JANUARY 23, 2006The Ombudsman System is launched. Volkswagen AG introduces a Group-wide Ombudsman System. Two lawyers are available to receive in complete confidence any information on cases of corruption, and pass this on to the company. An investigation committee comprising representatives of the Group Auditing, Legal and Security units looks into each case and takes action immediately if necessary. The Ombudsman System repre- sents an important contribution to an open and transpa- rent corporate culture at the Volkswagen Group.
MARCH 31, 2006The Alliance for Synthetic Fuels in Europe (ASFE) is founded.
The aim of our alliance with DaimlerChrysler, Renault, Royal Dutch Shell and Sasol Chevron is to draw public and political attention in Europe to the economic and ecologi- cal potential of synthetic fuels, by means of research ventures and demonstration projects.
SEPTEMBER 19, 2005The Volkswagen share is no longer listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) and DJSI STOXX.
While we scored more points than last year in the annual assessment by the Swiss research and rating agency SAM (Sustainable Asset Management), our score was not high enough to ensure a continued presence in the above indices, in which Volkswagen AG had been represented since they were created in 1999.
NOVEMBER 11, 2005KPMG presents its report on cases of corruption.
Independent auditors KPMG present a complete statement of the facts, setting out how individual employees tried to cause losses to the company, to evade expenses regulations and other rules to their own advantage, all the way to obtaining personal benefits. The extent of the total losses is given as approximately € 5 million.
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NOVEMBER 23, 2006BUND triggers campaign against automakers.
The Volkswagen Group failed to conduct the dialogue with BUND (Friends of the Earth, Germany) proactively enough to convince them of its strategy for the reduction of greenhouse gases. Now this nature conservation body has accused Volkswagen of pursuing a model portfolio strategy that will harm the climate. Outside Wolfsburg town hall, for example, a large-scale poster was set up show- ing a caricature of an advertisement for the Volkswagen Eos.
2005 –2007 Safeguarding competitiveness through restructuring.
In order to counteract strong competitive and cost pressures, along with measures relating to products and cost of materials, mutually accept- able solutions for reducing the payroll were found, including voluntary redundancy agreements and phased retirement schemes.
MARCH 7, 2007World premiere for one of the most economical mid-range cars of our day: the Passat BlueMotion.
At the 77th Geneva Motor Show in 2007, Volkswagen presented the next step in its BlueMotion strategy by adding another model to the range. Through the economical BlueMotion models, Volkswagen is helping to make even more efficient use of fuels and contributing to the reduction of CO2 emissions.
MAY 22, 2007Volkswagen AG listed in FTSE4Good Environmental Leaders Europe 40 index.
The newly created Environmental Leaders Europe 40 index lists companies that feature in the FTSE4Good index and have obtained top marks in terms of envi- ronmental criteria.
FEBRUARY 12, 2007Audi brings its e-models to market.
Audi is optimising the fuel consumption figures for its most popular models. A whole raft of efficiency measures in the petrol and diesel-engined A3, A3 Sportback 1.9 TDI e, A4 2.0 FSI e and 1.9TDI e models help translate fuel very efficiently into propulsion. In both petrol and diesel models, advanced engine technology with direct injection provides the basis for a high range between refuelling stops.
JULY 13, 2006Volkswagen joins the Clean Energy Partnership (CEP).
The main role of the CEP is to test the everyday serviceability and system capability of hydrogen as a feedstock. By joining the CEP, Volkswagen AG aims to further promote sustainable mobility while at the same time obtaining important findings from the application of hydrogen in the demon- stration project. In the context of its Powertrain and Fuel Strategy, Volkswagen is working intensively on the topic of hydrogen and the fuel cell. JULY 17, 2006Volkswagen kicks off the BlueMotion range with the Polo.
In the Polo BlueMotion, Volkswagen successfully launches Europe’s most economical five-seater car. JUNE 2, 2006Volkswagen receives European environmental award.
The European Commission honours Volkswagen’s particularly environmentally-compatible and resource-conserving technology in the end-of-life vehicle recycling sector with the European Business Award for the Environment. In the category “Environmentally-friendly Processes and Procedures” the Commission presented the award for the Volkswagen-SiCon process developed in conjunction with SiCon GmbH, through which materials from the end-of-life vehicle recycling process which in the past could not be segregated in an economically meaningful way, can now be recovered and returned to the materials cycle.
AUGUST 31, 2006Volkswagen ranked top in J.D. Power environmental study.
In the USA, Volkswagen leads the field in terms of environmental-friendliness. This is confirmed by a recent study by the renowned US market research institute J.D. Power. The institute analysed 37 automobile brands represented in the USA, looking at various environmental aspects. With three models among the top 30 lowest-emission petrol-driven and hybrid pas- senger cars and an innovative diesel fleet, Volkswagen emerged from the study, which was first conducted in 2006, as the most envi- ronmentally-friendly vehicle manufacturer in the USA.
2007