Environment
Environmental responsibility is one of Volkswagen AG's core Group Values. Our customers expect us to offer safe, reliable, economical, high-quality vehicles. Amid all this, we also face the challenge of environmental responsibility – with the goal of limiting the impact of our operations on the environment. Already a leader in the field of low-consumption, low-emission powertrains, in the long-term we aim to offer carbon-neutral mobility. On the production side too, we are continuously improving our processes to maximize their sustainability and environmental acceptability.
Our integrated environmental management process looks at all environment-related aspects in the life cycle of our vehicles, from development and production through to their service life and eventual disposal, tying our employees, our suppliers and our sales partners into a program of ongoing improvement.
Our commitment also includes developing production capabilities for innovative fuels, with particular emphasis on the commercialization of second-generation biofuels capable of being distributed via the existing infrastructure and of being used in vehicles currently on the market today. In addition, another important technological focus is the reduction of criteria pollutant emissions. We are now bringing integrated powertrain and aftertreatment systems onto the market to help drastically reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, volatile hydrocarbons and particulates.
Our commitment to recycling is integrated within the development of our vehicles from the outset. In fact, the technologies we use allow us not only to meet but to surpass the statutory recycling ratios. As a technology leader, the Volkswagen Group is highly active in the field of mobility research, and is looking into ways in which driver assistance systems and traffic management technology can mitigate accident risks, congestion and the resulting environmental damage.
A key requirement for effective action on environmental issues is a communications strategy that involves all relevant stakeholders both outside and inside the Group. In our external environmental communications we inform our customers, sales partners and all other stakeholder groups about important environmental issues relating to the life cycle of our vehicles. Our internal environmental communications meanwhile assist our employees, through training and other activities, in adopting responsible environmental practices as provided for in the framework of our Environmental Management System.
Finally, we take pride also in the natural restoration projects we have undertaken at many of our sites. Nature conservation is an important priority for the Volkswagen Group and all our employees.
Future Fuels
Our definition of vision is the ability to see over the technology horizon. It requires little imagination to see that alternative fuels must be an important part of our future; the challenge lies in designing technologies to maximize that future.
Fuels created from biomass are quickly emerging as a valuable petroleum alternative. Our advanced diesel power systems thrive on a variety of approved biomass fuels produced from sources such as plant matter, agricultural waste and food processing byproducts and available at authorized fueling stations.
Volkswagen Research is working in partnership with a German University on a breakthrough project called Sunfuel®, a next generation biofuel that involves biomass-to-gas conversion. Once gas is generated from biomass, it can then be converted into diesel fuel.
SunFuel® is almost CO2-neutral and can be used to power all engines in the Volkswagen Group's current model range.
These biomass fuels offer exciting potential. Our futuristic power systems coupled with this futuristic fuel will one day make the zero emissions dream an everyday reality.
VW Carbon Neutral Project
With the help of Carbonfund.org, Volkswagen of America is making it easier for its car owners to determine their carbon output and to take action toward offsetting it right away. To kickstart the program, Volkswagen has already contributed hundreds of thousands of trees to help offset some of the carbon emissions of its community. These contributions will be put toward VW's chosen means of carbon neutralization, the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley - also known as the VW Forest.
To find out more about this unique program, visit http://www.vw.com/vwhype/carbonneutral/en/us/.
Audi's Commitment to the Environment
Audi is proud to be able to display the European Union emblem for outstanding environmental protection as its "trademark." This means that Audi customers can be sure that maximum attention has been paid to ensuring environmental compatibility, even during the manufacture of their vehicle.
The team of energy officers at Audi are systematically focused with the issue of saving energy. For example, this involves performing regular checks on compressed air lines for leaks, adjusting the controllers on ventilation systems and optimizing lighting systems. By implementing such organizational measures, the company has in recent years succeeded in avoiding a substantial proportion of CO2 emissions.
Logistical measures also help to reduce pollutant emissions. Audi has developed an IT system which necessitates fewer round trips by truck by optimizing the capacity utilization of loading volumes.
Furthermore, the requirement specifications of machines and systems prescribe the use of energy-efficient technologies. Accordingly, when buying systems, key criterions are the energy consumption and thus indirectly the CO2 emissions when in operation.
Reusable forms of packaging and a recycling quota of over 95 percent for waste materials also help to preserve the environment. All metal is recycled.
Read more about Audi's commitment to the environment.
Bentley and CO2
Not only do our vehicles meet extremely high environmental expectations, but our manufacturing processes do as well. Bentley Motors, for instance, has already introduced new manufacturing processes, reducing total energy consumption by almost 30 percent in the past decade. Company data indicate that CO2 emissions in the manufacturing process have declined by more than 20 percent, and water use has fallen by more than a quarter. These improvements are now being augmented in the vehicles themselves with an environmental solution that is both technically advanced and practical. Read more about Bentley and CO2.
Recognition
The environmentally-friendly features of our vehicles are becoming increasingly important factors in customer satisfaction, and we have received a number of accolades in this area. The 2006 Alternative Powertrain Study confirmed that Volkswagen is the most environmentally compatible carmaker in the USA.
The 2006 Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 was named by Autobytel as the Best Car for the Environment. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Volkswagen's 2.5-liter inline five-cylinder engine is the only powertrain that burns cleanly enough to meet the strict criteria.
