant to safe harbor provisions of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking
statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning
the expectations that 1) our Malaysia facility will have its VAP
closure audit in the fourth quarter of 2023; and 2) our new factory
in Tamil Nadu, India, will begin commercial production in the
second half of 2023 and be the world’s first net-zero water
withdrawal solar manufacturing facility. These forward-looking
statements are often characterized by the use of words such as
“estimate,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “project,” “plan,” “intend,”
“seek,” “believe,” “forecast,” “foresee,” “likely,” “may,”
“should,” “goal,” “target,” “might,” “will,” “could,” “predict,”
“continue” and the negative or plural of these words and other
comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are only
predictions based on First Solar’s current expectations and First
Solar’s projections about future events and therefore speak only as
of the date of this release. You should not place undue reliance on
these forward-looking statements. First Solar undertakes no
obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements for
any reason, whether as a result of new information, future
developments or otherwise. These forward-looking statements involve
known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may
cause First Solar’s actual results, levels of activity,
performance, or achievements to differ materially from those
expressed or implied by these statements. These factors include,
but are not limited to, the matters discussed under the captions
“Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of our most recent
Annual Report on Form 10-K and our subsequently filed Quarterly
Reports on Form 10-Q, as supplemented by our other filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230815767522/en/
Media Reuven Proença
First Solar Media reuven.proenca@firstsolar.com
Investors Robyn Remes
First Solar Investor Relations investor@firstsolar.com
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