Protecting the environment and managing the Company in an environmentally friendly way is part of our corporate culture. Taking into account social, economic and ecological aspects, we operate sustainably, support environmentally responsible practices and safeguard employment for the long term. Two core principles characterize environmental policy at Volkswagen. First, we continuously improve production processes in order to ensure that our products are made in a resource-friendly manner. Since 2010, these efforts have been supported by an efficient energy management system. Second, we continually improve the environmental compatibility of our products across their lifecycle. Environmentally relevant considerations are identified early and integrated into the development process of our products. Policies for an environmentally oriented approach are adhered to over the entire product life cycle. By 2018, we intend to be the number one in the automotive industry in ecological terms.
The Volkswagen and Audi locations in Germany have voluntarily participated in the EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme since 1995. As part of this, we continuously audit our environmental performance and make adjustments where necessary. Worldwide, we implement concrete environmental protection measures in accordance with environmental certification processes under the international standard EN ISO 14001. Since 1996, this standard has also been applied to the environmental management system used by Volkswagen’s Technical Development area, which has additionally been certified in accordance with DIN ISO/TR 14062 since 2009. With the recertifications, Volkswagen has confirmed its role as a trailblazer.
