Is Tesla gigafactory near Berlin responsible for 329 hectares of deforestation?
The building of a Tesla gigafactory in Germany has been highly controversial and triggered significant protests, besides prompting a debate about the trade-offs involved in developing a green economy, according to a report in the Guardian.
The factory has resulted in about 500,000 trees being felled, as per satellite analysis. Images have highlighted that the period from March 2020 to May 2023 noted deforestation on 329 hectares of forest area, according to environmental intelligence company Kayrros.
Tesla plant to double production to 1 million cars a year
Since May 2024, climate activists have protested against the planned expansion of the gigafactory. Several people have been occupying tree houses in a nearby camp and trying to storm the site. One group even stopped the factory’s production for some days in March.
In response to the continuous demonstrations, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has criticised local police for letting off the protesters. In July, Brandenburg state’s environment ministry approved a plan to expand the Tesla plant double production to 1 million cars a year.
Several environmental incidents have been reported at the site, including leaks or spills of diesel fuel and paint. Tesla admitted that there had been some incidents but that none caused environmental damage and that corrective measures had been implemented, if necessary.
Tesla factory triggering both local and global destruction
Karolina from the campaign alliance Turn Off Tesla’s Tap said the analysis reflected the fact that the company’s production of electric vehicles had triggered local destruction of nature and global damage through mining for metals.
The chief analyst at Kayrros said the Tesla factory in Germany has led to quite a bit of deforestation – but that it has to be put in perspective, against the benefit of replacing internal combustion engine cars by electric vehicles, as per the media report.
