JA Solar Achieves a Milestone in Sustainable Development with SSI Certification

On March 24, 2025, JA Solar celebrated a significant milestone in its journey toward sustainable development. The company’s manufacturing bases in Fengxian and Yangzhou successfully passed the Solar Sustainability Initiative (SSI) audit, earning the prestigious “Silver Medal” certification. This certification represents the highest rating currently awarded by SSI in the photovoltaic industry, highlighting JA Solar’s leadership in sustainable practices across environmental, social, and corporate governance aspects.

Unlike other certification organizations, SSI is the first initiative focused specifically on sustainability and traceability within the photovoltaic supply chain. It was co-founded by SolarPower Europe and Solar Energy UK, aiming to unite manufacturers, developers, installers, and purchasers throughout the global photovoltaic value chain to promote responsible production, procurement, and management of photovoltaic materials. The influence of this initiative is significant, as a large majority of key developers and suppliers in the global photovoltaic industry are now members of SSI. Member companies hold a substantial share of project scales and photovoltaic product outputs in the global market.

All manufacturing SSI member companies are required to complete stringent on-site assessments conducted by SSI-approved compliance assessment bodies (AB) within 12 months, with only seven assessment bodies currently qualified. Since its inception, JA Solar has actively participated in the development of the organization’s sustainability standards. Its manufacturing bases in Baotou, Ningjin, and Yiwu were among the pilot sites for SSI’s first round of sustainability capability research, providing valuable samples for standard implementation. In October 2024, the Baotou manufacturing base was once again chosen as a pilot site for the latest SSI standards.

The award of the SSI “Silver Medal” certification serves as a prime example of how JA Solar has effectively translated its standard development experience into management practices. In recent years, numerous departments at both the headquarters and bases have collaborated to systematically optimize dozens of policies, processes, and documents related to biodiversity, carbon emissions, compliance risks, lifecycle circular management, EHS target indicators, and management control procedures. This continuous improvement effort culminated in outstanding performance during the SSI on-site audit.

While this certification is a significant achievement, it also marks a new starting point for JA Solar. The company plans to encourage more regional manufacturing bases to pursue SSI certification and further integrate sustainable development into its business operations. Additionally, JA Solar is committed to supporting its partners in building their sustainability capabilities, leading the global photovoltaic value chain toward a more responsible and resilient ecosystem.