Borussia Dortmund & JA Solar face ethics clash over stadium solar deal

Borussia Dortmund is currently under scrutiny for partnering with Chinese producer JA Solar to install the world’s largest stadium-rooftop solar system at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK. The project, announced last week, is expected to generate over 4 GWh annually, reducing CO₂ emissions by around 1,800 tons and has received compliments for its sustainability goals. However, Carsten Rohr, Co-Chair of the European Solar Manufacturing Council and a lifelong Dortmund supporter, has criticised the collaboration. In an open letter to BVB Managing Director Carsten Cramer, he raised concerns over JA Solar’s alleged links to forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region, which led the US Department of Homeland Security to ban its subsidiary. Rohr acknowledged Dortmund’s environmental ambitions but argued the partnership undermines the club’s core values of integrity and human dignity. He called for the club to reconsider its supplier choice and instead support European solar manufacturers to align sustainability with ethical responsibility.