探討低碳產品及非低碳產品之ESG績效表現 ：以特斯拉及通用汽車為例

Abstract

本文旨在探討兩家美國汽車巨頭—特斯拉和通用汽車特在環境、社會、治理（ESG）表現上的不同。特斯拉作為電動車產業的領頭羊，以技術創新和永續發展受到許多關注；而通用汽車則為美國燃油車市場的代表。然而，2022年特斯拉突然被標準普爾500 ESG指數（S&P 500 ESG Index）除名，讓我們好奇，到底是電動車還是燃油車的ESG表現更好？ 為了回答這個問題，我們參考了這兩家公司自己的永續報告書，並整理了五大永續評比機構（JUST Capital、MSCI、Sustainalytics、S&P Global、Refinitiv）的公開數據，詳細分析和比較了特斯拉和通用汽車的表現。我們也查閱了許多資料，內容涵蓋ESG評估方法、電動車與燃油車的環境影響，以及兩家公司在這方面的具體數據。 結果顯示，電動車在ESG表現上確實有一定優勢，尤其是在環境方面。特斯拉的環境成績很亮眼，但它在社會與治理方面仍有不少問題，例如員工權益、供應鏈管理和公司治理結構等等。相較之下，通用汽車的環境表現雖然不如特斯拉，但在社會和治理層面卻更穩定，甚至有一些優勢。 綜上所述，我們的研究發現電動車與燃油車在ESG表現上各有強項和弱點。這不僅幫助我們更好地理解汽車產業的永續發展，還能為未來產業的綠色轉型提供一些參考建議。

We explore the differences in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance between two major U.S. automakers – Tesla and General Motors. Tesla, as a leader in electric vehicles, has much attention for its technological innovation and sustainable development. General Motors is a representative of the U.S. gasoline-powered vehicle market. In 2022, Tesla was removed from the S&P 500 ESG Index. Thus, we are interested in which has better ESG performance – electric vehicles or gasoline vehicles?

To answer this question, we consulted both companies’ sustainability reports and compared the publicly available data from five major sustainability rating agencies, including JUST Capital, MSCI, Sustainalytics, S&P Global, and Refinitiv. Then, we conduct a detailed analysis and comparison of Tesla’s and General Motors’ performance. We also reviewed various sources covering ESG evaluation methods, the environmental impact of electric and gasoline vehicles, and the specific data related to these two companies.

The results show that Tesla indeed has certain advantages in ESG performance, particularly in the environmental dimension. The environmental performance of Tesla is notably impressive, but it faces some challenges in social and governance dimensions, such as employee rights, supply chain management, and corporate governance structure. In contrast, the environmental performance of General Motors is not better than Tesla, but the performance is better in social and governance dimensions.

In conclusion, our case studies find that both electric vehicles and gasoline vehicles have strengths and weaknesses in terms of ESG performance. It not only helps us better understand sustainable development within the automotive industry but it also provides useful insights for the industry’s future green transition.