Tesla unveils supply chain emission detail
Tesla has released its 2022 impact report, which for the first time details its Scope 3 emissions. The report reveals that most of Tesla’s carbon footprint comes from its supply chain, with the goods and services procured from third-party vendors accounting for around 22.3 million tons of carbon emissions in 2022. The biggest source of Scope 3 emissions comes from battery emissions, which accounted for 27% of the total, followed by emissions from aluminum and steel, which accounted for 18% and 8% respectively. Tesla’s fuel-related activities, waste, and upstream transportation and distribution also contributed hundreds of thousands of tons of additional carbon emissions each.
Tesla’s supply chain emissions for 2022 were far smaller than those of traditional car manufacturers. For example, Ford's carbon emissions from the goods and services it procures stood at 40.5 million metric tons in 2022, despite selling fewer cars than Tesla. On the other end of the value chain, Tesla’s customers avoided releasing around 13.4 million metric tons of carbon emissions in 2022, equivalent to 33 billion miles of driving by gasoline-powered cars. The total emissions from consumers’ use of Tesla products were 3.4 million tons of carbon dioxide in 2022, in contrast to Ford, whose sold products emitted 286.5 million metric tons of carbon, accounting for more than 85% of its total 334.8 million metric tons in carbon emissions, which includes Scopes 1, 2 and 3.
Elon Musk has recently spoken out against US government tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, calling them “not good” and market-distorting.