JA Solar – Yingxuan Wang – 2025

Summary

Yingxuan Wang supported JA Solar’s ESG and climate goals via CDP questionnaire data validation, climate policy research, and ESG report review during a 10-week EDF Climate Corps fellowship.

Goals

JA Solar Technology Co., Ltd.?a global photovoltaic (PV) leader with a vertically integrated chain and operations in 178 countries’aims to cut emissions by 42% by 2030 and boost ESG transparency. It faced three key challenges: validating data for the 2025 CDP Climate Change Questionnaire (to meet CDP methodology), analyzing how climate policies (e.g., EU CBAM, US IRA) impact the PV industry, and ensuring ESG reports align with international standards. To address these, JA Solar enlisted Yingxuan Wang for a 10-week EDF Climate Corps fellowship.

Solutions

Wang addressed JA Solar’s challenges through three focused projects. First, for the CDP questionnaire, she compiled data from the Production and Equipment Departments, including 2024 GHG emissions inventories and energy consumption records, to validate Scope 1-3 emissions using the GHG Protocol and ISO 14064-1 standards. Wang incorporated 136 emission reduction measures, with 117 fully implemented, and reviewed the questionnaire, suggesting over 30 revisions on data entry and terminology that the ESG team accepted. Second, for climate policy research, she examined core policies from six countries and regions, quantified policy shock effects such as pr- and post-policy PV installation growth multiples, and developed a framework connecting international frameworks to national actions and climate finance. Third, Wang evaluated five ESG reports, including the 2024 Annual GHG Emissions Report, cross-checking data with internal records, standardizing technical terminology, and aligning content with JA Solar’s SBTi targets to comply with GRI and ESRS standards.

Potential Impact

Wang’s work strengthened JA Solar’s sustainability capabilities: validated CDP data supports the company’s goal of improving its CDP rating; climate policy research provided insights to prioritize emerging market expansion (India, Africa) and mitigate risks from policies like the EU CBAM; and ESG report review ensured transparent, standard-aligned disclosure. The fellowship also advanced JA Solar’s broader 2030 emissions reduction target by equipping the team with actionable data and strategic guidance for policy-driven growth in the PV sector.