Will Porsche destroy an old-growth oak forest in Italy to extend a test track?
6 février 2025
Since 2012, the German car company Porsche has managed the Nardò Technical Centre (NTC) in Southern Italy, a famous test drive centre built in 1975 that features a 12.6-kilometre high-speed circular track – the Ring – where numerous world records were broken. The Ring passes through a centuries-old, 500-hectare holm oak forest classified as a Natura 2000 site, the Bosco d’Arneo. This is the last remaining portion of the large Mediterranean Salento forest, in the Apulia region, that has now almost completely disappeared.
Porsche’s commitment to environmental stewardship initially included protecting the area from wildfires and illegal activities. However, concerns arose when the company announced a large expansion plan for the NTC. The proposed development includes construction of nine new tracks, additional infrastructure, a new fire station and a helipad, which would result in the destruction of more than 200 hectares of the protected forest.
Porsche argued that this expansion would be offset by ‘re-naturalizing’ 500 hectares of land outside the Ring. But an old-growth forest cannot be offset: by definition, such ecosystems are unique and need centuries to grow.
This did not stop the Apulia Region and the neighbouring municipalities of Nardò and Porto Cesareo from approving the plan in November 2023, which they justified under claims of ‘public interest’. The claims appear legally weak. Numerous local residents, gathered under the citizen alliance Custodi Bosco d’Arneo, supported by Italian and European NGOs, have been mobilising against the destruction, recently even garnering the support of representatives of Indigenous communities in the Amazon.
The Bosco d’Arneo plays an important role in the local water cycle, in a context of worsening drought conditions driven by climate change. Residents oppose the destruction of this vital ecosystem, citing lack of scientific and legal justification.
In March 2024, thanks to requests for clarification to Italian authorities by the European Commission following a Parliamentary question, and an appeal before the Regional Administrative Court filed by the residents, work was suspended for six months, then another six months, until April 2025.
Responding to our questions, Porsche told us: “we have decided not to proceed with the original development plan. Therefore, any previously mentioned dimensions addressed by the original development plan are no longer valid. Currently, we are exploring alternatives. We expect the works related to the development plan to remain on hold throughout the year 2025”.
But they did not commit to spare the forest, as we had asked them to, nor provided meaningful details. They added: “the reflection of the development plan is a complex process that requires careful consideration of various perspectives to ensure the Nardò Technical Centre’s competitiveness and align it with sustainability needs. Therefore, we appreciate your patience regarding more concrete information.”
Meanwhile, the silence from the local authorities is worrisome, and the April 2025 deadline looms. For local residents, the question remains sadly valid: will the luxury car company destroy their beloved old-growth forest to extend its test track?
Catégories: News, Forest Watch, European forests
