UK Energy Minister Ed Miliband’s Great British Energy Bill is making its way through parliament. MPs have the chance to discuss it again on the 29th of October.

This might not sound like an opportunity to address modern slavery, but if the UK really is to become a clean energy superpower it’s vital it does just that.

MP Sarah Champion submitted an amendment to the Bill to ensure that the new energy company it creates operates to the highest ethical standards. MPs will debate it tomorrow.

Please send a short email to your MP asking them to support human rights amendment number 2 to the Great British Energy Bill.

Here are some talking points to help you draft your email. Don’t worry – you don’t need to be an expert. Heart-felt, personal emails are the most powerful!

• Ask your MP to support human rights amendment number 2 to the Great British Energy Bill, at the Report Stage debate on 29th October. They could speak in favour of the amendment and/or vote for it. This is the key bit of information!
• Explain why you think it’s vital that people are protected from modern slavery and human rights abuses, especially in the supply chains of a company owned by the UK government.
• Great British Energy is our company.
• It’s estimated that over 21 million people are in forced labour.
• It sets a precedent for other companies to follow.
• Not ensuring this means that the UK is sending a signal that modern slavery is ok.
• With new laws to protect people from modern slavery including forced labour in supply chains in the USA and EU, the UK is lagging behind other countries in efforts to end modern slavery.
• Without new laws, the UK risks being a dumping ground for goods made using forced labour.
• Talk about why you think it’s important that we urgently transition to cleaner, cheaper energy, and that this process should also have the protection of everyone’s human rights at its heart.
• You’re worried that solar panels are at high risk of being made using forced labour.