Trina Solar Joins Science Based Targets Initiative

Chinese solar panel manufacturing giant Trina Solar says it has formally joined the global Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

Producing solar cells and panels is a pretty energy intensive business¹, and Trina Solar certainly manufactures a lot of them. By the first quarter of this year the company had shipped more than 70GW+ of Trina Solar panels to 100+ countries, including Australia². The firm says the panels it has produced so far are avoiding 94.22 million tons of emissions per year.

But recognising that it needs to do more in terms of its own operations, Trina Solar Chairman Gao Jifan said the company joined the SBTi to better fulfill its mission of ‘Solar Energy for All”.

“We will draw on our strategic advantages, our strong product development and innovation capabilities and our global business presence to move as swiftly as possible toward carbon neutrality and sustainable development.”

What Is The SBTi?

The Initiative supports science-based targets providing clearly-defined pathways for companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Targets are considered ‘science-based’ if they support what is necessary to  meet the goals of the Paris Agreement; which is to limit warming to well-below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C.

This is a goal that is becoming increasingly difficult to reach. While the electricity sector is (generally) cleaning up its act, it still represents around 40% of global energy related emissions.

So, what sort of targets has Trina put in place under the SBTi? None yet as far as I can tell  – it’s a 5-step process:

• Companies submit a letter establishing an intent to set a science-based target
• They then work on an emissions reduction target in line with the SBTi’s criteria
• That is submitted to the SBTi for validation
• The target is announced
• The company reports its emissions and progress annually

SBTi says more than one thousand leading businesses are setting emissions reduction targets in line with the latest climate science. Trina Solar notes it is one of only nine companies in China that has backed the more ambitious 1.5C goal.

“Every step that Trina Solar takes will be in line with the 1.5C pledge, and we will do our utmost to create a carbon-free world,” said Mr. Gao.

One very obvious and fitting step Trina Solar can take is committing to sourcing 100% renewable energy for its operations sooner rather than later. It wouldn’t be the first major Chinese solar manufacturer to do so.

Last year, Longi committed to sourcing 100% renewables-based electricity across all its operations by 2028. JinkoSolar has pledged to power its own operations with 100% renewable electricity by 2025, and inverter manufacturer Sungrow has committed to switching to 100% renewables for its electricity requirements by 2028.

Original Source: https://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/trina-solar-sbti-mb2074/