Sustainable Solar: How Policy Changes Impact ESG Practices in Solar System Design and Component Sourcing

My role is Product Lifecycle Manager (PLM). I have 8 years of experience in the solar industry and have worked across the entire value chain (installer, distributor, manufacturer) as well as on three continents: the U.S., Australia, and Europe. I have been with KACO for 5 years, including the past 1.5 years as PLM for utility-scale solar inverters. My current focus is on cybersecurity. Sustainability is a key priority for KACO and is firmly embedded in our corporate philosophy.

Rachel Owens is a senior leader with over 17 years of experience in sustainable finance, climate change, human rights, corporate accountability, and anti-corruption. She is the CEO of the Solar Stewardship Initiative, where she leads efforts to promote ethical practices in the global solar sector. Rachel also serves as a Non-Executive Board Director at Eurosif, the European Sustainable Investment Forum and Global Witness, where she plays a key role in overseeing strategy and governance. Previously, Rachel served as Director of Climate Finance at the European Climate Foundation, where she developed and implemented the foundation's International Climate Finance strategy. From 2015 to 2022, Rachel played a critical role at Global Witness, establishing the organization's first EU office and leading high-profile campaigns on corporate accountability, climate and anti-corruption. She successfully advocated for changes to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). Earlier in her career, Rachel served as Chief of Staff to the Vice President of the European Parliament's Economic Committee, where she led the legislative process on key financial services and economic policies including on transparency in the oil and gas sector.  

Mario has more than 12 years of experience in ESG, especially within the renewable energy sector. He joined JinkoSolar in early 2024 to foster the implementation of sustainability policies and practices, support customers and investors in their ESG needs and expectations, develop strategies and action plans, and analyze and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements from the European Union and Member States regulations. He previously held positions at ENGIE, Eolia Renovables, Acciona and Repsol that has provided him with extensive experience in the development of solar and wind businesses, environmental and social permitting and projects, operational ESG (over 800 MW in solar & wind assets in operation) and non-financial reporting to stakeholders.Mario holds a bachelor's degree in environmental science and a master's degree in business administration, in which he specialized in industry, environment and energy.

Matthias Stucki is an environmental scientist and head of the Life Cycle Assessment Research Group at Zurich University of Applied Sciences. At the International Energy Agency, he leads the Life Cycle Assessment Subtask within Task 12 on Photovoltaic Sustainability under the IEA Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme. Within the IEA Wind, he serves as co-manager of Task 60 on harmonised life cycle assessment for wind power. His work extends beyond carbon footprinting to encompass a broader sustainability perspective, including life cycle-based biodiversity impact assessment and other environmental impact dimensions. Through his research and teaching, he advances the integration of science-based life cycle thinking to inform sustainable decision-making across academia, industry, policy, and society.

Dr.-Ing. Janett Schmelzer is Head of R&D at Solar Materials and a materials scientist specializing in sustainable technologies. She studied Environmental and Energy Process Engineering at OVGU Magdeburg and is now driving innovative solutions at the intersection of materials research, recycling, and the solar industry