German Court Orders Tesla to Stop Factory Construction

Category: Business

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. halt / hɔlt / (v) – to stop or cause to stop temporarily or permanently
    Example:

    The company halted its operations after not making any profit.


  2. clearing / ˈklɪər ɪŋ / (n) – the act of removing trees, plants, or other things from an area
    Example:

    He obtained a permit for the clearing of a 60-hectare land.


  3. lawsuit / ˈlɔˌsut / (n) – a case filed before a court involving a person’s claim or protest against another person
    Example:

    The employee filed a lawsuit against the company for the damages he suffered.


  4. at risk / ət rɪsk / (idiom) – in danger
    Example:

    The company is at risk of losing the investment because of the CEO’s resignation.


  5. renewable / rɪˈnu ə bəl / (adj) – describing things that are always available or easily replaced
    Example:

    The factory relies on renewable energy to power it. In fact, it has solar panels all around it.


Article

Read the text below.

A court has issued an order directing American car manufacturer Tesla to temporarily halt the clearing of land and forest for its new factory in Brandenburg, Germany.


The order was issued by the Higher Administrative Court of Berlin-Brandenburg. This was after the Green League of Brandenburg, an environmental protection group, had filed a lawsuit opposing Tesla’s clearing of a 92-hectare forest land.


When the lawsuit was filed, Tesla had not yet obtained a permit to start the actual construction of the factory. However, it had already cleared almost 50% of the trees at the site with permission granted by the state environment office. According to the court, the site would have been completely cleared if the order had been delayed further.


Tesla announced its plan to build its first factory in Europe late last year, and the factory was scheduled to start operations in 2021.


The court order put the company at risk of further delaying or totally halting the factory’s construction. However, by mid-February, the Berlin-Brandenburg court finally gave Tesla the green light to continue with the clearing.


In response to the court order, Tesla CEO Elon Musk had explained that the new factory would benefit the environment because it would produce automobiles powered by renewable energy. The company also said it would replant trees in an area three times the size of its factory site.


Several lawmakers in Germany had expressed their concern over the temporary cessation of Tesla’s construction. They were worried about the issue’s possible impact on Germany’s business development credentials and the country’s pro-business reputation.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

• Do you agree with the German court’s order to temporarily stop the clearing of land for the construction of Tesla’s Gigafactory? Why or why not?
• How do you think the temporary halting of Tesla’s construction affects Germany’s pro-business reputation? Discuss.

Discussion B

• How do manufacturing factories affect their surroundings (e.g. providing jobs, polluting the environment)? Discuss.
• Do you think a manufacturing business can truly be environment-friendly? Why or why not?