Tesla’s carbon footprint is finally coming into focus, and it’s bigger than the company let on in the past

Author: Justine Calma

Calma, Justine. “Tesla’s Carbon Footprint Is Finally Coming into Focus, and It’s Bigger than the Company Let on in the Past.” The Verge, 26 Apr. 2023, https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/26/23697746/tesla-climate-pollution-carbon-footprint-supply-chain-report.

Source: https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/26/23697746/tesla-climate-pollution-carbon-footprint-supply-chain-report

Tesla, one of the most popular electric vehicle manufactures, has an environmental impact that is much larger than previously reported. In previous reports, Tesla has neglected to include its supply chain pollution in its reports, arguably the most important emissions to record for an EV. In 2021, Tesla reported 2.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide pollution. Including the supply chain emissions for 2022, the company reported 30.7 million tons of carbon dioxide, a significant increase from previous years. The carbon footprint of companies is often divided into three "scopes", and it is common practice to not include indirect emissions from supply chains and the lifecycle of the products in the reports. The SEC has proposed that large companies be required to share their indirect emissions in certain cases, hence the new numbers from Tesla. The company has lagged behind in sharing details about its greenhouse gas emissions, and has earned "F" grades from the CDP for failing to report. Essentially, just because Tesla sells electric vehicles, doesn't mean that they don't have their own environmental impact.

DMU Timestamp: February 26, 2025 22:37