Tesla says it’s working toward getting to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions “as soon as possible;” however, it seems like the company is currently moving in the other direction.According to the company’s latest impact report, its greenhouse gas emissions grew by nearly 10 million metric tons of CO2 last year. In total, the company was responsible for more than 50 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, roughly a 20% increase in pollution over the 42 metric tons it was responsible for the prior year.A good bit of Tesla’s emissions issues stems from its supply chain rather than its actual plants. That said, earlier this month Tesla was sued by an environmental nonprofit that accused the company of violating the federal Clean Air Act with the emissions from its Fremont, California, plant. According to the complaint, Tesla has exposed nearby residents of the plant as well as its workers to excessive nitrogen oxides, arsenic, cadmium, and other harmful chemicals, primarily through its paint shop operations.Tesla addressed those concerns in its impact report. “As regulations around GHG emissions management evolve, we may need to make further capital investments that are different from or accelerated relative to existing plans, which may impact profitability,” the company said. “Policy changes may impact certain practices or infrastructure, potentially reducing installed capacity because the technology used-such as with die casting or the paint shop cannot be fully decarbonized,”
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Microsoft also recently reported a 29% spike in its emissions, in large part due to “new technologies, including generative AI.” At the time of its sustainability report, Microsoft said: “The world is not on track to meet critical climate goals, and we see many of the world’s challenges reflected in our situation.”Tesla’s carbon footprint still pales in comparison to some of its competitors. Ford’s carbon footprint in 2023, for instance, was 386 million metric tons of CO2, more than seven times as large as Tesla’s.
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