ClimateTicker

First Solar

NASDAQ: FSLR80Climate Leader· Provisional
0 followersSolar panels / thin-film PV·Tempe, Arizona, United States·Founded 1999
www.firstsolar.com

Leading US manufacturer of thin-film cadmium telluride solar panels; one of the few Western solar manufacturers at scale.

80/100
Climate Leader· Provisional

ClimateTicker Green Score · how it's calculated

Greenwashing risk: lowData confidence: high

Why it's on ClimateTicker

First Solar is one of the few Western solar manufacturers at meaningful scale, and its core product — thin-film cadmium telluride (CdTe) panels — directly displaces fossil-fuel electricity generation with a notably lower manufacturing carbon footprint than crystalline silicon. The company has real SBTi-validated targets, active CDP disclosure, and a proprietary recycling program, making its climate credentials substantially more credible than most peers. The principal residual risks are the hazardous-materials profile of cadmium in manufacturing and end-of-life scenarios, scope-3 disclosure gaps, and the fact that part of its manufacturing footprint still relies on grid electricity in carbon-intensive jurisdictions.

mitigationFirst Solar designs, manufactures, and sells thin-film CdTe photovoltaic modules primarily to utility-scale solar project developers and independent power producers, and also develops, finances, and sells large solar projects through its systems business segment.

Commitments & Certifications

CDP: A- (Water Security) ↗other: AA ↗other: Prime ↗other: RE100 member ↗SBTi: Targets validated ↗

Controversy & Greenwashing Watch

mediumCadmium hazardous material — manufacturing & end-of-life risk

CdTe modules contain cadmium, a substance regulated as hazardous by the EPA; while studies show lifecycle Cd emissions from CdTe PV are orders of magnitude below coal power, landfill leaching and fire-release scenarios remain scientifically debated end-of-life risks as the global installed base grows.source ↗

lowScope 3 emissions — limited disclosure

First Solar's SBTi-validated targets cover Scope 1 and 2 only, and its Scope 3 supply chain and product-use emissions disclosures are incomplete relative to best practice, a gap flagged in its own SEC filings as a regulatory compliance risk.source ↗

lowOverseas manufacturing labor risk

With factories in Vietnam, Malaysia, and India, First Solar faces ongoing supply chain labor scrutiny; the company claims third-party social audits but admits in SEC filings that supplier violations of its Code of Conduct remain a residual ESG risk.source ↗

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