Corporate Success through Environmental Protection: Volkswagen Group Environmental Conference Begins

Environment experts meet in Wolfsburg for exchange of experience

Wolfsburg, 10 December 2007 -- “Corporate success through environmental protection” is the motto of the 3rd Volkswagen Group Environmental Conference opened today in Wolfsburg by Prof. Dr. rer. pol. Jochem Heizmann, Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft with responsibility for ‘Group Production’, and Prof. Dr. Jürgen Leohold, Head of Volkswagen Group Research. Over 100 environment experts from Volkswagen Group brands will meet in AutoVision from December 10 - 12. Numerous workshops as well as presentations feature on the agenda. The environment experts have the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of issues such as the market opportunities brought by environmentally-compatible products, energy efficiency, environmental targets in vehicle development, environment management in supplier relations or urban mobility.

The objective of the conference is to draw up common visions and guidelines for environmental protection as well as contributing to the exchange of experience among environment experts with a view to synchronizing worldwide activities.

Jürgen Leohold underlined that "effective, functioning environment management systems are vital for integrating environmental protection in all planning and realization processes. That is best achieved by a continuous transfer of knowledge and systematic communication via global networks. The Group Environmental Conferences play an important role in this context."

Apart from presentations and workshops, the experts will also have the opportunity to participate in specialist forums on powertrain concepts and international climate protection. Discussion sessions, a marketplace for environmental themes and an exhibition of environmentally-compatible products from all Volkswagen Group brands round off the program.

The Group Environmental Conference, along with the Regional Conferences held in the countries where Volkswagen sites are located, is the key instrument for introducing and monitoring compliance with agreed environmental targets at all sites worldwide. These conferences also serve to regularly check compliance with targets or to remove obstacles in the way of environmental progress. The objective of the Regional Conferences is to implement Group environment strategy. These conferences are held at intervals of two to three years on the basis of international environmental audits and concentrate on the regions where Volkswagen plants are located.

Group Environmental Conference: the concept

Volkswagen introduced the concept of the Group Environmental Conference in 1998. Based on the findings of the first conference, Volkswagen drew up global guidelines for environmental standards in production. The objective of these guidelines is to ensure uniform minimum standards that set an above-average yardstick for production processes at all Volkswagen sites. The main aim of the second Group Environmental Conference in 2002 was the systematic integration of Volkswagen suppliers and partners in further developing environmental management.

Note: Further information is available from www.volkswagenag.com/nachhaltigkeit.de.

Source: Volkswagen

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