Nachhaltigkeit
sustainability
	 durabilité
	 sostenibilidad
可持续性
	 sostenibilità
zrównoważony rozwój
sustentabilidade
hållbarhet
fenntarthatóság duurzaamheid
udržateľnosť
sürdürülebilirlik
održivost 
2012
bæredygtighed
volhoubaarheid
R E P O R T

Content
This report contains information about the sustainability 
activities of the Volkswagen Group in 2012. Following an in-
troductory chapter identifying the Group’s basic strategic 
principles, the Economy, Society and Environment chap-
ters illustrate the three central dimensions of sustainabili-
ty. Each chapter outlines principles of sustainability at 
Volkswagen, using specific measures and projects initiated 
by the various Group brands to illustrate them. The key sus-
tainability indicators are set out on page 134ff., while the 
Background chapter starting on page 155 includes informa-
tion on reporting standards and their verification. 
The reporting period extends from February 15, 2012, 
when the previous report went to press, to March 1, 2013. 
The key indicators, however, relate to the 2012 calendar 
year. Volkswagen has published its Sustainability Report 
on an annual basis since 2011. The next report will be pub-
lished in the second quarter of 2014. 
The report has been prepared in accordance with the 
standards of Germany’s Institute for Ecological Econo-
my Research (IÖW) and the Global Reporting Initiative 
(GRI). It has also been verified in line with the interna-
tionally recognised Stakeholder Engagement Standard 
AccountAbility 1000 AS (AA1000). This confirms the reli-
ability of the reporting and the engagement of stake-
holders in the reporting process (> p. 22). Certification 
to this effect can be found in the Background chapter. 
Use of language
All the information in this report relates to the Volkswagen 
Group as a whole. If any information relates to individual 
Group brands only, this is expressly stated. See also the 
frame of reference on page 153.
Additional information
The content of this printed report is closely interlinked 
with the sustainability information presented by Volks-
wagen online. All the copy and graphics in the report, plus 
additional information, can be found on the microsite at 
www.sustainability-report2012.volkswagenag.com.  
The symbol 
 in the body copy indicates where more in-
depth content is available online. Select the number after 
the symbol to access this additional content directly. A list 
of all additional information can be found on the inside of 
the back cover.
In addition, the latest news on sustainability at Volkswagen 
can be found at www.volkswagenag.com/sustainability. Some 
Volkswagen Group brands also offer supplementary sus-
tainability reporting, the relevant web links for which can 
be found on the microsite. In keeping with the growing im-
portance of integrated reporting, sustainability informa-
tion from Volkswagen is also included in the Volkswagen 
Group’s Annual Report 2012.  
 1
About this report.
Scan this QR code with your smartphone 
to access the microsite of the Volkswagen 
Sustainability Report 2012. Internet con-
nection charges depend on your individu-
al mobile network rates.  
Sustainability on a smartphone
The Sustainability Report 2012 on its own microsite.

(from left to right)
PROF. DR. RER. POL. DR.-ING. E.H. JOCHEM HEIZMANN
China
PROF. DR. RER. POL. Horst Neumann
Human Resources and Organization
Christian Klingler
Sales and Marketing
Dr. H.C. Leif Östling
Commercial Vehicles
The Board of Management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft

4	
	
	
	
	
	
	

Dr. RER. POL. H.C. Francisco Javier GARcia Sanz
Procurement
Prof. Dr. Dr. H.C. Mult. Martin Winterkorn
Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft 
Research and Development
Hans Dieter Pötsch
Finance and Controlling
Prof. Rupert Stadler
Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG
Dr.-Ing. E.H. Michael Macht
Production
Curriculum Vitae
www.volkswagenag.com > The Group > Senior Management


5
Sustainability works if all concerned  
believe in dialogue and are  
ready to assume joint responsibility.

6	
	
	
	
	
	
	

02	___	About this report  
06	___	content index
08	___	Editorial
10	___	Portrait of the Group
16	___	Sustainability and 
	
	
responsibility
22	___	stakeholder dialogue
26	___	Material Issues
58	___	Management Summary
60	___	EMPLOYMENT
72	___ DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE
77	___ ADVANCING WOMEN AND 
	
	
PROMOTING DIVERSITY
81	___ SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
86	___ CSR
30	___	Management Summary 
32	___	CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
34	___	SUSTAINABILITY IN SUPPLIER 		
	
	
RELATIONS
40	___	Economic stability
42	___	Compliance
46	___	Risk management 
48	___	LOCALISATION
50	___	business fields
52	___	brands	 	
Content Index
ITEMS OF PARTICULAR INTEREST IN THE REPORT SECTION ARE MARKED WITH THESE SYMBOLS: 
 Strategy	
                    
14
1
 Economy	
                     28
2
 Society	
                     56
3

Co ntent i n dex      	
	
	
	
	
	
	

7
92	___	Management Summary
94	___	MANAGEMENT APPROACH
97	___ CLIMATE PROTECTION
101__ 	LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENTS
102__ 	Efficient Vehicles 
110__ 	EFFICIENT PRODUCTION
113__	 SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY
117__	 Traffic noise
118__	 Green Logistics
119__	 Green IT
120__ 	RESOURCE EFFICIENCY
123__ 	WATER
125__	 Biodiversity
128__	 Awards
130__	 Think Blue. Factory.
136__	 Financial indicators
138__	 Social indicators
142__	 Environmental 
	
	
indicators
148__ 	Goals and actions
153__ 	Frame of reference
156__ 	Highlights & Lowlights
158__ 	Consumption and  
	
	
Emission data
160__ 	GRI Content Index
162__ 	GRI Application Level 
	
	
Check
163__ 	Indexes, ratings, 
	
	
rankings and awards
166__ 	Independent Assurance 
	
	
Report
168__ 	List of Links
169__ 	Credits
Highlight
 
 
Local example
 
 
Goal
 
Lowlight
 
 
 Environment                      90
4
 Indicators & goals
134
5
 Background
154
6

Dear Reader,
Volkswagen can look back on a very successful fiscal year 
in 2012. Despite economic headwinds, our Group report-
ed new record figures. With 9.3 million vehicles deliv-
ered, we were able to sell one million more vehicles than 
in the previous year while at the same time increasing our 
operating profit to €11.5 billion. 
We at Volkswagen are proud of these successes. At the same 
time, however, they give rise to major responsibilities – for 
our employees and customers, for an intact environment 
and for balanced social development. As Europe’s largest 
automobile manufacturer we take these responsibilities 
seriously – as we showed once again in 2012. 
We are aligning the entire Group with the goals of maxi-
mum energy- and resource efficiency. In this way we will be 
able to cut the average CO2 emissions of our entire Euro-
pean new car fleet to below 120 g/km by 2015. And we are 
making rapid progress towards our goal of ensuring that 
our production plants are 25 percent more environmental-
ly compatible by 2018. 
It is not in our nature, however, to rest on our laurels. Con-
sequently, we recently set ourselves even more ambitious 
environmental targets. For example, the Volkswagen Group 
is sparing no effort to cut the average CO2 emissions of its 
European new car fleet to 95 g/km by 2020. To this end we 
are working to optimise the entire spectrum of drivetrain 
options: internal combustion engines, natural gas engines, 
plug-in hybrids and electric drive. The XL1 model, which 
can cover 100 km on one litre of fuel, demonstrates that our 
Group with its 40,000 research and development engi-
neers has the necessary capacity for innovation and the 
passion that it will take to master this challenge. 
Launching innovative technologies does, however, call 
for a sound financial basis. With this in mind, for the Au-
tomotive Division alone, Volkswagen has put together a 
package of investments worth €50.2 billion for the period 
up to 2015. Two thirds of these funds will be flowed into
even more efficient vehicles and technologies, as well as 
into even more environmentally compatible production 
processes at our 100 plants around the world.
For Volkswagen, sustainability has an important social di-
mension. This includes, for example, shaping working 
conditions in line with the principles of “Decent Work”, as 
well as respecting and enhancing minimum standards of 
working conditions. An important part here is played by co-
determination. The fact that the Volkswagen Group’s suc-
cess is paying dividends in many respects is illustrated by 
the development of the workforce. Since 2007 we have cre-
ated more than 100,000 additional new jobs, 30,000 of 
them in Germany. Today we have a total of 550,000 employ-
ees worldwide, including 16,000 young people in 16 coun-
tries who are learning a profession in line with Germany’s 
dual model of vocational education and training.
This report provides information on our sustainability 
strategy and on the many different projects and measures 
in the economic, social and environmental fields. In the 
interests of maximum transparency, we have once again 
had our Sustainability Report certified in accordance 
with the AA1000AS standard. In addition, the Global Re-
porting Initiative (GRI) has again awarded this publica-
tion its highest rating “A+”. Moreover, the report com-
plies with the requirements of the German Sustainability 
Code. Our commitment to sustainable development is 
further documented by our inclusion in key international 
indices such as the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index 
and the FTSE4Good, as well as by our involvement in the 
Carbon Disclosure Project. Through its participation in 
the UN Global Compact, the world’s largest initiative for 
businesses that support sustainability and responsibility, 
Volkswagen also makes a contribution to protecting hu-
man rights and combating corruption.
We invite you to form your own view of the sustainable de-
velopment of our Company and hope you find that this re-
port makes informative reading.  
Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn              	
Bernd Osterloh
Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft	
Chairman of the General and Group Works Councils
Research and Development	
8	
	
	
	
	
	
	


Edito ri a l	
	
	
	

9

10	
	
	
	
	
	
	

Portrait of the Group.  
The Volkswagen Group, based in Wolfsburg, is one of the 
world’s leading automobile manufacturers and the largest 
automaker in Europe. In 2012 the Group increased the num-
ber of cars and commercial vehicles delivered to customers 
to 9,276,000 (2011: 8,265,000), which equates to 12.8 percent 
of the global passenger car market (2011: 12.3%).  
 1
Structure
The Volkswagen Group is a publicly quoted stock corpora-
tion under German law and owns twelve brands from seven 
European countries: Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, ŠKODA, Bent-
ley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, Ducati, Volkswagen 
Commercial Vehicles, Scania and MAN. Each brand has its 
own distinctive character and operates autonomously in 
the marketplace with its own legal status.  
 3
Products
The Group’s product portfolio ranges from two-wheeled 
transport and economical compact cars to luxury high-end 
models. In the commercial vehicle sector, the range starts 
with pick-up trucks and extends all the way to buses and 
heavy-duty trucks. In other business areas the products 
manufactured include large-bore diesel engines for ma-
rine and stationary applications, turbochargers, turboma-
chinery (steam and gas turbines), compressors and chemi-
cal reactors. The portfolio also comprises special gear units 
for vehicles and wind turbines, slide bearings and cou-
plings, as well as testing systems for the mobility sector. 
Finance
The Group’s sales revenue totalled €192,676 million in 2012 
(2011: €159,337 million). Profit after tax in the 2012 fiscal year 
totalled €21,884 million (2011: €15,799 million). Other im-
portant financial data (> p. 136) can also be found at www. 
volkswagenag.com/ir. Volkswagen AG’s subscribed capital 
totalled €1,190,995,446 at the end of the reporting year. The 
distribution of voting rights at the reporting date was as fol-
lows: Porsche Automobil Holding SE, Stuttgart held 50.73% 
of the voting rights. The second-largest shareholder was the 
state of Lower Saxony with 20.0% of the voting rights. As 
third-largest shareholder, Qatar Holding LLC held 17.0%, 
while Porsche GmbH, Salzburg, held 2.37% of the voting 
rights. The remaining 9.9% of the 295,089,818 ordinary 
shares were held by other shareholders. Notifications of 
changes in voting rights in accordance with the Wertpa-
pierhandelsgesetz (WpHG – German Securities Trading Act) 
are published on our website at www.volkswagenag.com/ir. 
In its function as parent company, Volkswagen AG holds di-
rect and indirect interests in AUDI AG, SEAT S.A., ŠKODA 
AUTO a.s., Scania AB, MAN SE, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, 
Volkswagen Financial Services AG and numerous other 
companies in Germany and abroad. More detailed disclo-
sures are contained in the list of shareholdings in accord-
ance with sections 285 and 313 of the Handelsgesetzbuch 
(HGB – German Commercial Code), which can be accessed 
at www.volkswagenag.com/ir and is part of the annual fi-
nancial statements.  
 5
Locations and employees
The Volkswagen Group operates 100 production facilities 
around the world (2011: 94). Europe remains the core of the 
Group’s production activities with 67 vehicle and component 
plants. The significance of the Asia-Pacific region is increas-
ing, reflected in the current total of 17 production plants. In 
North America, the Volkswagen Group operates four produc-
tion facilities, with nine in South America and three in Africa. 
Their locations are shown on the world map on the following 
pages. Around the world almost 550,000 employees produce 
approximately 37,749 vehicles per working day, provide vehi-
cle-related services or work in other business areas. 410,427 
people are employed in Europe, 68,704 in Asia, 63,193 in 
North and South America, 978 in Australia and 6,461 in Afri-
ca. Any changes in location or activities are set out in our cur-
rent annual report under “Chronicle 2012”.  
 4
Markets
The Volkswagen Group sells its vehicles worldwide. In the 
reporting year the Group was able to grow its share of the 
passenger car market in all regions. In Western Europe,

Po rtra it o f  t h e  Grou p	 	
	
	
	
	
	

11
VOLKSWAGEN Group
Volume Data
2012
2011
Vehicle sales (units) in ’000
9,345
8,361
Production (units) in ’000
9,255
8,494
Employees (yearly average) in ’000
533
454
Proportion of female employees in % 
15.2
14.7
Absences in %1
3.2
3.4
CO₂ emissions European new car fleet in g/km
134
137
Direct CO₂ emissions in kg/vehicle2
425.13
476.89
Energy consumption in MWh/vehicle2
1.79
1.83
Financial data (IFRS), € million
2012
2011
Sales revenue
192,676
159,337
Operating profit
11,510
11,271
Profit before tax
25,492
18,926
Profit after tax
21,884
15,799
1 Volkswagen Group production sites not including Scania, MAN and Porsche    2 Passenger Cars and Light Commercial Vehicles
Information on produc-
tion and sales of the  
main Group products can 
be found in the Annual  
Report 2012 as well as in 
the “Key indicators”  
chapter of the present  
report. This chapter also 
contains revenue and 
profit figures broken 
down by brand and  
business field (> p. 137), 
as well as comments on 
the key sustainability  
indicators (> p. 136).
the Group’s market share reached 24.4 percent (2011: 23.0 
percent), in Central and Eastern Europe 15.4 percent (13.9 
percent), in North America 4.9 percent (4.3 percent), in 
South America 19.6 percent (18.9 percent) and in Asia-Pa-
cific 12.2 percent (11.3 percent). The Group’s worldwide 
market share totalled 12.8 percent (12.3 percent). World-
wide, for the manufacture of its products, the Group pur-
chased goods and services to the value of €128.7 billion 
(2011: €110.2 billion). The largest procurement market is 
Europe, with a volume of around €88.1 billion, followed by 
the Asia-Pacific region with €26.4 billion.  
Management
The Supervisory Board is responsible for monitoring the 
Management and approving important corporate decisions. 
Moreover, it appoints the Members of the Board of Manage-
ment. Prof. Dr. Ferdinand K. Piëch is the Chairman of the 
Supervisory Board of Volkswagen AG. The Board of Manage-
ment of Volkswagen AG comprises nine members. Each 
Board Member is responsible for one or more functions 
within the Volkswagen Group. Some Board Members are 
also responsible for a specific region. The Board of Manage-
ment is chaired by Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn. The work of 
the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG is supported by 
the boards of the brands and regions as well as by the other 
Group companies and holdings.

North America
Chattanooga (USA)
Puebla (MEX)
Queretaro (MEX)
Silao (MEX)
South America
Anchieta (BR)
Cordoba (AR)
Curitiba (BR)
Pacheco (AR)
Resende (BR)
São Carlos (BR)
São Paulo (BR)
Taubaté (BR)
Tucumán (AR)
Group production plants. 
When the new engine plant in Silao, 
Mexico, was opened in January 2013,  
it brought the total number of Volks-
wagen Group production facilities 
worldwide to 100. Additional produc-
tion plants of the Group’s various 
brands are already at the planning or 
construction stage in China, Hun- 
gary, Russia and Mexico. This lays  
the operational foundations for the 
Group to reach its ambitious growth 
targets. By 2018, Volkswagen is aim-
ing to sell more than 10 million vehi-
cles a year, not least by increasing its 
share of the world’s major growth 
markets.  
 6
12	
	
	
	
	
	
	



13
Po rtra it o f  t h e  Grou p	 	
	
	
	
	
	
	

13
Europe
Angers (F)
Ankara (TR)
Augsburg (D)
Barcelona (ES)
Berlin (D)
Borgo Panigale (I)
Bratislava (SK)
Braunschweig (D)
Brussels (B)
Chemnitz (D)
Copenhagen (DK)
Crewe (UK)
Deggendorf (D)
Dresden (D)
Emden (D)
Frederikshavn (DK)
Györ (HUN)
Hamburg (D)
Hanover (D)
Ingolstadt (D)
Kaluga (RUS)
Kassel (D)
Krakow (PL)
Kvasiny (CZ)
Leipzig (D)
Luleå (SE)
Martin (SK)
Martorell (ES)
Meppel (NL)
Mladá Boleslav (CZ)
Molsheim (F)
Munich (D)
Neckarsulm (D)
Nuremberg (D)
Oberhausen (D)
Oskarshamn (SE)
Osnabrück (D)
Pamplona (ES)
Plauen (D)
Polkowice (PL)
Poznań (PL)
Prat (ES)
Rheine (D)
Saint-Nazaire (F)
Salzgitter (D)
Sant’Agata 
Bolognese (I)
Sarajevo (BA)
Setubal (PT)
Slupsk (PL)
Södertälje (SE)
Starachowice (PL)
Steyr (A)
Stuttgart-
Zuffenhausen (D)
Velka Bites (CZ)
Vienna (A)
Vrchlabí (CZ)
Winterthur (CH)
Wolfsburg (D)
Zurich (CH)
Zwickau (D)
Zwolle (NL)
Africa
Olifantsfontein (RSA)
Pinetown (RSA)
Uitenhage (RSA)
Asia
Amata City (TH)
Aurangabad (IN)
Changchun (CN)
Changzhou (CN)
Chengdu (CN)
Dalian (CN)
Nanjing (CN)
Pithampur (IN)
Pune (IN)
Shanghai (CN)
Yizheng (CN)
Some sites host several plants. An overview of environmentally certified sites is available online.  
 7

Strategy.    
	
	
	
	
	
	
	


Strategy
Sustainability and responsibility // 
Stakeholder dialogue // Materiality matrix
1
For Volkswagen, growth is not an end in itself but underpins our stability as a company. 
Adopting a modern interpretation of corporate social responsibility, we shape sustainable 
growth. 
	
	
	
	
	
	
	


16	
	
	
	
	
	
	

With the growing prosperity of the emerging economies 
and developing countries, worldwide demand for individu-
al mobility is on the increase. In the years ahead the num-
ber of cars worldwide is set to rise from roughly 1 billion at 
present to around 1.3 billion. As one of the world’s leading 
automobile companies, the Volkswagen Group has a spe-
cial responsibility here. With trendsetting technology and 
social competence, the Company is making its contribu-
tion to a sustainable development which will ensure that 
future generations have at least the same opportunities as 
the present generation.
Volkswagen’s actions are based on a modern understand-
ing of corporate responsibility. One characteristic of this 
is the application of sustainable management as a criteri-
on along the entire value chain. In this way we succeed in 
combining the traditional values of corporate activity with 
the challenges of our time – responsibility and sustaina-
bility in a global perspective. As a group with global oper-
ations, Volkswagen supports social projects through 
worldwide commitment and donations. At the same time 
it integrates this concept into a modern vision built 
around the strategic anchoring of corporate social re-
sponsibility (CSR) and sustainability in the value chain. 
The challenges of the 21st century, especially resource 
conservation and climate protection and intra- and inter-
generation equity, are brought together in our vision of 
responsibility and sustainability. Sustainability calls for a 
balance of economic, environmental and social objec-
tives. Volkswagen’s CSR and sustainability concept en-
sures that, at every stage in the value-added process, the 
Company avoids risks, identifies development opportuni-
ties at an early stage and continues to enhance its reputa-
tion. This balance thus makes a necessary contribution to 
safeguarding the Company’s future and raising its value 
in the long term.  
 9
Thanks to this contribution, sustainability forms an inte-
gral part of our Strategy 2018. By 2018 Volkswagen aims to 
be not only the most profitable, but also the most fascinat-
ing and most sustainable automaker in the world. In prac-
tical terms, this means that Volkswagen will
>	 deploy intelligent innovations and technologies to be-
come a world leader in customer satisfaction and quality,
>	 increase unit sales to over 10 million vehicles a year,
>	 increase its return on sales before tax to at least 8 percent,
>	 be the top employer across all brands, companies and re-
gions,
>	 reduce the energy consumption, waste output, solvent 
emissions, water consumption and CO₂ emissions by 25 
percent per vehicle, compared with 2010.
One year after the most extensive ecological restructuring 
operation in the Group’s history was announced at the Ge-
neva Motor Show in spring 2012, it is time to take stock. By 
2015, Volkswagen will reduce CO₂ emissions in its EU new 
car fleet to under 120 g/km.  
 10
The Company is pushing ahead with its high-end green 
technology all over the world, including in particular Chi-
na, India and Brazil. Volkswagen is taking great strides to-
wards its goal of making its factories 25 percent more envi-
ronmentally compatible by 2018. In the past two years alone, 
energy and water consumption per vehicle have been cut 
by around 10 percent. But as Europe’s largest automaker, 
Volkswagen is also paving the way for further resolute pro-
gress. With the full power of the Company and the entire 
spectrum of powertrain options, ranging from combustion 
engines via natural gas propulsion to plug-in hybrids and 
electric cars, Volkswagen is pursuing the goal of reducing 
the CO₂ emissions of its European new car fleet to 95 g/km 
by 2020. Important milestones in strategic environmental 
Sustainability and responsibility
THE VOLKSWAGEN GROUP’S STRATEGY IS BASED ON A MODERN UNDERSTANDING OF 
CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY. ON ITS WAY TO BECOMING THE MOST FASCINATING AND 
SUSTAINABLE AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURER IN THE WORLD, THE GROUP IS PURSUING 
ITS ECONOMIC, ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL OBJECTIVES AS SET OUT IN OUR  
STRATEGY 2018.  
 8
1

Str ategy       E c onomy       Soc i e t y       Envi r on m ent  	
	
	
	

17
protection include the focus on the entire life cycle of a ve-
hicle and the recording of CO₂ emission data across all up-
stream and downstream areas in line with the Scope 3 In-
ventory (> p. 98, 143).
On the basis of our Strategy 2018, Volkswagen works with 
its stakeholders to identify those topics that are material to 
the company’s long-term viability. In this analytical pro-
cess, Volkswagen evaluates international sustainability 
studies and engages in active dialogue with its stakehold-
ers. These include analysts, politicians and government 
agencies, academia, non-governmental organisations and 
– not least – its employees, customers and suppliers. At 
both brand and Group level, Volkswagen holds extensive 
discussions on major challenges for the Company and the 
automobile industry. Materiality analysis is an ongoing 
process in which internal bodies discuss and assess the 
relative importance of the topics identified. The result is 
the sustainability strategy roadmap: a matrix of the princi-
pal topics (> p. 27).  
 11, 12
Sustainability management
The criteria for sustainability management of an enter-
prise that now has 12 brands are determined partly by 
growing global challenges such as climate change and re-
source conservation, respect for human rights and social 
involvement, and – as a result – partly by the increasing 
expectations of political and economic stakeholders and 
especially the customer, with regard to quality, transpar-
ency and governance.
Without abandoning the basic principles of a voluntary and 
hence competition-driven approach, it is increasingly a 
matter of establishing a systemic and strategic sustainabil-
ity concept within the Company. In this spirit, CSR means 
“the responsibility of enterprises for their impacts on soci-
ety”, as set out in the European Commission’s definition in 
the CSR Strategy 2011 – 2014.
To put this responsibility into practice, Volkswagen has es-
tablished a clear structure. The Group’s Board of Manage-
CSR AND SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT AT THE VOLKSWAGEN GROUP
Group Board of Management (Sustainability Board)
Group CSR & Sustainability Steering Group
CSR & Sustainability Steering Group
CSR & Sustainability project teams
> Strategic goals and statements on CSR and sustainability
> Definition of Group-wide steering indicators for CSR and sustainability 
> Commissioning and approval of sustainability reporting
> Interface for CSR sustainability fields and topics
> Evaluation and development of stakeholder  
dialogue
> Sustainability reporting / Corporate profiles  
for rankings
CSR & Sustainability  
Office
Brands and Regions
Sustainability in  
Supplier Relations  
Steering Group
Ad-hoc  
expert team
Procurement 
sustainability 
network
Reduce CO₂ emissions of EU new car 
fleet to under 95 g/km by 2020
Sustainability and responsibility    Stakeholder dialogue    Material issues

18	
	
	
	
	
	
	

ment is also the highest-ranking sustainability body in the 
Company (Sustainability Board). It is informed periodically 
about responsibility and sustainability issues by the Group 
CSR & Sustainability Steering Group. This includes top 
managers from central Group business areas, the Group 
Works Council and representatives of the brands and re-
gions. The Steering Group approves the sustainability 
strategy that the Group is pursuing to achieve its goal of be-
ing the world’s most sustainable automaker by 2018. Since 
2006 the CSR Office has been coordinating all relevant ac-
tivities within the Group and the brands, using standard-
ised structures, processes and reporting. It ensures the 
strategic orientation of CSR activities and acts as a steering 
group for the internal management processes and the 
stakeholder dialogue. CSR project teams work on a cross-
sectoral basis on topical issues such as sustainability in 
supplier relations.
Since 2009 there has been a regular international ex-
change of information between the CSR coordinators of all 
brands and regions. For Group-wide coordination of the 
activities of the environmental officers, there is also the 
Group Environmental Conference and the Corporate Envi-
ronment and Energy Steering Group. The appointment of a 
Group Chief Officer for the Environment, Energy and New 
Business Areas paved the way for the ecological restructur-
ing of the Volkswagen Group.
One important milestone in this restructuring process is 
the modular transverse matrix for the brands Volkswagen, 
Audi, SEAT and ŠKODA. This biggest development initia-
tive in the history of the Volkswagen Group was success-
fully introduced in 2012: the modular transverse matrix 
was used as a basis for producing the new Golf, the Audi 
A3, the ŠKODA Octavia and the SEAT Leon. Across the 
Group, forty models based on the modular transverse ma-
trix will go on sale in the next few years.  
 13, 14
One crucial factor in achieving the Group’s ambitious eco-
nomic and environmental objectives is the people who do 
their best for Volkswagen every day. With almost 550,000 
employees, Volkswagen has a special responsibility. In a  
dialogue with its employees, the Volkswagen Group sets 
standards for good work, whether in vocational education 
and training, continuing professional development at 
home and abroad, pioneering remuneration policy or em-
ployee participation. Volkswagen does full justice to this re-
sponsibility (> p. 56 ff.).
With the establishment of the IT-based sustainability man-
agement system and the further integration of the indica-
tor systems, Volkswagen has laid the foundations for full 
and timely CSR and sustainability reporting by the Group. 
Volkswagen responds to increasing shareholder expecta-
tions regarding up-to-date and differentiated presentation 
of the Company’s CSR and sustainability performance with 
the aid of the increased control efficiency and transparen-
cy of the Key Performance Indicator system.
Code of Conduct and policies
The Group-wide Code of Conduct provides Volkswagen em-
ployees with a guide to mastering the legal and ethical chal-
lenges of their daily work. These principles summarise the 
Group’s values, i.e. closeness to the customer, superior per-
formance, value creation, renewability, respect, responsi-
bility and sustainability. Each individual bears equal respon-
sibility for ensuring compliance with the Code.  
 15
Other important guidelines are provided by international 
conventions, laws and internal regulations. In the “Decla-
ration on Social Rights and Industrial Relationships at 
Volkswagen” (Volkswagen Social Charter), the Charter on 
GROUP-WIDE INCLUSION  
OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN  
COMPLIANCE RISK ANALYSIS
The “Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: 
Implementing the United Nations ‘Protect, Respect and 
Remedy’ Framework” have led to the topic of human 
rights being included in the annual compliance risk 
analysis process and for the first time being assessed 
across the Group. Among other things, Volkswagen is 
monitoring the risks in respect of human rights in the 
context of sustainability in the supply chain.
Introduction of the modular transverse matrix

Str ategy       E c onomy       Soc i e t y       Envi r on m ent  	
	
	
	

19
Temporary Work and the Charter on Labour Relations, 
Volkswagen professes its commitment to fundamental so-
cial rights and principles.  
 16, 17
With effect from November 2012, the World Group Works 
Council, the Group Board of Management and the Inter-
national Metalworkers’ Federation reaffirmed their com-
mitment to the Social Charter that has been in force since 
2002 thereby underlining its importance for the Volks-
wagen Group on the way to becoming the top employer. In 
the recently signed version, under the heading of Com-
pensation and Benefits the wording was made more pre-
cise in order to clarify the existing ruling and ensure the 
unequivocal interpretation of the remuneration stand-
ard. The wording now runs: “The compensation and ben-
efits paid or received for a normal work week correspond 
at least to the legally valid and guaranteed minimum. In 
case legal or collective bargaining regulations are not ex-
istent, branch specific tariff compensation and benefits 
are used as an orientation that are customary to the re-
spective location and ensure an appropriate standard of 
living for the employees and their families.” The Social 
Charter is available in twelve languages (> p. 69).  
 18
Since 2002, Volkswagen has been committed to the world’s 
largest and most important CSR initiative, the Global Com-
pact. The 7,000 participating companies in over 135 coun-
tries work together to shape a more sustainable and equita-
ble world economy. Volkswagen makes an important 
contribution here, and in 2012 it attained Global Compact 
Advanced Level status.  
 19
Volkswagen also attaches great importance to ensuring 
that our corporate activities are in keeping with interna-
tional conventions and guidelines. The main conventions 
of this kind are:
STANDARDISED STRUCTURES AND REPORTING
Group Board of Management (Sustainability Board)
Group CSR & Sustainability Steering Group
comprising corporate functions, Group Works Council and brand representatives responsible
Brands
Each brand has the same organisational structures and procedures
Volkswagen
Audi
MAN
...
Sustainability Board
“Sustainability” Steering Group
Specialist functions/bodies
Sustainability Board
“Sustainability” Steering Group
Specialist functions/bodies
Sustainability Board
“Sustainability” Steering Group
Specialist functions/bodies
Sustainability Board
“Sustainability” Steering Group
Specialist functions/bodies
instructs
reports,  
prepares,  
recommends
report
Sustainability and responsibility    Stakeholder dialogue    Material issues

20	
	
	
	
	
	
	

>	 The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, dating from 
1948 (UNO)
> 	European Convention on Human Rights, 1950
> 	International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultur-
al Rights, 1966
> 	International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 1966
> 	Tripartite Declaration on Principles Concerning Multi-
national Enterprises and Social Policy, ILO (Internation-
al Labour Organisation), 1977
> 	ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights 
at Work, 1998 (especially the following topics: abolition 
of child labour, elimination of forced or compulsory la-
bour, ban on discrimination, freedom of association and 
the right to collective bargaining)
> 	OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Pub-
lic Officials in International Business Transactions, 1997
> 	“Agenda 21” on sustainable development (final document 
of the ground-breaking United Nations Conference on 
Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro 1992)
>	 Principles of the Global Compact for more social and 
more ecological globalisation, 1999
> 	OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, 2000
Volkswagen in sustainability ratings and indexes
Because analysts and investors regard CSR and sustainabili-
ty as leading indicators of forward-looking corporate leader-
ship, they are increasingly basing their recommendations 
and decisions not just on companies’ business performance 
but also on their CSR and sustainability profiles. In particu-
lar, they are using sustainability ratings to assess a compa-
ny’s environmental, social and economic performance. If a 
company achieves top scores in these ratings, this not only 
sends a clear signal to its stakeholders, but also makes the 
company more attractive as an employer and boosts its em-
ployees’ motivation.
In 2012, as in previous years, Volkswagen once again succeed-
ed in maintaining a leading position in its sector in the main 
international ratings and indexes. Volkswagen is one of only 
three automobile companies listed in the Dow Jones Sustain-
ability World Index. MAN is the only German company in the 
mechanical engineering sector of the Dow Jones Sustainabil-
ity World Index and the Dow Jones Sustainability Europe In-
dex. Moreover, the Norwegian insurance company Store-
brand has included Volkswagen in its new Trippel Smart and 
The new XL1 from Volkswagen made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show. With fuel consumption of 0.9l/100 km it is the world’s most economi-
cal production model. With its plug-in hybrid powertrain, this two-seater can cover up to 50 km in all-electric mode with zero local emissions. 
Presentation of the XL1 at the Geneva 
Motor Show

Str ategy       E c onomy       Soc i e t y       Envi r on m ent  	
	
	
	

21
SPP Global Topp 100 funds launched in 2012. This fund in-
cludes the 100 most sustainable companies in the world. 
Volkswagen leads the field in the “Social” category.
On 31 December 2012 Volkswagen was represented in the 
following sustainability indices: Advanced Sustainability 
Performance Index (ASPI), Dow Jones Sustainability World 
Index, ECPI Ethical Index Europe, ECPI Ethical Index 
EMU, ECPI Ethical Index Global, Ethibel Sustainability In-
dices (ESI) Excellence, FTSE4Good and STOXX Global ESG 
Leaders Indices (> p. 163).
Dealing with long-term mega-trends and 
short-term influences
In order to achieve its operational and strategic growth ob-
jectives and to stabilise its success on a sustainable basis, 
the Group implements a systematic planning and strategy 
process. The advantages of long-term planning are obvi-
ous: it permits proactive allocation of resources and allows 
the Company to make full use of savings – while maintain-
ing a high degree of quality awareness.
However, long-term planning in the Volkswagen Group also 
needs to be flexible: the economy is subject to cyclical fluctu-
ations, national markets are governed by legal regulations, 
and new customer needs can quickly emerge and become 
important. The main drivers of social change are the global 
mega-trends.
The mega-trends of relevance to the Group are progressive 
urbanisation, demographic change (ageing society) and the 
issue of resource depletion (fossil fuels, rare earths, etc.). 
These trends are increasingly producing changes in custom-
er purchasing. The emerging middle class is demanding 
new products and innovative solutions – and at the same 
time the state is imposing new regulations that have a mas-
sive influence on day-to-day business.
Strategy and process
Within the Volkswagen Group several departments are 
constantly at work on long-term planning: observing social 
mega-trends, analysing overall economic framework con-
ditions, tracking emerging customer trends and analysing 
the competition, and merging all these aspects in a single 
process.
This process, known within the Group as the “planning 
round”, makes it possible to take important decisions on 
the development of production, procurement and sales 
structures within a 10-year time frame. However, to take 
adequate account of the increasing pace of change, every 
planning round is updated and adjusted as the year goes on 
until the next planning round starts in the autumn.
Outlook
Long-term planning is of paramount importance for a 
globally operating group like Volkswagen – but in view of 
real-world developments must remain capable of modifi-
cation and adjustment. This is the only way to achieve our 
objective of sustainable growth. The Group is therefore 
continuously refining its forecast toolbox and − specifically 
in the field of market research − undertaking a fundamen-
tal redevelopment of these tools in response to the dynam-
ic changes in the various markets.
2012: Top ranking in the key international  
ratings and indexes
Sustainability and responsibility    Stakeholder dialogue    Material issues

22	
	
	
	
	
	
	

Prof. Dr. Ulf Schrader
Berlin University of Technology
Cornelia Heydenreich
Germanwatch e.V.
“I’d like to see Volkswagen focusing more strongly on areas 
marked by conflicting objectives. Take electric mobility, for 
example: here, Volkswagen could present a comparison of 
stakeholder and customer wishes with what is currently 
technically feasible.”
“I’d like to know exactly what Volkswagen has done to 
investigate the 12 cases in which suppliers are suspected of 
infringements.  This is an area where Volkswagen is too 
superficial in its coverage.”
Learning to understand each 
other: stakeholder dialogue. 
VOLKSWAGEN IS COMMITTED TO DEVELOPING AND MANUFACTURING VEHICLES OF OUTSTANDING QUALITY 
THAT DELIGHT CUSTOMERS THE WORLD OVER. ALONG THE ENTIRE VALUE CHAIN OUR ACTIVITIES FOCUS ON 
SUSTAINABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY IN RELATION TO OUR EMPLOYEES, SOCIETY AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
As a company with worldwide operations, Volkswagen is 
engaged in a permanent exchange of information with the 
various interest groups or stakeholders. As well as custom-
ers, employees and suppliers, these include actors from the 
political world, science and research, civil society and non-
governmental organisations. They all have expectations, 
and they all express interests. Volkswagen in its turn takes 
note of their suggestions and learns from this exchange. 
Stakeholder management
Exchange means give and take. Here Volkswagen follows 
a systematic and organised process. The Company basi-
cally believes in an open and constructive dialogue in 
which it can pursue its interests in a targeted way. The 
outcome of this process should be at least a mutual under-
standing of the different starting points and positions – 
and preferably agreement on the possible shape of a 
jointly addressed solution, which should ideally be sup-
ported by a joint project.
The stakeholder dialogue is backed up by a management 
approach that ensures documentation and plausibility. 
Within the limits of the Group approach, brands and re-
gions act on an independent and decentralised basis. The 
right methods for communication and the exchange plat-
forms are selected jointly with the stakeholders. Whether 
it be workshops, symposia, public controversies or social 
media tools – what matters is making progress towards a 
solution. In our internal management, steering groups 
and project groups ensure that all necessary departments 
are involved in order to guarantee transparency and  
effectiveness. In 2013, stakeholder management in the  
Volkswagen Group will become even more systematic 
thanks to an IT-based “Issue and Stakeholder Module”, 
which will firmly establish it within the Company’s organi-
sation.  
In an ongoing process, Volkswagen conducts an employee 
opinion survey to appraise the views of the workforce and 
350,000 employees took part in 2012. At several Volkswagen 
plants, Neighbourhood Forums have been set up to pro-
vide a platform for permanent dialogue with local resi-
dents and local government agencies. At brand and Group 
levels a variety of instruments are available with which to 
conduct stakeholder surveys and implement dialogue fo-
rums. And for customer communications there is also a 
standardised process which ensures that suggestions and 
complaints are dealt with promptly and without exception 
by the specialist departments responsible.

Str ategy       E c onomy       Soc i e t y       Envi r on m ent  
23 
Lars Mönch
Federal Environmental Agency
Prof. Dr. theol. Gerhard Wegner
Protestant Church in Germany
“Volkswagen is right to say that sustainable mobility must 
involve more than just cars. But how far has Volkswagen really 
progressed in this process? What risks does this involve for 
Volkswagen?”
“It’s not enough to focus solely on the topic of efficiency. High 
unit sales ultimately lead to a rebound effect that Volkswagen 
ought to discuss.”
For Volkswagen, playing an active part in national and in-
ternational business networks is a major element in its 
permanent dialogue with important groups and actors. 
Volkswagen contributes its technical and social capabili-
ties here and supports numerous projects. The Group is 
represented on the board of the leading European busi-
ness network for corporate social responsibility, CSR Eu-
rope. At a national level, Volkswagen is represented on the 
boards of econsense, the Forum for Sustainable Develop-
ment of German Business and of the international Biodi-
versity in Good Company initiative. Along with numerous 
other companies, Volkswagen has signed the “Code of Re-
sponsible Conduct for Business” initiative.  
 20
Since 2002, Volkswagen has been committed to the 
world’s largest and most important CSR initiative, the 
Global Compact. The 7,000 participating companies in 
over 135 countries work together to shape a more sustain-
able and equitable world economy. Volkswagen makes a 
significant contribution to this initiative. Ten principles 
under the headings of human rights, labour standards, 
environmental protection and anti-corruption describe 
the values of the Global Compact. In 2012 the Company 
once again reached “Global Compact Advanced Level”, 
gearing its business activities to the principles of the 
Global Compact at all its locations. With its expertise, 
Volkswagen also helps other companies in the Global 
Compact to embrace their global responsibility. One ex-
ample of this is our ongoing participation in the advisory 
board for the “Sustainable Supplier Chain” project.  
Volkswagen is also committed to the follow-up activities 
for the UN sustainability conference Rio+20, and to the 
activities of the World Business Council for Sustainable 
Development.  
 21
For twelve years now, Volkswagen and the German Nature 
and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) – Germany’s 
largest environmental protection organisation – have 
been engaged in a unique form of cooperation. It is based 
on mutual respect for different interests. The cooperation 
consists of three components: consultation, dialogue and 
projects. Within this framework, Volkswagen and NABU 
raise public awareness of issues relating to sustainability 
and the environment, not least through the fuel-saver 
courses organised in conjunction with NABU.  
 22
The fleet management project with Volkswagen Leasing 
GmbH is a success story from both an environmental and an 
economic point of view. Using the most efficient vehicles re-
duces not only CO₂ emissions, but also fleet operators’ costs. 
The project is also a particularly effective form of climate 
change mitigation, since it provides funds for protecting 
moorlands in Germany, which are major CO₂ sinks.  
 23
Volkswagen recently concluded a strategic partnership with 
the German Red Cross (DRK). The aim of the collaboration 
is to motivate people to embrace responsible conduct and 
engage in social welfare activities. Both parties are especial-
ly keen to foster a stronger ambulance service. In addition, 
Volkswagen pursues a series of dialogues at expert level – as 
described in the various chapters of this report. 
Sustainability reporting
Volkswagen deliberately seeks a dialogue with certain 
stakeholders not least to obtain feedback about the rele-
vance and quality of its sustainability reporting. For exam-
ple, the reporting year marked the eighteenth consecutive 
year in which our reporting has been systematically im-
proved through target-group surveys and active stakehold-
er dialogue. This dialogue continued with the evaluation of 
our 2011 Sustainability Report and the establishment of a 
Sustainability Panel. The aim here is to document positive 
and − in particular − negative feedback on the Volkswagen 
Sustainability Report and thereby identify concrete areas 
for improvement. The four statements at the bottom of 
these two pages, provided by way of example, reflect the 
wide range of opinions and the diversity of the dialogue.
Sustainability and responsibility    Stakeholder dialogue    Material issues

24	
	
	
	
	
	
	

Customers  
& Suppliers
Politics & Government 
Agencies
NGOs
Globescan
World Resources Institute
German Nature and 
Biodiversity Conservation 
Union (NABU)
VCD
BUND
WBCSD
Lower Saxony Government Commission 
Protestant Church in Germany
Federal Environment Agency
Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft
Federal Ministry of Labour 
and Social Affairs
Federal Ministry of the Environment
Metropolregion Hanover
CSR Europe
Global Compact
GRI
Transparency International Deutschland e.V.
Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB)
econsense
Federation of German Industries (BDI)
SustainAbility
Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative
German Red Cross (DRK)
SOS children’s villages
terre des hommes
Materiality  
analysis
Audi City
Customer online forums
Customer workshops
Customer 
satisfaction
The stakeholder universe.
Lower Saxony Research Airport
Efficient  
vehicles
Sustainability 
in supplier 
relations
Climate 
change 
management
Sustainable 
mobility
Suppliers
Sustain-
ability 
trends and 
prospects

Str ategy       E c onomy       Soc i e t y       Envi r on m ent  
25	
	
	
	
	
	
	

 
Financial Market
Humboldt University Berlin
Sustainable Business Institute
TU Berlin
TU Braunschweig
University of St. Gallen
ETH Zurich
Fraunhofer
AutoUni
imug Beratungsgesellschaft
Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
IÖW/future
Corporate Water Steering Group
Expert Network Climate 
and Energy (ENKE)
Corporate Resource Efficiency Steering Group
Group CSR Meeting (GCM)
Employees
Works Council
CSR project team
Ad-hoc expert team sustainability 
in supplier relations
Former employees
Volkswagen Community Trust
Tongji University
Jilin University
DVFA
RobecoSAM
CDP
Sustainalytics
Oekom
Vigeo
Bank Sarasin
EIRiS
Knowledge 
generation 
Group-wide
A comprehensive overview of stakeholder dialogues  
can be found online 
 11
Corporate  
responsibility
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research  (PIK)
International Energy Agency
Employees
Science
Ulm University 
Sustainability and responsibility    Stakeholder dialogue    Material issues

26	
	
	
	
	
	
	

Materiality matrix: 
from dialogue to action.
IN A PROCESS BASED ON IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS, VOLKSWAGEN DEFINES THE TOPICS 
TO BE USED AS CRITERIA FOR ITS SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY.
From its dialogue with stakeholders and many other ap-
proaches and instruments – ranging from future research to 
internal environmental radar – Volkswagen gathers impor-
tant findings about what society expects of the Company. 
These findings are analysed and assessed in a standardised 
multidimensional process, in terms of both their impor-
tance for our stakeholders and their significance with re-
gard to Volkswagen’s long-term viability. At the same time, 
the extent to which a topic can be influenced by the Com-
pany is also taken into account. The result is a matrix of the 
principal topics – the materiality matrix, a roadmap for 
the Volkswagen sustainability strategy.
Analysis
The wide-ranging topics and ambitions are registered and 
systematically assessed in the relevant sustainability man-
agement units at Group and brand level – including the of-
fice of the CSR & Sustainability Steering Group and the 
technical departments in the fields of Group external rela-
tions, environment, human resources and compliance/ 
governance. This also includes coordination with the 
rules and conventions that Volkswagen is committed to, 
e.g. not only fundamental standards such as the UN Uni-
versal Declaration of Human Rights or the European Con-
vention on Human Rights, but also the ILO Declaration on 
Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work or the OECD 
Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. Furthermore, 
potential topics are checked for compliance with the prin-
ciples of the Global Compact and the internal Volkswagen 
standards – e.g. the Volkswagen Social Charter, the Char-
ter on Labour Relations, the Charter on Temporary Work 
and the Volkswagen Environmental Principles. Recent 
scientific articles and studies are also taken into account 
when assessing the materiality of individual topics. Volks-
wagen Group Research is also closely involved in this 
work. The outcome of the materiality definition process is 
discussed in internal bodies – also in a standardised pro-
cess with predefined communication paths. The final se-
lection is made by the CSR & Sustainability Steering 
Group.  
 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29
Principles
Throughout the concentration process Volkswagen is 
guided by the principal requirements – Inclusivity, Ma-
teriality and Responsiveness – of the AA1000 AccountA-
bility Standard, a globally recognised standard for the 
verification of sustainability reporting. Compliance with 
these principles ensures that the Company pursues 
comprehensive, targeted and systematic integration of 
stakeholders in the process of selecting material topics, 
Stakeholder dialogue
Market research/scenarios
Trend radar
Early warning
Environmental radar
Raw materials analysis
Treasury
Scientific studies
…
MATERIALITY MATRIX
ANALYSIS & COORDINATION
GRI, IÖW
Strategy and 
Future Group
Group  
CSR Meeting
AA 1000
Group CSR & 
Sustainability 
Steering Group
Global Compact, 
ILO, OECD
DEFINING THE MATERIALITY MATRIX
SUSTAINABILITY 
BOARD

STAKEHOLDER EXPECTATIONS
IMPORTANCE FOR BUSINESS SUCCESS
> Food
> Health
> Land take
> Urbanization
> Segment shifts
> Market shifts
> Employment
> Diversity
> Human rights
> Noise reduction
> Compliance
> Efficient products
   and production
> Customer 
   satisfaction
>  Economic 
stability
>  Climate
protection
>  Sustainable
supplier relations
>  Social
   responsibility
> Biodiversity
> e-mobility
>  Sustainable
   mobility
Str ategy       E c onomy       Soc i e t y       Envi r on m ent  	
	
	
	

27
KEY ISSUES (RESULTS OF THE MATERIALITY ANALYSIS)
responds systematically to stakeholder initiatives and 
draws up the materiality matrix taking due account of 
stakeholder expectations. Accordingly, Volkswagen not 
only carried on an intensive stakeholder dialogue in the 
reporting year (> p. 22 ff.), but also discussed the result-
ing materiality matrix with its stakeholders. As part of 
this process, Volkswagen engages in targeted research and 
analysis of negative ecological and social impacts of the 
Company’s activities.
Outcome
The materiality matrix 2012 shows how Volkswagen assess-
es different topics in the light of these factors. The further 
right a topic is located within the matrix, the greater is its 
importance for the future viability and success of the Com-
pany. The closer it is to the top of the matrix, the greater its 
importance for the stakeholders. At the same time, the ma-
trix takes account of the extent to which a topic can be in-
fluenced by Volkswagen. While all topics in the matrix are 
important, special priority for the purposes of the sustain-
ability strategy is assigned to those topics which Volks-
wagen can directly influence – in other words topics to-
wards the top right of the matrix. Accordingly, these topics 
also determine the structure of this report, while other rel-
evant topics, such as water, appear in an overall list pub-
lished on the Internet. This analysis of materiality ensures 
that Volkswagen reports on the key social and ecological 
impacts of its operations. Opportunities and risks in re-
spect of the Company’s performance and competitiveness 
are set out in the various chapters of the report and specific 
goals and actions derived from them. 
Reporting time frame
As a rule the analysis of important topics is completed by the 
end of the third quarter of a reporting year – though it must 
be remembered that the stakeholder dialogue is constantly 
generating new topics which have to be taken into account. 
Once the materiality matrix has been drawn up and dis-
cussed with strategic stakeholder partners, it is approved by 
the CSR & Sustainability Steering Group. On the basis of 
this matrix, the individual sectors are approached during 
the final quarter of the year and asked to supply facts and 
figures. A meticulously documented editorial process then 
prepares this material for sustainability reporting. Among 
other things, this observes the principles of the Global Re-
porting Initiative (GRI). External stakeholders and analyti-
cal and consulting companies are involved in the editorial 
process. The Sustainability Report itself – complete with the 
relevant online microsite – is then presented to the public 
at the Annual General Meeting.  
 30
Sustainability and responsibility    Stakeholder dialogue    Material issues

Economy
Customer satisfaction // Sustainability in supplier relations // Economic 
stability // Compliance // Risk management // Localisation 
2
Economy.    
	
	
	
	
	
	
	


At the North German port of Emden, commercial success takes on tangible form.  
Every year, more than 1.2 million vehicles from almost all Volkswagen Group brands  
pass through the port, inbound and outbound. That’s 800 shiploads... and rising. 
	
	
	
	
	
	
	


30	
	
	
	
	
	
	

Growing sustainably. 
is the margin by which profit after tax increased in the reporting 
year, reaching €21,884 million. Sales revenues were also up by 
20.9 percent to €192,676 million. And at €11.5 billion, operating 
profit exceeded the previous year’s record level of €11.3 billion.
+38.5%
Higher vehicle sales, higher sales revenue and higher operating profit: in the reporting 
year the Volkswagen Group outperformed the record level of the previous year. As a result, 
the Group is firmly on course to reach its ambitious growth targets – and sustainably secure 
its long-term viability.  
The total procurement volume for the 
Volkswagen Group in the reporting year 
amounted to €128.7 billion. This repre-
sents an increase of 16.8 percent over  
the previous year.
The figures include the procurement  
volume for Porsche from August 2012 
and for MAN from November 2011. The 
procurement volume for Audi includes 
the brands Lamborghini and Ducati 
(from August 2012).
Procurement volume by brand.
Volkswagen 
Passenger Cars
€77 bn
Audi
€22.7 bn
ŠKODA
SEAT
€3.7 bn
MAN
€9.1 bn
Volkswagen  
Commercial 
Vehicles
€2.4 bn
Scania
€5.2 bn
Porsche
€1.4 bn
Bentley
€0.6 bn
€6.6 bn

Strategy       E co n omy       Soc i e t y       E nvi r on m ent  	
	
	
	
	
	

31
Hans Dieter Pötsch
'FINANCE AND CONTROLLING'
“It is only through 
sustainable  development that 
 Volkswagen has been able to make
Milestone.    
The earnings reported by Volkswagen for 2012 marked a major milestone on the way 
to becoming the world’s leading automobile group. 
further progress towards becoming
the world’s top automaker.”
Worldwide market shares, passenger cars.    
12.2%
24.4%
4.9%
Asia-Pacific (2011: 11.3%)
Western Europe 
(2011: 23.0%)
North America 
(2011: 4.3%)
Passenger car deliveries were up 
worldwide. 2011 market share fig-
ures have been revised on account of  
statistical updates. Deliveries by the 
Porsche brand are included from 
1 August 2012.
15.4%
Central and Eastern Europe (2011: 13.9%)
19.6%
South America 
(2011: 18.9%)

32	
	
	
	
	
	
	

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
Customer satisfaction – satisfaction with products, servic-
es and performance – is a cornerstone of Volkswagen’s 
corporate strategy, laying the foundation for long-term, 
sustainable success. Knowing customers’ needs and ex-
pectations, and learning more about them by maintaining 
an ongoing dialogue with customers, is a top priority for 
Volkswagen. In this respect, alongside excellent products 
and expert advice, personal contact with the customer is of 
critical importance. Particularly when it comes to the 
Group’s new sustainability measures, customer satisfac-
tion is a key indicator of how well product developments 
and model updates are responding to stakeholder needs. 
Consequently, customer satisfaction is a key component of 
the Group’s Strategy 2018, and is reflected in the strategies 
of all the individual brands. And the Group sets itself the 
highest possible goals in this respect: Volkswagen aims to 
do more than just satisfy its customers – it aims to delight 
and inspire them. Reflecting this priority, the Board of 
Management receives updates on all customer-related ac-
tivities as often as six times a year. 
Individual Group brands conduct satisfaction surveys in 
their respective markets, placing special emphasis on cus-
tomer satisfaction ratings related to products and services. 
For product satisfaction, the Porsche and Audi brands lead 
the rankings in their European core markets, compared 
with other Group brands and with their competitors. But in 
terms of overall satisfaction levels, the Group’s other 
brands perform well, too, matching – or outperforming – 
their competitors. Overall, the surveys reveal that well over 
two thirds of all customers are very satisfied with the prod-
ucts of the Volkswagen Group brands. In the European 
core markets, Porsche and Audi rank among the top three 
brands. Volkswagen, ŠKODA and SEAT score satisfaction 
ratings in excess of 90 percent – far above the market aver-
age. In the USA, Porsche and Audi lead the field, occupying 
the no. 1 and no. 2 positions. In China, Audi, ŠKODA and 
Volkswagen set the standards in terms of product satisfac-
tion, scoring over 95 percent. Volkswagen and ŠKODA are 
also setting the pace for dealer satisfaction in China, rank-
ing at no. 1. Volkswagen Group customers are loyal to the 
brands because they are satisfied with the products and 
services. Brand loyalty ratings, which are calculated on a 
regular basis, show how much customers trust the respec-
tive brands: the Volkswagen passenger car brand, for ex-
ample, has maintained a high level of brand loyalty in its 
European core markets for several successive years now. 
ŠKODA’s customers are very loyal, too: the brand has also 
maintained a leading ranking compared with its competi-
tors for a number of years.  
 31
Volkswagen’s market research evaluates customer satisfac-
tion – in comparison with the Group’s competitors – while at 
the same time gathering detailed information through to 
dealership level. Depending on the specific context for the re-
search, various survey methods are used – both face-to-face 
and telephone interviews, and written and online surveys. For 
legal reasons, Volkswagen is not authorised to publish specific 
management-related external customer satisfaction data. 
Methodically and systematically measuring the brands’ 
performance in this key area provides a sound basis for con-
tinually improving the customer process. Yet Volkswagen 
has gone a stage further, too, introducing a unique initiative 
that actively includes the customer in the product process. 
Since 2011, the brand’s target market has been invited to 
contribute to the product design process. The “People’s Car 
Project” gives customers in China the opportunity to pre-
sent their ideas for design, customisation and connectivity 
Successful – despite a difficult backdrop
VOLKSWAGEN HAS REACHED THE GOALS IT SET ITSELF. THANKS TO ITS HIGH  
FINANCIAL STRENGTH AND EARNINGS POWER, A BROAD-BASED MODEL RANGE,  
A WORLDWIDE PRESENCE AND AN ATTRACTIVE PACKAGE OF FINANCIAL SERVICES, 
VOLKSWAGEN IS WELL PLACED TO CONTINUE TO MAKE BETTER PROGRESS THAN  
THE COMPETITION IN FUTURE. 
2

Strategy       E co n omy       Soc i e t y       E nvi r on m ent  	
	
	
	
	
	

33
via an online platform. The response has been phenomenal 
– the website has had more than 33 million Chinese visitors, 
and more than 119,000 ideas have been submitted. Origi-
nally scheduled to run for one year, the project has now 
been extended indefinitely. In other words Volkswagen is 
making cars not just for its customers but also with its cus-
tomers, in a process that yields an in-depth insight into cus-
tomers’ needs and preferences. In this way, Volkswagen is 
aiming to ensure that it ranks as one of the world’s top three 
automakers for customer satisfaction by 2018.  
 32
Audi’s Board of Management regularly discusses product 
and satisfaction requirements in its “Kundentisch” cus-
tomer forum, with the aim of understanding background 
trends and influences, and optimising business processes. 
Audi City, an entirely new concept, was introduced in order 
to build even closer customer relationships, to showcase 
the full spectrum of products in a highly emotive way, and 
to discover customer needs. This innovative space for in-
teraction between brand, customer and product provides 
digital access to all the brand’s models in life size and in 
real time. With its state-of-the-art technology, Audi City 
perfectly expresses the ethos of the Audi world, offering 
customers the live experience of a next-generation show-
room. In 2012, Audi City showrooms were opened in Lon-
don and Beijing; the brand plans to roll out the concept 
worldwide.  
 33
Focusing on the customer, then, is not just the basis of the 
Volkswagen Group’s actions, but a core element of its strate-
gy. Because only products and services of outstanding quality 
that ensure a high level of customer satisfaction can guaran-
tee long-term market success. One key factor here is meeting 
the specific needs of consumer groups, for example by pro-
ducing special-purpose vehicles for the disabled. Superior 
vehicle safety and state-of-the-art driver assistance systems 
are also relevant considerations in this respect. 
 34, 35
Identifying and understanding customer wishes and needs holds the key to customer satisfaction. One positive example here is the People’s 
Car Project in China, in which visitors to an online platform were asked to submit their car design ideas. With 33 million visitors and over 
119,000 suggestions submitted, the project has exceeded all expectations. Three of the car and technology concepts put forward and taken 
up by Volkswagen were presented at the Auto China 2012 fair. Among them was the Music Car, which changes colour depending on the  
music that the driver selects. 
Customer satisfaction    Sustainability in supplier relations    Economic stability    Compliance    Risk management    Localisation

34	
	
	
	
	
	
	

Another decisive aspect is fair pricing. Take ŠKODA for ex-
ample: with the new Rapid, a locally produced version of 
which was launched on the Indian market in 2011, the 
ŠKODA brand presented a compact notchback saloon, spe-
cially designed for international growth markets like Chi-
na and Russia, as well as price-sensitive customer seg-
ments in Europe. Like the up! at the Volkswagen brand, the 
four-door Citigo supplements the ŠKODA offering in the 
expanding small car segment.  
SUSTAINABILITY IN SUPPLIER RELATIONS
Against the backdrop of the ongoing growth and diversifi-
cation of the supply chain, Volkswagen believes it has a re-
sponsibility to promote sustainability throughout the en-
tire value-added process. The aim of the Volkswagen 
Group is to achieve globally stable, efficient and sustaina-
ble goods and supply chains that ensure security of supply. 
To this end, as long ago as 2006, Volkswagen developed 
and implemented the “Sustainability in supplier rela-
tions” concept. Since then the concept has been subject to 
ongoing external evaluation and improvement.
Concept
By implementing this concept, Volkswagen ensures that its 
business partners, too, observe environmental and social 
standards. In this context, Volkswagen attaches great im-
portance to a fair and open dialogue in a spirit of partner-
ship. The concept essentially rests on four pillars:
1) 	 Sustainability requirements for suppliers that have to be 
acknowledged by all suppliers before submitting a quo-
tation. No company can submit a quotation without ac-
knowledging these requirements.
2)	 An early warning system for identifying and minimis-
ing risks along the value chain. 
3)	 Integration into the procurement process.
4)	 Supplier monitoring and development.
Sustainability requirements
The “Sustainability in supplier relations” concept is based 
on the “Volkswagen Group requirements for sustainability 
in relations with business partners”, which are signed by 
the Group’s Procurement Director and the Group Chief 
Compliance Officer. The Volkswagen Group expects its 
business partners to observe these requirements and to re-
quire them from their own business partners. The require-
ments apply to all goods and services purchased. The 
Group rejects any behaviour that is corrupt or damaging to 
the Company in everyday transactions, and also any failure 
to comply with environmental and social standards. Com-
pliance with competition and anti-trust legislation is ex-
pected and verified.  
 37
The “Volkswagen Group requirements for sustainability in 
relations with business partners” set out Volkswagen’s ex-
pectations concerning its business partners’ conduct with 
regard to central environmental and social standards. 
Among other things, the requirements are based on obser-
vance of internationally recognised human rights, the Unit-
ed Nations Global Compact, the International Chamber of 
Commerce Business Charter for Sustainable Development 
and the OECD guidelines for sustainable long-term develop-
ment. Moreover, the relevant core labour standards of the 
International Labour Organisation ILO form the founda-
tions of the Volkswagen sustainability requirements. These 
include observing the right to freedom of opinion, protec-
tion from arbitrary decisions, the ban on discrimination at 
work, the prohibition of forced labour and child labour, the 
fundamental right to freedom of association and the right to 
equal treatment and appropriate remuneration. 
These principles are supplemented by Volkswagen’s envi-
ronmental policy, the resulting environmental targets and 
requirements, the Group’s quality policy and the Volks-
wagen declaration on social rights. All suppliers are made 
aware of the binding requirement to implement a sustaina-
bility strategy. This is done in a variety of ways. Thus, for 
some years now we have been taking environmental targets 
as a basis for awarding contracts; this is done by making VW 
Norm 01155 and VW Norm 99000 parts of the contract and 
co-valid contractual documents. VW Norm 99000, for exam-
ple, explicitly standardises requirements relating to envi-
ronmental impact, recyclability and prohibited materials.
Furthermore, Volkswagen requires its major suppliers to 
have a certified environmental management system in

Strategy       E co n omy       Soc i e t y       E nvi r on m ent  	
	
	
	
	
	

35
place in accordance with ISO 14001 and/or EMAS. This has 
been verified and documented for 30 percent of our major 
suppliers. As part of the environmental certification and au-
diting of the Volkswagen AG locations under EMAS and ISO 
14001, regular checks are made on the environmentally rele-
vant suppliers and service providers working on the factory 
sites. Furthermore, together with other automakers we me-
ticulously audit the 250 waste management companies that 
work for the Volkswagen brand’s German locations. The 
waste management contractor first receives a fact-finding 
questionnaire and then has to furnish certificates and per-
mits, e.g. a valid inspection by the technical inspectorate 
TÜV. A detailed checklist is then worked through in the 
course of an on-site inspection. Equipment is thoroughly in-
spected and documents scrutinised. The data is all collected 
in a multi-company portal which in future will also take ac-
count of Europe-wide standards. The Spanish Volkswagen 
location Navarra is already using the portal.  
 38
Procurement volumes
In the reporting period, Volkswagen purchased goods and services from a total of 21,917 suppliers. Of this total, goods to the value of €67.6 
billion from 7,125 suppliers were for the production sector. This does not include goods to the value of €35.4 billion from suppliers to the Lam-
borghini, Bugatti, Porsche, SCANIA and MAN brands or to ŠKODA India and the Chinese joint ventures. In the field of general procurement, 
goods to the value of €17.2 billion were delivered to Volkswagen by 14,792 suppliers. This does not include goods to the value of €8.9 billion 
from suppliers to the Lamborghini, Bugatti, Porsche, SCANIA and MAN brands or to ŠKODA India and the Chinese joint ventures. In 2012 there 
were 752 new suppliers for the production sector and Volkswagen purchased goods to the value of €1 billion from these suppliers. This does 
not include goods from suppliers to the Lamborghini, Bugatti, Porsche, SCANIA and MAN brands or to ŠKODA India and the Chinese joint ven-
tures. In the general procurement sector there were 5,625 new suppliers, accounting for purchases totalling €4.4 billion. This does not include 
goods from suppliers to the Lamborghini, Bugatti, Porsche, SCANIA and MAN brands or to ŠKODA India and the Chinese joint ventures. Terms 
of payment are an important topic in our dialogue with suppliers. The great majority of payments are made on the 25th calendar day of the 
month following delivery.
Exterior
14%
0.6 bn Bentley
VW  
Passenger Cars
77 bn 
Porsche 2 
1.4 bn
1Audi including Lamborghini and Ducati (from August 2012)
2Porsche from August 2012
By commodity
By brand/sales company
Interior
15%
20%
Electrical
Metal
28%
23%
Powertrain
22.7 bn
Audi 1
9.1 bn
MAN
6.6 bn
ŠKODA
Scania 5.2 bn
SEAT 3.7 bn
Volkswagen
commercial vehicles 
2.4 bn
Customer satisfaction    Sustainability in supplier relations    Economic stability    Compliance    Risk management    Localisation

36	
	
	
	
	
	
	

In 2012, 7,812 suppliers completed A 
sustainability questionnaire on 
The Group Business Platform
Raising Company employees’ awareness of sustainability 
aspects along the value chain is a factor of critical impor-
tance, particularly in the procurement sector. Volks-
wagen therefore runs training and information events to 
equip procurement staff with the necessary skills for the 
“Sustainability in supplier relations” concept. Thirteen 
training courses were held at various locations in 2012, 
e.g. for junior Volkswagen brand managers or at the 
ŠKODA Bratislava location. These information events 
supplement the training that all new procurement staff 
undergo in the course of the Company’s knowledge trans-
fer programme. All procurement staff also have access to 
the eLearning tool for suppliers; for more details see the 
section on “Supplier development” (> p. 39).
Risk analysis
The excellent reputation that the company enjoys in the 
business world and in society in general is a valuable as-
set for the Volkswagen Group. To avoid putting this at risk,  
Volkswagen runs an integrity check on new business part-
ners. The aim of this process is to find out more about the 
potential business partner before entering into business 
relations, thereby reducing the risk of a relationship that 
could adversely affect the Group and its business. Before 
being taken on board the Group Business Platform, all 
new business partners are therefore subjected to the 
Business Partner Check (> p. 42).
In order to obtain information about the importance at-
tached to sustainability in certain parts of the world even 
before making the first personal contacts with a poten-
tial new supplier, Volkswagen has performed a country 
risk analysis with the assistance of independent institu-
tions. On the basis of this, Volkswagen sees an increased 
risk of non-compliance with its sustainability require-
ments in Brazil, India, China, Mexico and Russia. 
Conflict minerals are another important issue: Volks-
wagen is concerned about reports of human rights viola-
tions such as forced labour and child labour, the use of 
force and destruction of the environment in the mining 
of minerals, including tin, tantalum (coltan), tungsten 
and gold, e.g. in the Democratic Republic of the Congo 
and neighbouring states.  
 39
Supplier scorecard
Volkswagen uses the supplier scorecard for effective and 
sustainable supply chain management. The scorecard sum-
marises information on individual suppliers in the fields of 
Procurement, Technical Development, Quality Assurance 
and Logistics. This information makes it possible to perform 
a supplier analysis. In addition, the supplier scorecard also 
provides a basis for communication when developing and 
coordinating integrated supplier strategies. The document-
ed sustainability criteria, e.g. records of company certifica-
tion or information about the extent of compliance with the 
sustainability questionnaire, permit conclusions about a 
supplier’s environmental and social standards. 
Integration in the procurement process
The Group Business Platform is the central tool for interac-
tion with suppliers. This is where the Volkswagen Group’s 
central procurement applications are concentrated. In ad-
dition to its interactive functionality for day-to-day business, 
the Group Business Platform is also an information medi-
um. Here suppliers can find out everything they need about 
the “Sustainability in supplier relations” concept. And this  
is where they can access all the sustainability guidelines 
named above.  
 40
As already mentioned, all suppliers have to acknowledge the 
sustainability requirements when submitting their first quo-
tation and at 12-month intervals thereafter. This process is 
integrated into the Group Business Platform.
Supplier monitoring
All suppliers are requested to complete the sustainability 
questionnaire. This is posted on the Group Business Plat-
form as a To Do task. By 31 December 2012, 7,812 suppliers 
had answered the questionnaire. In cases where there 
are reasonable grounds for suspicion, possible deviations 
from Volkswagen’s sustainability requirements or unsat-
isfactory answers, the supplier is contacted and asked for 
a written statement based on the “6D Report”, which con-
tains six points to be answered, enabling both the point at 
issue and the remedial measures to be described. This 
statement is then evaluated by experts in the relevant 
field. If the answer is not satisfactory, further steps are

Strategy       E co n omy       Soc i e t y       E nvi r on m ent  	
	
	
	
	
	

37
Compliance with the sustainability requirements of Volkswagen is coordinated 
and monitored through a strategically structured process. 
IN THE INTERESTS OF SUSTAINABLE COLLABORATION
  	  
 Co
gn
isa
nce
 of
 th
e s
ust
ain
ab
ilit
y r
eq
uir
em
en
ts 
     
    
     
     
    
  C
og
nis
an
ce
 of
 th
e s
ust
ain
ab
ilit
y r
eq
uir
em
ent
s   
    
    
    
    
    
   
Co
gn
isa
nce
 of
 th
e s
ust
ain
ab
ilit
y r
eq
uir
em
en
ts 
     
     
     
     
    
     
  C
og
nis
an
ce 
of 
th
e s
ust
ain
ab
ilit
y r
eq
uir
em
en
ts  
     
     
     
    
     
     
   C
og
nis
an
ce 
of 
th
e s
ust
ain
ab
ilit
y r
eq
uir
em
ent
s               
                       
                       
                        
                     
	
    
    
   
Su
pp
lie
r q
ua
lif
ica
ti
on
 / 
tra
in
in
g 
	
     
    
    
In
teg
ra
tio
n i
nt
o t
he 
qu
ali
ty
 pr
oc
ess
 au
dit
 / 
Fla
g S
iSR
  
	
Su
sta
in
abi
lit
y q
ue
sti
on
na
ire
    
  S
us
pe
cte
d i
nfr
in
ge
me
nt 
of 
su
st
ain
ab
ili
ty 
re
qu
ire
me
nts
	
 
	
    
     
    
    
     
    
     
    
    
     
    
     
    
     
    
     
    
     
     
    
     
     
    
     
    
   
   
    
   
 S
ub
mi
ssi
on
 o
f 6
-D
 R
ep
or
ts
    
   
    
 In
fo
rm
ati
on
 a
nd
 e
val
ua
tio
n
	
 
	
	
          
            
            
            
            
            
           
            
            
       
	
	
Ev
alu
ati
on
	
Ev
alu
at
io
n
	
	 
	
po
ss
. s
ub
mi
ss
io
n 
of
 6
-D
 R
ep
or
ts
	
    
 p
os
s. 
su
b
mi
ss
io
n 
of 
6-
D 
Re
po
rt
s
	
   
Ev
al
ua
ti
on
 o
f 
6-
D 
Re
po
rt
s
	
 
	
	
            
            
            
           
            
            
           
            
           
       
	 
	
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 	  
  
   
  
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
p
os
s. 
e
va
l
ua
ti
o
n 
o
f 
6-
D 
R
e
p
or
ts
  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 p
os
s.
 e
v
al
u
at
i
on
 o
f 
6
-D
 R
ep
or
ts
  
p
o
ss
. 
p
la
n
 o
f 
a
ct
i
o
n
	
 
	
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
                                                                                                                
M
o
n
it
o
r
i
n
g
	
 
	
	
E
A
R
L
Y
 
W
A
R
N
I
N
G
 
  
  
  
 
D
E
V
E
L
O
P
M
E
N
T
 
  
  
  
 
M
o
n
i
t
o
r
i
n
g
S
U
S
T
A
I
N
A
B
I
L
I
T
Y
 
R
E
Q
U
I
R
E
M
E
N
T
S
Sustainability in  
Supplier Relations
 
M
o
n
i
t
o
ri
n
g
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
 
M
o
n
i
t
o
r
i
n
g
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
M
o
n
i
t
o
r
i
n
g
	
2013: introduction of additional  
supplier training measures
		 
S
u
st
ai
n
a
b
il
it
y
 e
-L
e
a
r
n
in
g 
  
  
  
   
  
  
   
  
  
   
  
  
p
o
s
s.
 
pl
a
n
 o
f 
a
ct
io
n 
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
   
  
  
   
  
  
   
  
 p
o
s
s.
 
pl
a
n
 o
f 
a
ct
io
n
Customer satisfaction    Sustainability in supplier relations    Economic stability    Compliance    Risk management    Localisation

38	
	
	
	
	
	
	

taken. The measures to be initiated are coordinated by 
a) 	the ad hoc expert team in Wolfsburg and
b)	 the expert teams in the relevant brands and regions for 
the suppliers in question. Where necessary, further 
measures are demanded and their implementation 
monitored.
All procurement regions are represented within the pro-
curement sustainability network, ensuring regional cover-
age of the procurement regions and hence of the countries 
in which the suppliers are located. Where suspicions exist, 
ad hoc cases are dealt with in close consultation with the 
representatives of the brands and regions. They, after all, 
are quickly on the spot, speak the local language and may  
already have had contact with the supplier in a different  
context. Depending on the situation, experts from specialist 
areas such as occupational safety and health or human  
resources are called in to handle such ad hoc cases and pro-
vide case-specific and specialist support for their colleagues 
in the procurement network. These ad hoc expert teams are 
maintained in every brand and region. They are supported 
by the ad hoc expert team based in Wolfsburg.
Internal quality process auditors help Procurement to im-
plement monitoring of the “Sustainability in supplier re-
lations” concept. To this end the auditors use a status in-
Building a car takes thousands of parts, manufactured all over the world, assembled with extreme precision and in line with rigorous 
sustainability requirements – all of which would not be possible without binding standards. Volkswagen established these standards 
back in 2006 with its “Sustainability in Supplier Relations” concept.

Strategy       E co n omy       Soc i e t y       E nvi r on m ent  	
	
	
	
	
	

39
Introduction of more in-depth sustainability 
audits at suppliers by end of 2013
Eleven cases of deviation from requirements 
successfully followed up 
 
dicator (SiSR flag) to perform audits at the suppliers to 
establish whether the supplier has answered the sustain-
ability questionnaire and understood the contents. In 
cases of non-compliance or if the sustainability require-
ments have not been understood, the procurement sus-
tainability network contacts the supplier in question. If 
necessary, e.g. where deficits are detected, an escalation 
process is launched which includes the use of the 6D Re-
port. The 6D Reports are also used to obtain an initial 
statement from the supplier in cases of suspicion arising 
independently of these processes. Here too the above-
mentioned escalation process may be launched if the 
need arises. In 2012 there were a total of eleven ad hoc 
cases in which the dialogue with the supplier resulted in 
compliance with the sustainability requirements. Of 
these, nine were in the social field and two in the environ-
mental sector. Six of the cases occurred in Europe, three 
in Asia and two in South America. 
In all process steps and all measures, the focus is on sup-
plier development, fair dialogue in a spirit of partner-
ship, and ongoing cooperation with the supplier. The 
Volkswagen Group reserves the right to have compliance 
with the sustainability requirements verified by experts at 
the business partner’s premises during regular business 
hours. The Volkswagen Group furthermore reserves the 
right to terminate business relations with suppliers on 
the grounds of non-compliance with the sustainability re-
quirements, especially in cases where the supplier dis-
plays no visible interest in long-term improvement. Dur-
ing the reporting period there was one case in which the 
Volkswagen Group terminated its business relations with 
a supplier because of non-compliance with the sustaina-
bility requirements.
Supplier development
In the interests of an ongoing supplier development pro-
cess, Volkswagen makes an eLearning module in nine lan-
guages available to its suppliers on the Group Business 
Platform, or invites them to work through it via the “To Do” 
function on the Platform. In the eLearning module the 
user first learns what requirements Volkswagen has with 
regard to environmental and social standards and what 
Volkswagen’s sustainability requirements are based on. 
The information provided is supplemented by references 
to further reading. After the eLearning course, the suppli-
er has to perform a self-check. The learning module is not 
regarded as “passed” until this check is successfully com-
pleted. As of 31 December 2012, 2,420 supplier locations 
had completed the eLearning course.
Projects in 2012
To ensure worldwide integration of the “Sustainability in 
supplier relations” concept into all the Group’s brands and 
regions, Volkswagen again held an international regional 
meeting in 2012. Some 30 representatives from the global 
procurement regions met in Wolfsburg, not least to share 
examples of best practice. Specific amendments to the con-
cept were decided on the basis of this international dia-
logue.
All the concept’s structures and modules are regularly re-
viewed – e.g. in exchanges with other organisations and 
companies, for example the Forum for Sustainable Devel-
opment of German Business (econsense), the German  
Automobile Industry Association (VDA), the Extractive In-
dustries Transparencies Initiative (EITI) or the European 
Automotive Working Group on Supply Chain Sustainability 
(CSR Europe).  
 36, 41, 42, 43
Goals 2013
One important goal is the integration of the Porsche, Sca-
nia, MAN and Ducati brands into the “Sustainability in 
supplier relations” concept. This process is to be complet-
ed in 2013. Volkswagen also plans to expand its supplier 
monitoring and supplier development activities. To this 
end the concept for systematic identification of sustaina-
bility risks in the supply chain will undergo further devel-
opment in a doctoral thesis. This is to be used as a basis for 
more comprehensive identification and more detailed 
analysis of sustainability risks. A further goal is the intro-
duction of more in-depth sustainability audits at suppliers. 
Moreover, special training courses are to be held in 2013 to 
raise supplier awareness of sustainability issues.
The aim is to work exclusively with suppliers who comply 
with all specific sustainability requirements. 
Customer satisfaction    Sustainability in supplier relations    Economic stability    Compliance    Risk management    Localisation

40	
	
	
	
	
	
	

ECONOMIC STABILITY
The global economy continued to grow in 2012, but with 
some loss of momentum. Once again, the driving force  
behind this development was the emerging economies, 
which displayed above-average economic growth. In some 
cases, however, growth rates fell short of the previous 
year’s figures. In view of structural barriers, especially ex-
cessive pressures on national budgets and deficits in the 
competitive strength of some countries, the industrialised 
countries achieved only limited expansion.
This split in the development of the global economy will 
continue in 2013. The emerging markets in Asia are likely to 
maintain their role as growth drivers. By contrast, the situ-
ation in the industrialised countries is fraught with uncer-
tainties. Depending on the success of the efforts to bring 
about political reforms, the situation could ease in the USA 
in particular, and also in parts of the Eurozone. While the 
favourable developments of recent weeks on the financial 
and currency markets indicate a certain potential for re-
covery, they are not yet sufficient to indicate that the crisis 
is drawing to a close.
Volkswagen will be faced with considerable challenges. 
These are due partly to global economic trends, and partly 
to the increasing competition in the automotive industry 
and the growing size and complexity of the Company.  
 44
Global economic trends
The relative shifts in the global economy will continue in 
the years ahead. This will be especially true if the tradi-
tional industrialised countries fail to overcome the 
structural problems of their economies and do not take 
full advantage of their already reduced growth potential. 
The BRIC countries in particular will become increas-
ingly significant in both economic and political terms. 
Although the recent slight dip in the pace of growth, es-
pecially in Brazil, indicates a fundamental economic 
vulnerability, the prospects are that the BRIC countries 
will continue to make an above-average contribution to 
the growth of the global economy.
Furthermore, for some years now another group of 
emerging countries has been taking shape in Southeast 
Asia and Latin America, characterised by dynamic growth 
in conjunction with relative political stability. Here too 
the Volkswagen Group sees substantial opportunities in 
terms of unit sales, thanks to the economic advancement 
of broad sections of the population and the associated in-
crease in household incomes.
The shift in the centres of growth is giving rise to an in-
creasingly multi-polar global economy with correspond-
ing impacts on international trade, and also on finance 
flows and the energy and commodity markets. The coun-
tries in question are already exerting considerable influ-
ence on global politics in order to safeguard their eco-
nomic and political interests. 
In view of the lack of progress towards multilateral free-
trade agreements, recent efforts to promote free trade be-
tween individual states and regions offer opportunities for 
market integration. They are helping to ensure that the 
global economy and global trade continue to grow.
Nevertheless, the risk of foreign exchange conflicts and of 
protectionist measures designed to improve national com-
petitive positions in the short term has recently increased. 
There are also considerable risks arising from the struc-
tural deficits in numerous economies – especially with re-
gard to public budgets, the continuing inadequate supervi-
sion and regulation of the international financial markets, 
and the impacts of political and social conflicts.
Increasing competition
Competition continues to intensify on the global automo-
tive markets. Last year, Japanese manufacturers recov-
ered from the natural disasters of 2011 and succeeded in 
recapturing lost market shares. The Korean manufactur-
ers continued their worldwide expansion and increased 
their sales on the EU market, which showed an overall 
downturn. The presence of Chinese automakers on the 
car markets of Western Europe and North America re-
mains insignificant, but they are becoming increasingly 
important in emerging economies.
Against this difficult background, the Volkswagen Group 
succeeded in topping its strong performance in the previ-

Strategy       E co n omy       Soc i e t y       E nvi r on m ent  	
	
	
	
	
	

41
ous year, supplying more than 9 million vehicles for the 
first time ever. The successful integration of Porsche, 
MAN and Ducati also enlarged and strengthened the 
Group’s product portfolio. The Volkswagen Group is 
therefore confident that it is firmly on course to achieve 
its targets. The increasing strength of new and old com-
petitors provides additional motivation for resolutely pur-
suing our goal of becoming the number one global player 
among car manufacturers by 2018.
Emerging from the crisis with greater responsibilities
Volkswagen emerged from the global economic crisis fast-
er than expected and in a stronger position than its com-
petitors. It is only through responsible and sustainable 
management that the Company has succeeded in main-
taining its progress towards global automotive leadership 
as mapped out in our Strategy 2018. As the Volkswagen 
Group grows in size and complexity, its responsibility for 
the Company and for its employees will continue to in-
crease.
In the years gone by, Volkswagen has successfully stepped 
up its presence in important markets. In view of the glob-
al economic trends and risks already described, it will in 
future be increasingly important to improve the condi-
tions for sustainable growth and to tap new potential.
A large measure of flexibility and financial independence 
is absolutely essential for dealing successfully with busi-
ness downturns and economic crises. The crisis years 
have shown that sustained investment in product, process 
and personnel development pays off, and that this is a key 
factor in the long-term success of the Company. More 
flexible production processes make it possible to ensure a 
rapid response to market changes and prevent misalloca-
tion and surplus capacity. With the introduction of the 
modular transverse matrix last year, the Volkswagen 
Group took a major step towards making production more 
flexible and even more efficient.
The diversification of the product portfolio and a broad 
presence in the global markets help to improve the Com-
pany’s resistance to crises. This can balance out sectoral 
and geographical risks and reduce their impact on the 
Company. Localising valued-added processes to ensure 
accurate catering for customer needs at local level, and 
also to minimise risks arising from currency fluctuations 
and protectionism, must therefore form another central 
element of our corporate strategy. The opening of the 
Group’s 100th factory at Silao in Mexico is a milestone in 
Volkswagen’s localisation efforts.
Volkswagen’s corporate management and culture, tradi-
tionally partnership-based, have proved their worth as 
important factors in absorbing the impacts of economic 
downturns. In particular, the functioning social partner-
ship within the Group made a major contribution to suc-
cessful countermeasures during the last crisis and formed 
the foundation for the Group’s robustness and resilience. 
The willingness of employees and Group management to 
work together to safeguard the Company’s future viability 
is the precondition for a sustainable business model.
Energy-intensive and resource-intensive industries in the 
international competitive arena are faced with the chal-
lenge of reducing emissions and energy consumption. 
The long-term measures to conserve resources and mini-
mise Volkswagen’s environmental footprint are an inte-
gral part of the Group’s strategy. At the same time,  
Volkswagen regards the development of energy-efficient 
production processes and alternative drive systems as an 
opportunity to generate competitive advantages and sus-
tainable growth.
Volkswagen will only achieve sustainable success by tak-
ing more and more responsibility for the environment 
and for social developments, particularly in emerging 
economies. Every single employee has a part to play here: 
through their skills and commitment they shoulder re-
sponsibility for the Group’s ongoing development and fu-
ture success.
Customer satisfaction    Sustainability in supplier relations    Economic stability    Compliance    Risk management    Localisation

42	
	
	
	
	
	
	

Compliance
In the long term, a business can only succeed in operat-
ing sustainably and doing justice to its global and local 
responsibility if it acts with integrity. Among other things, 
this includes complying with national and international 
rules, dealing fairly with business partners and competi-
tors, and acting in a responsible manner. But voluntary 
undertakings and ethical principles are also elements of 
Volkswagen’s corporate culture – something that all em-
ployees and business partners are expected to respect.  
In 2010 this claim was reaffirmed and set out in the Code of 
Conduct that applies across the Group. These principles 
are designed to provide guidance to all Group employees 
on how to behave responsibly in their day-to-day work. The 
Code of Conduct touches on many facets of corporate sus-
tainable development, not only from an economic and en-
vironmental point of view, but also from a social angle: 
from avoiding conflicts of interests and dealing with busi-
ness partners, via occupational safety and health, to practi-
cal protection of the environment. The individual chapters 
of this report take an in-depth look at these aspects. 
Core values such as integrity and fairness are not only to be 
defined within the Volkswagen Group, but also deliberately 
practised. The purpose of the compliance organisation is 
to support this process. Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chair-
man of the Board of Management, had this to say on the 
subject: “Compliance is an issue that plays a major role 
across all national boundaries and business sectors. Volks-
wagen’s business is entirely clean and above board. This is 
a zero tolerance issue; after all, our reputation is at stake!” 
The Volkswagen Group supports measures to combat cor-
ruption and other business crimes both inside and outside 
the Group. Since 2002 Volkswagen, as a member of the Unit-
ed Nations Global Compact, has been working with some 
7,000 participating companies from more than 135 countries 
to make the global economy fairer and more sustainable.
A definition of compliance
For Volkswagen, compliance means acting in accordance 
with the rules. To this end Volkswagen pursues a preven-
tive compliance approach, seeking to maintain and de-
velop a corporate culture that rules out potential infringe-
ments from the outset. To achieve this, steps are taken to 
explain existing rules to Volkswagen Group employees 
and raise awareness of them. This approach is based on 
the contents prescribed in the voluntary auditing stand-
ard of the Institute of Public Auditors in Germany (IDW) 
for the verification of compliance management systems 
(IDW PS 980).  
 45
On the basis of the German Corporate Governance Co-
dex, Volkswagen again ensured that its compliance work 
kept pace with the growth of the Group in the reporting 
year. The work of the Group Chief Compliance Officer is 
supported by Chief Compliance Officers as the persons 
responsible at all the Group’s brands. In the past year the 
number of Compliance Officers in the Group companies 
has risen by 35 to 100. At present more than 400 employ-
ees in 39 countries are working in the integrated govern-
ance, risk & compliance organisation.
As in previous years, the work of the compliance organi-
sation was again supported in 2012 by supra-divisional 
and cross-brand bodies – including the top management 
“Compliance Council” and the “Compliance Core Team”. 
Other compliance bodies are in place within the individ-
ual brands and companies.
The Volkswagen Compliance Management System
A standardised governance, risk & compliance (GRC) pro-
cess established throughout the Group is used to identify, 
catalogue and assess potential risks to the Company. The 
special feature of this process is that it combines three as-
pects in one: risk management system, internal audit sys-
tem and compliance management system. Among other 
things, this approach makes it possible to address com-
pliance-relevant issues efficiently in a standardised risk 
management process and to use the resulting findings for 
the Group’s compliance programme.
The effectiveness of key preventive measures for managing 
compliance risks is reviewed annually, which means they 
are subjected to a continuous improvement process. This 
includes taking account of detailed risk assessments per-
formed by the responsible units throughout the Group. The

Strategy       E co n omy       Soc i e t y       E nvi r on m ent  	
	
	
	
	
	

43
results are fed into the risk analyses undertaken by the 
Volkswagen Group and its brands and companies and are 
taken into account in the respective compliance pro-
grammes.
The focus topics of the Compliance Management Pro-
gramme 2012 were:
>	 Preventing active bribery. Here there was a special focus 
on strategically important markets such as Brazil, Rus-
sia, India, China, Malaysia, Argentina and Mexico.
>	 Implementing an anti-corruption guide which was is-
sued to all managers in Volkswagen AG. With the aid of 
practical examples, the guide raises the reader’s aware-
ness of the issue, provides checklists of corruption risks 
and indicates ways and means of successfully preventing 
corruption. It also includes an explicit ban on “facilita-
tion payments” intended to speed up procedures. The 
guide was made available to the international Group 
brands in multiple languages and as a basis for adapta-
tion, and distributed with a personal covering letter from 
the Chairman of the Board of Management and the 
Group Chief Compliance Officer.
>	 The Code of Conduct. This is now established in all con-
solidated brands and enshrined in the Group’s corporate 
culture as an essential element. Brochures about the Code 
of Conduct have been distributed to all employees and are 
also available online. The Code of Conduct is also inte-
grated into operating processes. Since 2010, for example, 
new contracts of employment at Volkswagen AG have 
drawn attention to the Code of Conduct and the obligation 
to observe it. This also includes respecting internationally 
recognised human rights.  
 15
>	 Competition and anti-trust legislation continued to be a 
focus of employee training.  
 46
>	 The integrity check: the excellent reputation that the 
company enjoys in the business world and society in 
general is a valuable asset for the Volkswagen Group. To 
avoid putting it at risk, Volkswagen runs an integrity 
check on new business partners. The aim is to find out 
more about the potential business partner before enter-
ing into business relations, thereby reducing the risk of 
a relationship that could adversely affect the Group and 
its business.
>	 Advisory services: In 2012 the compliance organisation 
stepped up its advisory services considerably. Today the 
brands and numerous companies offer their employees 
the opportunity to obtain personal advice, usually via the 
Compliance e-mail address. An IT-based information 
NUMBER OF PERSONS ATTENDING TRAINING 
ACROSS THE GROUP IN 2012
Competition and anti-trust law, 
203 sessions
Anti-corruption,  
338 sessions
Code of conduct,  
443 sessions
General compliance,  
788 sessions
A total of 45,459 
participants attended 
1,772 sessions
NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS, ONLINE tutorials 
ACROSS THE GROUP IN 2012
Code of Conduct 2012
Other topics 2012
Anti-corruption 2012
Total participants 
since 2009: 73,314
30,905 participants, 
online learning 
across the group in 
2012 
7,835
19,228
3,842
18,945
16,543
6,119
3,852
Customer satisfaction    Sustainability in supplier relations    Economic stability    Compliance    Risk management    Localisation

44	
	
	
	
	
	
	

and advisory tool was introduced in 2012 and supported 
by extensive publicity. To date it has resulted in some 
12,000 retrievals of articles.
>	 2012 also saw the continued development of a money 
laundering prevention strategy. This instrument is based 
on a risk analysis and is structured by business fields. It 
caters for the new requirements of the German Money 
Laundering Act which came into force during the report-
ing year.
Training courses and online learning programmes
To ensure sensitive and informed handling of compliance 
issues, employees need to be familiar with the Group’s 
rules and values. Information events for employees at all 
levels in the hierarchy are therefore of central impor-
tance in the context of compliance work. In the course of 
2012 a total of some 45,000 employees throughout the 
Group attended events at which they received training in 
issues relating to compliance, code of conduct, competi-
tion and anti-trust law, and anti-corruption.
Online learning programmes are also an integral part of 
our employee training. In 2012 some 20,000 employees 
successfully completed the online learning programme 
on preventing corruption and avoiding conflicts of inter-
ests. One new module introduced in 2012 was the online 
learning programme on the Group’s Code of Conduct. 
Participation in this has been compulsory for all new em-
ployees of Volkswagen AG since 1 July 2012. Since the on-
line learning programmes on compliance were set up, 
more than 70,000 employees have already taken part, 
benefiting from this opportunity for continuing profes-
sional development (> p. 43). 
Communication of compliance activities
Compliance issues are communicated to employees not 
only through traditional communication channels (em-
ployee magazines of the brands, companies and loca-
tions), but also via electronic media such as intranet por-
tals, apps, blogs, audio-podcasts and online newsletters. 
The spectrum is rounded off by information stands at 
works meetings and other employee meetings.
Compliance communication activities at Volkswagen meet 
with positive responses both in-house and externally. In 
the course of the reporting year, several of the Group’s 
cross-media communications campaigns and media won 
awards. A consistent and appealing campaign based on a 
series of films made by Volkswagen on the topic of compli-
ance using a prominent actor to convey the message har-
vested to a strong and positive echo. In the three days that 
Members of the compliance team regularly train different target 
groups on compliance issues. 
All the key facts on compliance at your fingertips: the internal  
Volkswagen compliance app for smartphones.

Strategy       E co n omy       Soc i e t y       E nvi r on m ent  	
	
	
	
	
	

45
followed a works meeting at which a compliance film in-
cluding statements from the Board of Management was 
shown, the compliance site on the Volkswagen portal was 
called up over 17,000 times.
The compliance site on the internal Volkswagen portal 
contains a wide range of information for employees. 
Among other things, visitors to the site can call up all the 
guidelines and internal publications on the topic. Also 
available are the key messages from the Chairman of the 
Board of Management. In 2012, this online offering, 
which is also available in English, was called up some 
90,000 times. Further intensive communications support 
for compliance activities is planned for 2013. 
Lobbying
Automobile manufacturers operate in a highly complex 
and tightly regulated environment. It is both necessary 
and legitimate for a company like Volkswagen, which 
bears responsibility for prosperity and employment in 
many countries around the world, to be actively involved 
in creating the framework for business activities. In this 
context, the aim and role of the Group function ‘External 
Relations and Government Relations’ is to widen the 
Company’s scope for action. 
Within the Company, ‘External Relations’ promotes a cul-
ture of openness and dialogue and helps to facilitate com-
munication with the world of policy-making and other 
business sectors. This Division operates like an early 
warning system, identifying and gathering information, 
analysing its policy and technical relevance, and formu-
lating differentiated strategies for the Group’s Board of 
Management. It also supports the managers responsible 
for lobbying by making its contacts and knowledge of poli-
cy-making processes available to them.
The Group’s ‘External Relations’ function is an intermedi-
ary between the Company and policy-makers, including 
governments, parliaments and administrative agencies 
but also political parties and associations, non-govern-
mental organisations, and other sectors of industry. It en-
sures that the Company’s views and expertise are brought 
into the legislative and administrative decision-making 
process by openly providing comprehensive information 
and reliable, competent advice based on credibility and 
professionalism.
In line with the Group’s commitment to social responsi-
bility, ‘External Relations’ also provides input into sus-
tainable policy-making in the areas of industrial, trans-
port, environmental and social policy and appropriate 
focusing of public investment strategies. This confident 
dialogue with stakeholders in society helps to enhance the 
Company’s profile, boost its reputation, forge new alli-
ances, and build on existing goodwill. The aim is to create 
and maintain stable relationships with all key Company 
stakeholders.  
 47, 48
Infringements
In keeping with the Company’s holistic compliance man-
agement system, the ‘Compliance’ function is closely coor-
dinated with other functions within the Group. ‘Group In-
ternal Audit’ and ‘Group Security’ lead on investigative 
work, while ‘Human Resources’ and ‘Legal Affairs’ adopt a 
reactive approach that complements the Group’s proactive, 
preventive approach to compliance.
The Group has had an ombudsman system since 2006, 
which can be used to notify actual or suspected infringe-
ments – in particular in relation to corruption – to the 
Group’s two independent ombudsmen, Frankfurt-based 
lawyers Dr. Rainer Buchert and Thomas Rohrbach. In 
2012, the two independent ombudsmen forwarded 46  
notifications to the Anti-Corruption Officer of the Volks-
wagen Group while preserving the anonymity of the origi-
nal notifier. A further 64 notifications were made direct to 
the Anti-Corruption Officer or to the Head of Group Internal 
Audit. Each one of these notifications was investigated.
Action was taken against 24 employees in 2012 following in-
vestigations prompted by notifications. In 13 of these cases, 
the employee’s contract was terminated. Any breach of the 
law or of internal guidelines attracts an appropriate sanc-
tion, up to and including dismissal. Moreover, during the 
reporting year, a small number of contracts with business 
partners were terminated or not renewed because of in-
fringements related to corruption.
Transparency International criticises 
sustainability reporting of German 
companies – Including Volkswagen
Customer satisfaction    Sustainability in supplier relations    Economic stability    Compliance    Risk management    Localisation

46	
	
	
	
	
	
	

External scrutiny
During the reporting year, the Company commissioned a 
university to audit Volkswagen AG’s compliance manage-
ment systems. One of the auditors was a senior academic 
who holds a chair in criminal law and criminology and is 
therefore a recognised expert in this area. The auditors 
concluded that Volkswagen has “an effective and efficient 
compliance management system.”
Outlook: the compliance programme in 2013
On the basis of the Group’s risk analysis, the focus of 
compliance activities in 2013 will be on strengthening ex-
isting structures, on expanding the compliance organisa-
tion within the Volkswagen Group, and on anti-corruption 
measures in China.
Risk management 
The Group’s risk management system (RMS) is designed 
to identify potential risks at an early stage so that suitable 
checks and countermeasures can be initiated to avert the 
threat of loss to the Company, and so that any risks that 
might jeopardise its continued existence can be ruled 
out. In this context, risk is used to denote the danger of 
failing to achieve a corporate or divisional target.  
 49
Transparent and appropriate risk management is based 
on uniform principles for the entire Group. These in-
clude:
>	 Fostering an open risk culture,
>	 Gearing risk management to corporate objectives,
>	 Compliance (> p. 42),
>	 Ensuring that risk management is appropriate to the na-
ture, extent, complexity and risk content of the specific 
business activity and business environment, and 
>	 Regularly monitoring the effectiveness and efficiency of 
risk management.
THE “THREE LINES OF DEFENCE” APPROACH
Supervisory Board
Board of Management
Operational reports 
from Risk Management
Coordination RMS/ICS process 
and GRC annual report
Audit and report  
on RMS/ICS
Business units
First level
Second level
Third level
Group GRC
Group Internal Audit
Systematic risk  
inventory
Effectiveness  
RMS/ICS process
Compliance  
Management System

Strategy       E co n omy       Soc i e t y       E nvi r on m ent  	
	
	
	
	
	

47
From an organisational point of view, the design of the risk 
management system at Volkswagen AG is based on the in-
ternationally recognised COSO enterprise risk manage-
ment framework. In this connection, Volkswagen AG has 
adopted a unified and integrated governance, risk & com-
pliance (GRC) approach: this integrates risk management 
system, internal audit system and compliance manage-
ment system aspects into a unified management approach. 
One advantage of this is that it permits efficient addressing 
of compliance-relevant issues in a single risk management 
process and enables the resulting findings to be used for 
the benefit of the Group’s compliance programme.
The risk management system is an integral part of the  
Volkswagen Group’s structure and workflows, and is em-
bedded in its day-to-day business processes. It follows the 
“three lines of defence” approach.
Implementing and ensuring the effectiveness of the RMS 
at operational level (“first level”) is a fundamental task of 
the divisions and companies. Interim risk management 
reports from the business units provide the Board of 
Management with an up-to-date picture of the Group’s 
current risk situation at all times. Events that entail a risk 
are identified and assessed on a decentralised basis in 
the divisions and at the investees. Countermeasures are 
introduced immediately, and assessment of their effects 
is followed by timely incorporation of the information 
into the planning process. The results of the risk manage-
ment process are used to provide ongoing support for 
budget planning and controlling. Targets agreed in the 
budget planning rounds are continually verified in revolv-
ing planning reviews. At the same time, the results of risk 
mitigation measures that have already been taken are 
speedily incorporated into the monthly business develop-
ment forecasts. This means that the Board of Manage-
ment always has access to an overall picture of the current 
risk situation through the documented reporting chan-
nels. Significant risks are set out in the Annual Report. 
Volkswagen is prepared to enter into transparent risks 
that are commensurate with the benefits expected from 
the business.  
 49
Every year the Group’s Governance, Risk & Compliance 
(GRC) Department (“second level”) sends standardised 
The diagram above shows a schematic representation of the annual 
risk management process. 
Standardised annual risk Assessment process
Identification and 
assessment in the  
divisions
Documentation  
of effects in the  
divisions
Follow-up measures 
to address  
weaknesses
Scoping
Reporting
inquiries about the risk situation and RMS effectiveness 
to the GRC officers in the individual functional areas and 
to all major investees worldwide. In the light of the feed-
back about several thousand risks, the department then 
updates the overall picture of the potential risk situation 
and assesses the effectiveness of the RMS as a whole.
For every significant risk identified, GRC determines the 
expected probability of occurrence and the expected scale 
of the loss, and documents the risk management and con-
trol measures taken at management level. Risks arising 
from potential infringements of rules (compliance risks) 
are integrated in this process, as are strategic, operating 
and reporting risks. The effectiveness of important risk 
management and control measures is tested, and any def-
icits identified are reported and remedied.
The Group’s Internal Audit Department (“third level”) 
helps the Board of Management to monitor the various 
functional areas and business units within the Group. The 
risk early warning system and the structure and imple-
mentation of the risk management system are regularly 
checked by the Internal Audit Department in the course of 
its independent audit activities, and also by the Group’s ex-
ternal auditors.
 
Customer satisfaction    Sustainability in supplier relations    Economic stability    Compliance    Risk management    Localisation

48	
	
	
	
	
	
	

LOCALISATION
Localisation is a central element of corporate responsi-
bility, because through localisation a company ensures 
that its value creation takes place at its individual plants 
and in their business environment. Suppliers relocate 
to the area and new jobs are created locally. As a result, 
Volkswagen’s commitment to the concept of localisa-
tion allows it to offer people around the world the 
chance to participate in economic prosperity.
Localisation also has economic benefits for Volkswagen, 
reducing the Company’s logistics costs and, on the pur-
chasing front, ensuring prices in line with local market 
conditions – with no additional costs for transport or cus-
toms duties. Currency risks are also reduced. Localisation 
therefore represents a win-win situation, with economic, 
ecological and social advantages for both Volkswagen and 
the regions in which the Company’s plants are located.
A current example is the Volkswagen brand’s new gearbox 
factory in Tianjin, China, where 1,500 new jobs will be 
created and modern educational institutions put in place. 
Plus, Volkswagen will be working with the best local tech-
nical colleges to build a machining centre of excellence in 
Tianjin where teachers can be trained to cover the medi-
um-term demand for technically qualified experts in par-
ticular fields. 
Volkswagen witnessed a similar positive development in 
Pune, India. Since the Company set up its production 
plant there, 67 new supplier operations have sprung up in 
Pune, creating some 13,000 new indirect jobs. Also, at the 
Chattanooga plant in the USA, 17 new supplier facilities 
have created 1,700 new jobs in the vicinity of the new  
Volkswagen factory. In the long term, Volkswagen will be 
able to provide work here for 10,000 people.
In 2012 Volkswagen concluded agreements covering con-
struction of a new engine plant in Kaluga, Russia. Produc-
tion of the new EA211 generation of engines at the plant is 
scheduled to reach 150,000 units in 2015, creating sub-
stantial value at local level. That means the promise of not 
only new jobs but also a healthy economic upturn for the 
region. Added to which, the new plant allows the Group to 
meet the targets agreed with the Russian government un-
der the terms of Decree 166. This stipulates that at least 30 
percent of the vehicles produced in Russia should be fit-
ted with locally built engines. 
In the period up to 2018 Volkswagen is planning to invest 
around €1 billion in Russia in the ongoing localisation of 
production, the new engine plant at Kaluga and the devel-
opment of new products geared to local market require-
ments. The sourcing process for the Volkswagen Jetta and 
ŠKODA Yeti, Octavia and Rapid projects in 2012 saw the 
number of active suppliers in the country rise from 39 to 
58. The majority of orders were placed with new suppli-
ers, which meant a large number of new jobs were creat-
ed in the regions where these firms are located. 
Volkswagen has fuelled a particularly strong economic 
upturn in the Nizhniy Novgorod region, where the 
Volkswagen Jetta and ŠKODA Yeti and Octavia are pro-
duced by Volkswagen’s local contract manufacturer, GAZ 
Group. 2,200 people are employed by GAZ Group to this 
end in Nizhniy Novgorod alone.  
 50
Confirmation that Volkswagen is also adopting the con-
cept of localisation in Germany can be found at Volks-
wagen Osnabrück. The purchase of the company in 2009 
following the insolvency of Wilhelm Karmann GmbH pro-
vided a shot in the arm for growth in the region. The start 
of series production of the Porsche Boxster in 2012 has 
since seen the plant establish itself as a centre of excel-
lence for cabriolet and small-series models. Instead of 
concentrating solely on the assembly of finished parts, 
the plant actually produces the rear module and side sec-
tions of the car, increasing local value creation. That, in 
turn, safeguards the jobs of the around 1,800 employees 
at the plant and opens up new prospects for the region as 
a whole. 
Volkswagen is also focusing on regional development at 
Group headquarters in Wolfsburg, as the example of 
Wolfsburg AG shows. This joint venture between the city 
of Wolfsburg and Volkswagen AG has been a boon to the 
long-term economic and employment outlook of the local 
area. To this end, business and scientific activities in the 
fields of mobility, leisure and tourism, health manage-
ment, energy and environment, and education have been 
2,200 jobs at contract manufacturer 
GAZ Group in Nizhniy Novgorod (Russia) 
Modern educational facilities and 
1,500 new jobs at new gearbox plant 
in Tianjin (China)

Strategy       E co n omy       Soc i e t y       E nvi r on m ent  	
	
	
	
	
	

49
networked. A whole array of projects bears witness to the 
vitality of this public-private partnership. 
How just the decision to build a new facility can give an en-
tire region a boost, is illustrated by the start of planning for 
a new Audi plant in San José Chiapa, in the Mexican state 
of Puebla, in 2012. In addition to the allocation of the build-
ing plot, the focus is currently on the infrastructure devel-
Construction of Audi plant in San José 
Chiapa (Mexico) gives A boost to the region 
and its infrastructure 
One example of the impetus for new growth being provided by Volkswagen can be found at its Kaluga plant in Russia. In 2012 Volkswagen 
laid the cornerstone here for a new engine plant. At the signing ceremony for the agreements governing the new plant: Prof. Dr. Martin 
Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG, accompanied by Dr. Michael Macht (right), Member of the Board of 
Management of Volkswagen AG responsible for ‘Group Production’, and Anatoly Artamov, Governor of Kaluga Oblast. 
opment in the area around the plant. For example, the local 
authorities are expanding the arterial road and rail net-
works near the plant and connecting the town to two mo-
torways. There are also plans to establish key utilities and 
educational institutions. A new training centre has been 
included in one of the first stages of construction, with the 
aim of commencing training for future Audi employees at 
an early stage.
Customer satisfaction    Sustainability in supplier relations    Economic stability    Compliance    Risk management    Localisation

50	
	
	
	
	
	
	

Globally local. 
ANYONE WHO WANTS TO BRING PERSONAL MOBILITY TO PEOPLE ACROSS THE GLOBE MUST 
FIRST UNDERSTAND THEM. THROUGH ITS WORLDWIDE PRESENCE AND DIVERSIFIED STRUCTURE, 
THE VOLKSWAGEN GROUP IS WELL PLACED TO DO JUST THAT.
Uniting numerous brands and companies with all their in-
dividual characteristics and strategic focuses is a demand-
ing task. Demanding not least because we are keen to en-
sure that, within the Volkswagen Group, they all retain 
their own identities. That is the key to enabling all the 
brands and companies to act as important pillars for the 
Group as a whole by playing their part in the shared value 
creation process. With this in mind, in the reporting year 
all the regions and brands made an important contribution 
to the positive overall performance of the Group.
In South America, sales rose by 
13.9% to 1.1 million vehicles.  
As a result of volume-related and 
exchange rate factors, sales revenue 
was up 22.8% to €18.3 billion. The
inclusion in full of MAN as from 
November 9, 2011 should be taken 
into account when comparing the 
previous year’s figures.  
 51
SOUTH America
13.9%
rise in unit sales compared  
to 2011
With a 32.2% increase in unit sales 
to 0.9 million units, the Group 
again outperformed the market as 
a whole in North America. Volume 
improvements, the integration of 
Porsche and favorable exchange 
rates lifted sales revenue by 42.7%
to €25.0 billion.  
 51
North America
42.7%
increase in sales revenue 
year-on-year
50	
	
	
	
	
	
	


B ackg ro u n d	
	
	
	
	
	
	

51 
In the Europe/Remaining markets 
region, Group unit sales increased 
by 2.8% to 4.2 million vehicles in 
the reporting period. Sales revenue 
increased by 11.1% to €115.4 
billion, primarily due to volume-
related factors and the consolida-
tion of Porsche and MAN.  
 51
EuropE/Remaining 
markets
11.1%
sales revenue growth in 
the reporting year
Demand for Group models 
remained strong on the markets in 
the Asia-Pacific region. Including 
the Chinese joint ventures, we sold 
a total of 3.2 million vehicles in this
area in the period from January to 
December 2012, 19.5% more than in 
2011.  
 51
Asia-Pacific
3.2 
million vehicles sold 
in 2012
	
	
	
	
	
	
	

51

Bugatti
ŠKODA
 	
	
	
	
	
	
	

Lamborghini
Within the Volkswagen Group, the Bugatti brand stands 
for masterpieces of automotive engineering – the ideal 
synthesis of craftsmanship and technology. With the 
world’s only 16-cylinder direct injection petrol engine 
and the use of aluminium, magnesium and carbon fibre 
for the bodywork and chassis, the studies presented at 
the key motor shows have set new standards.  
                                                                   www.bugatti.com
The ŠKODA brand delivered 939 thousand vehicles 
to customers in the reporting period, surpassing the 
prior-year figure by 6.8%. The brand recorded 
gratifying growth rates in Russia (+33.7%), India 
(+14.2%) and China (+7.1%) in particular.  
 51
 	 	
	
	
www.skoda-auto.com
With its network of over 120 dealers, Automobili 
Lamborghini is engaged in expanding its successful 
series of dynamic and elegant super sports cars. The 
portfolio already includes such automotive legends 
as the 350 GT Countach and the Murciélago, as well 
as the latest open-topped version, the LP 570-4 
Spyder Performante.                                                
	
	
	
              www.lamborghini.com

Ducati
Scania
MAN
	
	
	
	
	
	
	

 
The slump in demand in the European truck markets
had a negative impact on the Scania brand: declining 
volumes led to a 7.4% reduction in the Scania brand’s 
sales revenue to €9.3 billion. Operating profit declined 
by €442 million to €930 million. This was due to
increased competition, lower capacity utilization and
increased costs as well as lower volumes.  
 51
  	 	
	
	
             www.scania.com
MAN was faced with a difficult economic environ-
ment for the commercial vehicles industry in fiscal 
year 2012. The brand generated sales revenue  
of €16.0 billion, roughly a quarter of which was 
attributable to the Power Engineering segment. 
Operating profit amounted to €808 million; the
operating return on sales was 5.0%.  
 51
 	 	
	
                                www.man.eu 
The essence of Italian styling is reflected in the lines of 
each and every Ducati model. Curvaceous, slender and 
seductive shapes produce a timeless style that sets a 
matchless benchmark. Superbike, Monster, Street-
fighter, Hypermotard, Multistrada and the new Diavel 
embody the true biker’s dream in over 60 countries 
around the world.  
 
www.ducati.com

Bentley
Porsche
VOLKSWAGEN
Commercial vehicles
 	
	
	
	
	
	
	

The Bentley brand increased deliveries to customers  
by 21.5% year-on-year to 8,510 vehicles, defending  
its position as one of the world’s leading producers of 
luxury vehicles. The US market, which increased by 
23.3%, remained Bentley’s largest market, closely 
followed by China with an increase of 23.5%.  
 51                             	
	
	
	
               www.bentleymotors.com
At 550 thousand vehicle deliveries worldwide, 
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles surpassed its 
prior-year record figure by 4.1%. The brand recorded 
significant growth in Central and Eastern Europe, South 
America and the Asia-Pacific region. Volkswagen 
Commercial Vehicles increased its sales revenue
by 5.2% year-on-year to €9.5 billion.  
 51
	
	
 www.volkswagen-commercial-vehicles.com
During the consolidation period (August 1 – December 
31, 2012) sales revenue reached €5.9 billion. Operating 
profit amounted to €946 million, while the operating 
return on sales was 16.1%. The Porsche brand delivered 
60,000 sports cars to customers. The USA remained the 
largest single market, with 16,000 customers choosing  
a Porsche model.  
 51 
	
	
	
	
             www.porsche.com

Audi
VOLKSWAGEN
Seat
Seat
The Audi brand delivered 1.5 million vehicles to
customers worldwide in the reporting period, ex- 
ceeding the record prior-year level by 11.7%. The rise 
was mainly due to strong increases in Asia (+28.1%) 
and North America (+18.5%). Up-and-coming growth 
markets such as South Korea, South Africa and India 
are gaining in significance for the brand.  
 51
 	 	
	
	
             www.audi.com
The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand ended 2012
with deliveries at a new all-time high: at 5.7 million
vehicles, it delivered 12.7% more cars than in 2011. The
brand recorded particularly high growth rates in Russia
(+39.6%), the USA (+35.1%) and China (+24.8%).  
 51                               	
	
	
	
	
  www.volkswagen.com
The SEAT brand delivered 321 thousand vehicles to
customers in fiscal year 2012, down 8.3% on the prior-year 
figure. The brand was hard hit by the difficult market 
conditions in Western and Southern Europe. The markets 
in Spain, Italy and France in particular saw significant 
declines in demand as against 2011. By contrast, the 
markets in Germany, the United Kingdom and Mexico 
recorded encouraging increases.  
 51     www.seat.com

Society
Employment // Demographic Change // Advancing women and 
promoting Diversity // social Responsibility // CSR
3
Society.

Not everyone can eat with chopsticks. But for these children of German Volkswagen 
employees in China it’s only natural to want to try. The children learn from one another, 
discovering as they do so what makes their parents’ jobs so attractive.

58	
	
	
	
	
	
	

A top team
From vocational training to skills development at home and abroad, and from a forward-
looking pay policy to employee involvement, the Volkswagen Group is working with its  
employees to set high standards right across its operations.
63,193
68,704
410,427
The Americas
Asia
Europe
6,461
Africa
549,763 employees around 	
                                   	
                                       the world
978
Australia

Strategy       Ec onomy       So ci e ty       Envi r on m ent  	
	
	

59
Individual HR development in the Company includes cultivating employees and giving them the  
opportunity to acquire and enhance new skills. Volkswagen offers every employee this opportunity 
within “Berufsfamilien” (vocational groups).
16,714 
110,624 
Boosting skills development
apprentices were employed across
the Volkswagen Group at the end of 2012
employees attended skills development courses 
organised by Volkswagen Coaching in 2012
26.8
percent of apprentices in the Volkswagen
Group in Germany are female
Involving employees
The employee opinion survey was conducted for the fifth time in 2012. It covered 102 corporate sites 
and companies in 32 countries, and over 342,000 employees took part out of a possible total of more
than 378,000.
Dr. Horst Neumann
'HUMAN RESOURCES AND ORGANISATION'
“The strength of the Volkswagen Group 
relies crucially on employees’ high skill 
 levels, the company’s capacity for
innovation and the principle of 
employee participation.”

60	
	
	
	
	
	
	

EMPLOYMENT
The Volkswagen Group’s Strategy 2018 sets out how it in-
tends to achieve its goal of becoming the car industry’s 
global market leader in terms of unit sales and topping 
the rankings for customer satisfaction and profitability. 
On top of that, Volkswagen also wants to be the most at-
tractive employer in the automotive sector by 2018. The 
Group’s business strategy is a multidimensional stake-
holder strategy that balances the interests of customers, 
shareholders, employees and other stakeholders. Volks-
wagen has continued to record sound growth in 2012 and 
is now more global and more complex than at any time in 
its history. As the Volkswagen Group grows, so does its re-
sponsibility – for customers and society, for products and 
the environment, for every employee, and for the entire 
Company. However, it can only meet present and future 
challenges if its employees – from apprentices to top 
managers – consistently turn in an outstanding perfor-
mance to ensure that innovation and product quality re-
main at the very highest level in the long term.
Securing outstanding performance, generating success 
and giving employees a share in the profits are central to 
Volkswagen’s HR strategy. Securing the outstanding per-
formance required to assure Volkswagen of pole position 
in the international automobile industry means having a 
top team, an HR principle that applies across the Group’s 
global operations. Including the Chinese joint ventures, 
the Volkswagen Group employed a total of 549,763 people 
on December 31, 2012 – 9.5 percent more than one year 
earlier (501,956 employees). 
In 2011, Volkswagen AG, Volkswagen Sachsen GmbH, 
AUDI AG and Volkswagen Financial Services AG alone put 
a total of 3,301 temporary external personnel on perma-
nent contracts. During 2012, they made a further 1,591 
temporary external personnel permanent.
Volkswagen fulfils its responsibility for its employees with 
personnel management that promotes the health, skills 
and dedication of every individual. Ensuring that all em-
ployees can develop their full potential and use their tal-
ents in a manner that creates value means responsible 
leadership, individual HR development, and training.
Vocational education and training at Volkswagen
Volkswagen sets great store by being a learning and teach-
ing organisation to ensure that outstanding skill levels 
are maintained despite growth. Vocational education and 
training is crucial to developing a top team at Volkswagen. 
In recent years, the Company has strengthened its com-
mitment to the German dual model of vocational training 
and brought further sites into its vocational training sys-
tem. In December 2012, the number of employees in voca-
tional education and training with the Group totalled 
16,714 worldwide, including 11,913 in Germany.
On December 31, 2012, Volkswagen AG was training 4,838 
apprentices and students in 32 professions and 26 courses 
at its six German sites (Wolfsburg, Hanover, Braunschweig, 
Kassel, Emden and Salzgitter). There were 125 more train-
ing places than in 2011, with a further 50 places created at 
Volkswagen Sachsen GmbH, Automobilmanufaktur Dres-
den GmbH, and Volkswagen Osnabrück GmbH.
AUDI AG employed a total of 2,459 apprentices at the end of 
2012 in 23 professions, 2,200 in industrial or technical pro-
Everyone counts.
549,763 people now work for the Volkswagen Group. That means 549,763 individual contribu-
tions to its day-to-day success and 549,763 individual sets of talents. And we foster each one 
of them. It’s a responsibility we take seriously by focussing on our employees’ health, skills 
and commitment. And we are aware that our responsibility is growing – for ourselves as a 
company and for each individual within it.
3
1,591 TEMPORARY EXTERNAL PERSONNEL  
PUT ON PERMANENT CONTRACTS

Strategy       Ec onomy       So ci e ty       Envi r on m ent  	
	
	

61
fessions and 259 in commercial professions. MAN and Por-
sche in Germany employed a further 2,212 and 453 appren-
tices respectively at year-end. 
The German dual model of vocational education and 
training has now been adopted at many sites outside Ger-
many, while others are developing the system. For exam-
ple, Volkswagen Group Rus’s Kaluga plant put its third co-
hort into this training system in 2012. The Company added 
the role of specialist for warehouse logistics to its existing 
training professions (motor vehicle mechatronic techni-
cian, construction and production mechanic, automotive 
painter and general mechatronic technician).
At Volkswagen in Chattanooga, USA, the third cohort of  
apprentices embarked on training as motor vehicle me-
chatronic technicians in 2012 in a programme run jointly 
with local partners, the Tennessee Technology Center and 
the Chattanooga State Community College.
In April 2012, meanwhile, Volkswagen Navarra in Pamplo-
na opened a modern training centre with classrooms and 
a workshop offering personal learning areas for appren-
tices in industrial or technical professions. In 2012, 18 ap-
prentices began their vocational education and training 
here, following Germany’s dual model of vocational train-
ing. An agreement with the German Chamber of Foreign 
Trade in Spain means that apprentices who successfully 
complete the training programme can obtain a German 
vocational qualification. Building this training centre and 
Volkswagen’s commitment to training are recognised in 
this part of Spain as a major contribution by the Company 
to social responsibility.
Every year, the Group Board of Management and the Group 
Global Works Council present the “Best Apprentice Award” 
to the top apprentices worldwide. The twelfth awards cere-
mony was held in Munich in late November 2012, and 29 
former apprentices from 13 countries received awards. The 
2012 ceremony saw MAN represented for the first time by 
its two top former apprentices.
Volkswagen is also nurturing particularly talented voca-
tional trainees in talent groups for young specialists. 
These groups are an invaluable tool to support technical-
ly and intellectually gifted employees as they make the 
transition from vocational education and training to pro-
fessional work. Talent groups have been in place at all 
Volkswagen AG sites and at Volkswagen Financial Servic-
es AG since late 2010. In December 2012, 232 talented 
young employees were taking part in this two-year devel-
opment and skills training programme, and 163 have so 
far completed it.
The focus of Volkswagen’s vocational education and train-
ing is to develop technical skills, but apprentices also ben-
29 APPRENTICES FROM 13 COUNTRIES  
Received “BEST APPRENTICE” AWARDS 
 
Vocational education and training is crucial to developing a top team.
Employment    Demographic change    Advancing women and promoting diversity    Social responsibility    CSR

62	
	
	
	
	
	
	

efit from a wide range of additional training programmes 
and events. In Germany, these include cooperation be-
tween Volkswagen’s vocational and educational training 
division and “Jugend gründet”, a nationwide online busi-
ness/high-tech competition offering a prize for the best 
product or business idea. The Company also organises 
the “ProTalent” and “ProMechaniker” competitions. In 
cooperation with Porsche Inter Auto GmbH & Co. KG in 
Salzburg and Volkswagen Slovakia a. s. in Bratislava, 
Volkswagen AG apprentices can now build on their exist-
ing skills and knowledge and enhance their occupational 
mobility and flexibility by spending time working outside 
Germany. AUDI AG also provides early opportunities for 
its young employees to gain international experience: for 
the past five years, 25 apprentices a year from all areas of 
the Company’s operations – industrial, technical or com-
mercial – have had the chance to develop their intercul-
tural skills at a Group site elsewhere in Europe.  
 52
For over 20 years, Volkswagen apprentices have been in-
volved in the Auschwitz Memorial and Museum. Volks-
wagen sends at least four groups of apprentices to Ausch-
witz each year to spend two weeks working with young 
Poles at the Memorial and Museum. The groups are briefed 
and supervised by the International Auschwitz Committee 
and our subsidiary, Volkswagen Coaching GmbH. Over 
2,100 young Germans and Poles have so far taken part in 
this programme. Volkswagen AG’s sustainable pedagogical 
and political commitment to the scheme is recognised 
across the world. 
At the General Works Council’s suggestion, Volkswagen 
substantially broadened its involvement in the Memorial 
and the International Youth Meeting Centre in Auschwitz 
in 2008. As a result, four groups of managers, manage-
ment trainees and “Meister” (foremen and group leaders) 
now take part in a four-day seminar there each year, also 
overseen by the International Auschwitz Council. Since 
2012, the opportunity to be involved with the Auschwitz 
Memorial has been extended to apprentices in further 
Volkswagen Group subsidiaries and associated compa-
nies.  
 53
Since 2006, young people at the start of their career have 
also had the opportunity, on completion of their training, 
to take part in the “Wanderjahre” (years abroad) pro-
gramme; the name alludes to the tradition among newly-
qualified craftsmen of travelling the world and gaining 
experience. The programme enables the Volkswagen 
Group to boost its younger employees’ intercultural mo-
bility and experience. A total of 32 Volkswagen Group 
companies in 17 countries are now involved in the pro-
gramme, and from 2013, Volkswagen Group of America 
will take the total to 33. So far, over 320 young employees 
of the Volkswagen Group have taken up this opportunity 
to gain their initial work experience outside their home 
country. In 2012, 46 participants from Germany and 10 
from a further four countries took advantage of the pro-
gramme to spend their ‘year abroad’ in a Volkswagen 
Group company.
Developing graduates
Volkswagen develops young graduates through a scheme 
involving two distinct programmes, the Student Talent 
Bank and the Academic Talent Pool. Volkswagen has been 
using the Student Talent Bank since 1998 to bring on par-
ticularly able students in workplace-related and cross-
functional areas. Some 2,100 students who have demon-
strated outstanding technical and personal abilities during 
their internship at Volkswagen have been included in the 
Student Talent Bank. Volkswagen supports these former 
interns while they complete their studies, for example by 
inviting them to lectures and presentations, seminars, and 
trips to Volkswagen sites. Shortly before they graduate or 
complete their doctorate, talented students are then 
moved into the Academic Talent Pool. This new recruit-
ment tool provides the Company with a way to identify indi-
viduals with potential for graduate-level entry into a spe-
cialised area.
In 2008, Volkswagen launched the StartUp Direct pro-
gramme to give university students a head start in the  
Company. Over a two-year period, participants in the pro-
gramme not only work in their own department and 
familiarise themselves with the Company but also have an 
opportunity to attend supplementary training seminars. 
The programme also includes placements of a few weeks in 
production and sales as well as an optional foreign place-
ment. University graduates with an international focus 
VOLKSWAGEN AG RECRUITED  
681 GRADUATES

Strategy       Ec onomy       So ci e ty       Envi r on m ent  	
	
	

63
may opt for the StartUp Cross programme instead. This 
18-month international programme includes a three-
month international placement. Over 2,000 trainees have 
acquired their initial experience with Volkswagen on one 
of these two programmes since they were launched. In 
2012 alone, Volkswagen AG recruited a total of 681 gradu-
ates, of whom 29 percent were women.
In order to recruit talented employees from outside Ger-
many, meanwhile the Volkswagen Group launched “Start-
Up Europe” in 2012. Aimed at young engineers from 
southern Europe, this is a trainee programme offering 
participants an opportunity to gain international experi-
ence. Initially, the main target group is graduates from 
Spain and Portugal, who complete a placement with the 
Volkswagen Group in their home country and then move 
to Germany for up to 21 months to work in a Group com-
pany there. On completing the two-year programme, they 
may be offered permanent employment. This opportunity 
is proving very attractive: when the scheme was launched, 
more than 3,600 young graduates applied for the 104 plac-
es available.  
 54
The Student Talent Bank, the Academic Talent Pool, the 
StartUp programmes and a range of further, linked meas-
ures make Volkswagen very attractive to young graduates: 
more than 340,000 graduates in engineering, IT and busi-
ness studies from 24 European countries voted the  
Volkswagen Group “Most Attractive Employer” in the auto-
mobile sector in a survey by the Trendence research insti-
tute. In Germany, AUDI AG won its third consecutive double 
victory in the Trendence employer rankings, scooping “Most 
Attractive Employer” nominations from both engineering 
and business studies graduates. In the Czech Republic, 
ŠKODA took third place in the “Most Attractive Employer” 
rankings and topped the table among engineering and IT 
graduates in the “Best Human Resources Advertising”, “Best 
Recruiter” and “Best Careers Fair Presence” categories. In 
the “Great Place to Work” awards, Volkswagen Financial 
Services AG emerged as the top German employer. 
Training and developing every employee
Individual HR development includes cultivating employees 
and giving them the opportunity to acquire and enhance 
Innovation underpins success in the automotive sector, so bringing on a new generation of highly skilled employees is vital to securing  
the Company’s future.
TOP RANKINGS IN “EMPLOYER  
ATTRACTIVENESs” SURVEYS
Employment    Demographic change    Advancing women and promoting diversity    Social responsibility    CSR

64	
	
	
	
	
	
	

new skills. Volkswagen offers every employee this opportu-
nity within “Berufsfamilien” (vocational groups – the sin-
gular form is “Berufsfamilie”). A Berufsfamilie includes all 
employees with related specialist skills who work together 
regardless of their level of experience or development. 
Learning and teaching involve the Company’s own experi-
enced employees offering their expertise within the frame-
work of both tried-and-tested and innovative training for-
mats. This ensures that learning processes are more geared 
to the specific processes and technical skills requirements of 
a particular Berufsfamilie than in conventional training pro-
grammes and enables knowledge to be transferred in the 
most efficient and tailored way.
This joint approach to learning is being steadily developed 
and extended within Volkswagen: more and more divisions 
are setting up Berufsfamilien that have their own Acade-
mies, in which skills development is organised. From the 
beginning, employees acquire practical knowledge of the 
topics relevant to their Berufsfamilie. The creation and de-
velopment of Berufsfamilie Academies means that sites out-
side Germany are increasingly involved in this skills devel-
opment model, for example via the “Procurement Academy”, 
“Quality Assurance Academy” and “Product Academy”.
The “Group IT Academy”, launched in spring 2012, is the 
Group’s first non-brand-specific Berufsfamilie Academy 
and provides shared learning and teaching within the  
information technology Berufsfamilie for employees of  
Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, and Volkswagen Financial Ser-
vices.
The Volkswagen Group is currently restructuring its train-
ing activities and launched the “Volkswagen Group Acade-
my” in January 2013. The Academy is the new umbrella 
body incorporating all the Academies within the Group 
and is a joint venture by AutoUni Wolfsburg, Volkswagen 
Coaching GmbH and its subsidiaries. The reorganisation 
creates a skills network spanning initial vocational train-
ing to academic in-service training that exploits synergies 
to ensure high skills levels and quality standards across the 
Group.
In 2012, the Volkswagen Group welcomed more than 500 
new recruits across all its companies in the Human Re-
sources and Sales and Marketing Berufsfamilien alone. 
“Welcome Days” offer participants an opportunity to find 
out more about the Company’s strategic orientation and 
the challenges it faces and to exchange views with the ex-
perts from the relevant Berufsfamilien.  
 55

Initial and in-service training of Meister is a particular 
priority for the Volkswagen Group. Meister qualifications 
are currently being adapted to uniform worldwide stand-
ards and rolled out around the world: the basic foreman/
group leader qualification prepares future Meister for 
their leadership role. During the reporting year, a total of 
364 Meister were trained across Volkswagen, 140 of them 
outside Germany.
Volkswagen prepares its future supervisors for their lead-
ership role by means of Basic Leadership Qualification 
training, followed by an examination. Both elements are 
being rolled out across all Group companies.
Employees’ development for management roles is sup-
ported by the management selection process: in a com-
parative discussion with the relevant specialist depart-
ment, candidates are selected on the basis of their 
technical competencies, while their entrepreneurial 
skills are assessed in a Company-wide Management As-
sessment Center. This system enables the specialised 
departments to take a high level of responsibility for se-
lecting their own management trainees within a Compa-
ny-wide selection process. In 2012, the Management As-
sessment Center was successfully rolled out in India, 
Russia, China and the USA.
Managers and management trainees receive systematic 
skills training in relevant areas, including business admin-
istration and leadership, technology, the environment and 
the globalisation and strategy of the Volkswagen Group.
The Group also has a broad range of tailored skills devel-
opment opportunities for other professions. Volkswagen 
Coaching GmbH is Volkswagen AG’s central in-service 
training provider and offers employees a wide range of 
training measures, including HR development pro-
grammes, crossfunctional seminars and courses, as well 
as specialised training programmes geared to the spe-
UNIFORM QUALITY STANDARDS WORLDWIDE FOR 
SPECIALIST TRAINING AND MEISTER QUALIFICATION

Strategy       Ec onomy       So ci e ty       Envi r on m ent  	
	
	

65
110,624 participants attended skills development 
courses organised by Volkswagen Coaching
cific requirements of individual Berufsfamilien. This 
ensures that each employee is able to develop his or her 
skills on an individual and tailored basis. The systematic 
development of the workforce is also promoted in rela-
tion to the goals set by the Company and its specialised 
departments.
During 2012, more than 110,620 participants benefited 
from in-service training in 9,193 seminars organised by 
Volkswagen Coaching GmbH, a total of 269,128 partici-
pant-days. In the area of specialist skills development 
(e.g. factory automation, robotics and applications engi-
neering or management), 70,382 participants attended 
7,027 seminars over 162,869 participant-days. Mean-
while, in the field of “crossfunctional skills development” 
(which includes leadership skills and personal develop-
ment), 40,242 participants attended 2,166 training cours-
es, representing 106,259 participant-days. 324 new pro-
grammes and courses were developed over the course of 
the reporting year to ensure that the Company’s in-ser-
vice training provision continues to meet its needs.
In-service academic training: the AutoUni
The AutoUni ensures that the Group has access to special-
ist knowledge and research expertise. It works in con-
junction with individual departments within the Group 
and partner universities to offer in-service training tai-
lored to the needs of the Berufsfamilien. The AutoUni 
comprises eight institutes, which between them offer a 
wide range of lectures, conferences, seminars and coop-
erative study modules at university level. These coopera-
tive study modules cover technical subjects in detail, and 
participants take a final examination at the end of each 
module. Over the past few years, the work of the AutoUni, 
which is based in Wolfsburg, has been extended around 
the world, and in 2012, over 15,000 individuals took part 
in 273 AutoUni courses. Around a quarter of all courses 
took place outside the Company’s Wolfsburg headquar-
ters. As part of Volkswagen’s regional outreach, about 40 
percent of the events were open to the general public. In 
2012, there was a particular emphasis on future trends in 
mobility, with work focusing on innovative drive systems 
and the comfort, accessibility and sustainability of trans-
port systems.
The Automotive Research Centre Niedersachsen (NFF) 
focuses on the key future areas for automotive research. 
The NFF was set up in 2007 as an interdisciplinary re-
search centre with the support of the federal state gov-
ernment of Lower Saxony and Volkswagen AG, and 
brings together research activities around the issues of 
vehicles and mobility. It also created a platform for col-
laboration between industry and higher education: cut-
Training and developing every employee: HR development at Volkswagen includes cultivating employees and giving them the opportunity to 
acquire and enhance new skills.
Employment    Demographic change    Advancing women and promoting diversity    Social responsibility    CSR

66	
	
	
	
	
	
	

ting-edge research and discoveries feed directly into  
AutoUni courses, especially in the areas of electric trac-
tion and vehicle engineering. In addition to the existing  
AutoUni site on the MobileLife Campus in Wolfsburg, a 
new site is currently being developed at Braunschweig’s 
Research Airport.
Over and above this, the AutoUni is intensively involved in 
the Group’s doctoral student programme, in which over 
440 doctoral students were supervised in 2012 by the vari-
ous companies within the Volkswagen Group in Germany. 
The doctoral students undertake research into ambitious 
PhD thesis topics with relevance for the Company. To this 
end they work closely with their own department in the 
Group, which also appoints a supervisor from within the 
Company. Completed theses may be published as part of 
the AutoUni’s publication series.
Current and past Volkswagen doctoral students meet reg-
ularly under the auspices of the doctoral programme for 
colloquia and presentations as well as for sports and oth-
er events. These activities are managed and run by the 
doctoral students themselves.
Promoting performance and sharing profits
The Volkswagen Group sees in-service training and skills 
development as a key part of building a top team. The sys-
tematic fostering and recognition of good performance is 
another vital element in our strategy, along with rede-
signing our pay systems to ensure that employees have a 
sustainable share in the success and profits of the Com-
pany. Since 2010, Volkswagen AG has had detailed stand-
ard criteria for skills development and performance as-
sessment. These criteria cover the entire workforce, from 
apprentices to top managers, and are underpinned by 
concrete incentive systems within the pay structure. The 
pay system for Volkswagen AG employees covered by col-
lective agreement comprises three main components:
>	 Basic pay in the form of each employee’s monthly salary.
>	 An entitlement to profit-sharing, which is laid down by 
collective agreement.
>	 A performance-related component in operation since 
early 2011, which represents an additional reward for in-
dividual performance.
Payment is job-related and based on the work systems and 
activity descriptions laid down by collective agreement. 
Men and women enjoy equal pay.
As part of the introduction of a performance-related pay 
component, Volkswagen AG and its unions have agreed 
that each employee should have an individual annual ap-
praisal with their line manager. This appraisal has two 
elements: performance assessment and development 
planning. Each employee is given feedback on his or her 
performance and clear guidance on career prospects. 
Recognising and valuing good performance is just as im-
portant in this context as individual potential or any spe-
cific further training needs. 
The number of appraisals has continued to rise since the 
appraisal system was introduced in 2011. Volkswagen AG 
supervisors showed enormous commitment in carrying 
out 83,895 appraisals in 2012, with a further 4,358 apprais-
als using the same criteria carried out within Volkswagen 
Financial Services AG and Volkswagen Immobilien Service 
GmbH. In 2012, over 88,000 employees received an indi-
vidualised performance-related pay component with their 
salary.
Individual appraisal was also introduced for all manage-
ment staff in 2010. As well as performance assessment and 
development planning, these appraisals include target-
setting and assessment of target achievement. In 2012, 
more than 80 Volkswagen Group companies carried out 
management appraisals, with 3,062 individual appraisals 
conducted at Volkswagen AG alone.
From 2013, all temporary external personnel employed at 
Volkswagen AG will also benefit from the principle of a per-
formance-related pay component. Temporary external 
personnel will be entitled to a performance-related pay 
component from their second year with Volkswagen on-
wards. The process by which this is determined will be sim-
ilar to the individual annual appraisal process at Volks-
wagen AG.
At the beginning of 2010, the Company and the German 
metalworkers’ union IG Metall agreed that the collective 
agreement on sustainable site retention and employment 
83,895 APPRAISALS WITHIN VOLKSWAGEN AG

Strategy       Ec onomy       So ci e ty       Envi r on m ent  	
	
	

67
protection would remain in force until at least the end of 
2014, giving all Volkswagen AG employees employment se-
curity until that date. The Innovation Funds set up at the 
initiative of the General Works Council, and governed by 
the same collective agreement, represent a major contri-
bution to safeguarding employment. Since 2007, Innova-
tion Fund I has helped to further develop existing skills 
areas at the various Volkswagen sites. Innovation Fund II, 
by contrast, began operating in 2011 and was set up to de-
velop new areas of business closely related to the automo-
tive value production chain. The fund’s major emphasis is 
on sustainability, with a view to long-term employment 
protection and creation. Its funding is focused on promis-
ing projects, such as the recycling of testing equipment or 
the use of gravity-based conveyor systems.
To ensure competitiveness and safeguard jobs both within 
and outside Germany, the Volkswagen Group sets great store 
by maintaining and increasing flexibility. The creation of 
“working time accounts” in particular is mostly governed by 
collective bargaining. With a wide range of flexibility tools, 
in 2012 the Group again succeeded in reacting flexibly to 
changes in the economic backdrop and, for example, in se-
curing jobs for the core workforce in India and Portugal. 
Until at least the end of 2014, Volkswagen AG is committed 
to not reducing the recruitment of apprentices and, sub-
Since 2011, every Volkswagen AG employee has had an individual annual appraisal with their line manager, which includes performance  
assessment and development planning. 
ject to performance, apprentices will be taken on perma-
nently on completion of their training. The decision is 
based on the model used to assess Volkswagen apprentic-
es and on their performance in the examination run by 
Germany’s chambers of industry and commerce. Former 
apprentices who meet specific performance criteria will 
be given permanent employment with Volkswagen AG. 
Former apprentices who do not meet these criteria will 
initially be offered a two-year fixed-term contract. After 
two years, the performance assessment that forms part of 
their individual annual appraisal constitutes the basis for 
the decision as to whether to take them on permanently. 
The standard criteria for performance assessment create 
clarity and consistency for every employee in his or her 
professional development.
Management employees also earn part of their salary in 
the form of a personal performance bonus, which re-
wards individual performance. The Company bonus ena-
bles management staff to share in the success of their 
own part of the Company. Since 2010, the Long Term In-
centive (LTI) has been available in addition to other bo-
nus components. The LTI is calculated over a four-year 
period, making it a long-term management remunera-
tion tool that reflects the positive and sustainable devel-
opment of the Company. This means that it complies with 
the aims of the 2009 legislation on remuneration of Board 
THREE-STAGE REMUNERATION SYSTEM INCLUDES BASIC 
PAY, PROFIT-SHARING AND A PERFORMANCE-RELATED 
COMPONENT 
Employment    Demographic change    Advancing women and promoting diversity    Social responsibility    CSR

68	
	
	
	
	
	
	

of Management members but is applied more widely, to 
the whole of Volkswagen’s management worldwide. The 
Long Term Incentive is linked directly to the goals set out 
in the Group’s Strategy 2018 and rewards Volkswagen 
management for their contribution to implementing the 
Strategy’s goals of attaining top employer status and lead-
ing the field in terms of customer satisfaction, sales and 
profitability. In this way, it helps ensure that Volkswagen 
management consistently pursues the multidimensional 
and sustainable goals set out in the Company’s stakehold-
er strategy.
The pay system, which now includes a performance-relat-
ed component, has proved effective in enabling employ-
ees to share in Volkswagen AG’s success. It also helps to 
reward individual performance while preserving compet-
itiveness.
The three components of the remuneration system are in-
creasingly being applied across the Group. The principle 
is that compensation and benefits paid or received for a 
normal working week correspond at least to the legally 
valid and guaranteed minimum. Locally adequate pay-
ments help to ensure an appropriate standard of living for 
employees and their families.  
 18
Participation and co-determination
Employee participation and co-determination rights for 
employee representatives are important success factors 
for the Volkswagen Group. Performance and participa-
tion provide the basis for job security and competitive-
ness. In 2012, existing declarations, including the Decla-
ration on Social Rights and Industrial Relations at 
Volkswagen, and agreements such as the Charter on La-
bour Relations were substantially enhanced and expand-
ed at Volkswagen. The Charter on Temporary Work, 
signed in November 2012, represents agreement by the 
Group Board of Management, the European Group Works 
Council and the Group Global Works Council on the prin-
ciples by which temporary work is managed within the 
Volkswagen Group.
Company benefits
Volkswagen AG has a collective accident insurance policy 
that covers all employees against accidents resulting in 
death or invalidity. In exceptional cases of economic 
hardship – for example, as the result of severe long-term 
illness – employees may apply for a short-term, interest-
free loan from the Company.
The Volkswagen Group also offers its employees the 
opportunity to obtain a vehicle from at least one Group 
brand on favourable terms. The terms of this benefit must 
be affordable for the employees and commercially viable 
for the Company. Apprentices at Volkswagen AG, for 
example, enjoy special concessions on the purchase or 
leasing of a vehicle. In 2012, new Group brands including 
MAN were included in the existing scheme. Working in 
cooperation with the sales departments and Volkswagen 
Financial Services AG, companies outside Germany have 
also been included in similar innovative schemes, such as  
a programme for second-hand car leasing at Volkswagen 
Autoeuropa in Portugal.
Employees of Group companies around the world saw their 
range of benefits extended. These benefits vary from site  
to site and may include subsidised transport and meals, 
low-cost accommodation, special payments on the birth  
of a child, monthly childcare allowances, and discounts  
on selected leisure activities. A number of sites also offer 
health care benefits or additional pension insurance. For 
example, Volkswagen in Poznań introduced a voluntary 
company pension scheme open to the entire workforce in 
2012, with the full cost of the monthly contributions met 
by the Company.

Strategy       Ec onomy       So ci e ty       Envi r on m ent  	
	
	

69
In 2012, at more than 35 sites both in Germany and else-
where, collective bargaining was carried out. In all cases, 
bargaining was underpinned by a proactive information 
and communication process. For example, Volkswagen 
Group Rus concluded its first ever collective agreement. 
At just one new Group site, strike action preceded the 
opening of the plant. Following democratic negotiations, 
the parties reached agreement, bringing the action to an 
end. 
Charter on Labour relations
The International Charter on Labour Relations first came 
into force in autumn 2009. It links increased participa-
tion rights with shared responsibility, requiring a high 
level of skill and responsibility from employees. The 
Charter applies globally and provides for phased rights to 
information, consultation and co-determination for em-
ployee representatives of the brands, companies and sites 
represented on the Group Global Works Council.  
 17
Since then, many sites have begun to bring the Charter 
to life with declarations of intent and outline implemen-
tation arrangements agreed between management and 
employee representatives. In 2012, the plant-level co-de-
termination rights laid down in the Charter were devel-
oped and enhanced, with the first-ever general Company 
meetings and symposia being held in many sites outside 
Germany. In some cases, the work of local employee  
representatives is now being coordinated or developed 
within special committees, ensuring that the participa-
tion rights set out in the Charter are made more effec-
tive.  
 56
Both the Group Global Works Council and the Company it-
self regularly monitor implementation of the Charter on 
Labour Relations in individual Group companies. At the 
twice-yearly meetings of the international co-determina-
tion bodies (the European Group Works Council and the 
Group Global Works Council), representatives from the 
various sites report back with examples of best practice. 
The Charter on Temporary Work, signed in November 2012, represents agreement by the Group Board of Management, the European Group 
Works Council and the Group Global Works Council on the principles by which temporary work is managed within the Volkswagen Group.
SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CHARTER ON  
LABOUR RELATIONS AT SITES OUTSIDE GERMANY 
 
Employment    Demographic change    Advancing women and promoting diversity    Social responsibility    CSR

70	
	
	
	
	
	
	

HIGH RESPONSE RATE IN VOLKSWAGEN  
EMPLOYEE OPINION SURVEY
Support to help them fulfil this role is offered in the form of 
skills training and information material. For example, 
the Group Global Works Council ran workshops for the 
newly-elected plant union committee at Volkswagen de 
México, focusing on Volkswagen’s co-determination cul-
ture, the work of works councils and trade unions, and 
quality and process optimisation. At the suggestion of the 
Group Global Works Council, the Mexican plant in Puebla 
organised the “Quality Olympics in Production” to raise 
awareness of quality. The initiative proved popular with 
employees, who participated enthusiastically.
To improve the situation of workers, working conditions, 
participation rights and job security in the Group’s Chi-
nese joint ventures, a Liaison and Coordinating Commit-
tee was set up back in 2008, bringing together the Gener-
al Secretary of the Group Global Works Council, the 
Presidents of the trade unions within the Chinese joint 
venture companies, and representatives of Volkswagen. 
This Committee has held an annual conference since 
2009.
In September 2012, the Group Global Works Council 
founded a Commercial Vehicles Committee, bringing to-
gether employee representatives from the Scania, MAN 
and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brands. This Com-
mittee supports the integration of commercial vehicle 
brands in the Volkswagen Group and also has extensive 
information and co-determination rights.
Charter on Temporary Work
The underlying aim of the Charter on Temporary Work is 
to ensure that temporary external personnel receive ap-
propriate employment and remuneration conditions and 
that temporary work is managed consistently across the 
Volkswagen Group. The main provisions of the Charter re-
late to:
>	 The reasonable use of temporary work. Temporary 
work is a key flexibility tool.
>	 Implementation of equal pay and equal treatment. As  
a matter of principle, temporary external personnel 
should receive the standard basic salary for their role. 
Temporary external personnel enjoy parity of employ-
ment conditions with the permanent workforce.
>	 Skills training provision for temporary external per-
sonnel. Temporary external personnel are entitled to 
benefit from relevant skills training on the same basis 
as permanent employees. 
This Charter offers all temporary external personnel the 
chance to be moved to a permanent contract provided 
they have the necessary skills and the Company has a 
need for those skills. However, temporary work is one way 
in which Volkswagen can manage fluctuations in the 
economy or particular projects, such as constructing 
plants or sections of plants. In such cases, temporary 
work, along with outside recruitment, may be a sensible 
HR strategy for supplementing its core workforce.  
 16
Employee opinion survey
The employee opinion survey is a proven and extensively 
used tool to involve employees actively in what is going on 
in the Company. Employee satisfaction is measured each 
year using the Volkswagen Group’s employee opinion sur-
vey, or “Stimmungsbarometer”, which is standardised 
and covers the entire Group workforce. Once the survey is 
complete, the findings are jointly discussed by supervi-
sors and employees, a process that raises complaints and 
problems on the one hand and suggestions for improve-
ments to work processes on the other. Improvements 
agreed upon are then implemented before the next year’s 
survey. The employee opinion survey was conducted for 
the fifth time in 2012. It covered 102 corporate sites and 
companies in 32 countries, and over 342,000 employees 
took part out of a possible total of more than 378,000. The 
reporting year saw employees of Porsche Holding Salz-
burg, Volkswagen Osnabrück GmbH and Volkswagen 
Group Japan K. K. take part for the first time. Employee 
interest in the opinion survey has risen steadily over re-
cent years. During the reporting year, a twelfth statement 
was added to the survey in all German sites, seeking em-
ployees’ views on the implementation of corporate strate-
gy.  
 57
Alongside the employee response rate, the key indicator 
generated by the employee opinion survey is the employee 
satisfaction index. This indicator also improved over the 
past year.  
 58

Strategy       Ec onomy       So ci e ty       Envi r on m ent  	
	
	

71
The “Volkswagen Way”
The “Volkswagen Way” is another tool that relies on the 
commitment of the workforce for its success. It has been 
an integral part of the way Volkswagen operates for five 
years, and its aim is to secure competitiveness and employ-
ment. The core of the “Volkswagen Way” is a process of 
continuous improvement (German abbreviation: KVP) 
which aims permanently to develop productivity and effi-
ciency as well as quality, ergonomics, leadership and team-
work. In the “Volkswagen Way” the Company has estab-
lished a tool that consistently applies high standards to 
solve problems systematically and sustainably in all areas 
and drive improvement. The involvement of every employ-
ee makes it possible continuously to improve jobs, process-
es and structures across the Company.  
 59
In process optimisation, processes are considered in rela-
tion to improvements in customer satisfaction and quality, 
employee satisfaction and commitment, and productivity 
and costs. Particular emphasis is placed on processes that 
straddle a number of areas, making the “Volkswagen Way” 
a key corporate strategy tool. In November 2012, the Wolfs-
burg plant topped the “Lean Transformation” category of 
the Automotive Lean Production Awards, run by the trade 
journal Automobil Produktion and the consultancy firm 
Agamus Consult for its successful implementation of the 
“Volkswagen Way”.   
 60
The employee opinion survey asks employees to indicate their level of agreement with 12 statements. Once the survey is complete, the find-
ings are jointly discussed by supervisors and employees, and improvements agreed upon are implemented before the next year’s survey.
The other brands within the Volkswagen Group have simi-
lar programmes for boosting efficiency. For example, all 
brands across the Group are now using a standardised pro-
duction system. Using the KVP cascade system – a tiered 
approach to change – standardised methods are being 
used to optimise processes and structures both in produc-
tion and non-production areas right across the operation 
and across all sites.
Ideas management
Volkswagen sets great store by enabling its employees to 
come up with ideas and make suggestions for improving 
work organisation and production processes. Employees’ 
suggestions and ideas are considered and assessed cen-
trally in the Volkswagen “Ideenmanagement” unit, which 
is represented at all the German sites. The first suggestion 
scheme at Volkswagen was introduced as early as 1949, and 
employee commitment to improving products and process-
es has since become a key measure of the workforce’s crea-
tivity, expertise and motivation. Volkswagen also offers 
training and skills development to systematically promote 
a culture of ideas within the Company. This makes ideas 
management a vital management and motivational tool 
for line managers across the Company. Over the course of 
the reporting year, there was a steady expansion in the 
networking of Volkswagen sites around the world.
Employment    Demographic change    Advancing women and promoting diversity    Social responsibility    CSR

72	
	
	
	
	
	
	

In 2012, Volkswagen employees across the Group submit-
ted a total of 536,532 suggestions for improvements, 12.9 
percent more than in 2011 (475,073). Adopting 380,475 of 
these suggestions over the reporting period helped sub-
stantially to drive up the quality of our products and the 
efficiency of our processes, reducing costs in the Group 
by a total of €358.1 million. Bonuses worth some €34.1 mil-
lion were awarded to staff whose ideas were adopted in 
acknowledgement of their creativity and involvement in 
the life of the Company.  
 61
Ideas management is also recognised outside the Compa-
ny: in 2012, Volkswagen won the “German Ideas Prize” of 
the German Institute of Business Administration (dib) 
and DEKRA, the international technical inspectorate, for 
the best environmental idea. The German Institute for 
Ideas and Innovation Management also named the head 
of tool making for the Volkswagen brand “Best Manager” 
in Germany’s automobile sector and an outstanding pro-
moter of ideas management.
The ideas management process also helps to make work-
ing at Volkswagen both safer and healthier. The challeng-
es of demographic change are given a high priority, with 
special consideration given to suggestions for ergonomic 
improvements. The suggestions adopted are generating 
continuous improvements in occupational health and 
safety, and in 2012, 5,845 suggestions for improvement re-
lated solely to safety at work, of which 2,384 were adopted.
DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE
In 2012, Volkswagen continued to tackle demographic 
change with a wide range of measures for ergonomic 
improvement; since 2011, this work has formed part of 
the Holistic Ergonomics Strategy, also known by its 
German abbreviation, GES. Ergonomic improvements 
across the entire product development process ensure 
that workplace quality and the stress and strain on em-
ployees caused by production processes are taken into 
account at the vehicle planning and design stages. The 
aim is to draw on research and scientific knowledge to 
combine state-of-the-art ergonomic workplaces with 
innovative working processes. In cooperation with the 
manufacturing plants, integrated approaches to good 
ergonomic workplace design and working processes 
are being developed. Examples of good practice are 
being adopted in other sites.
Switching to the new Golf model has provided an opportu-
nity to work with employees to make sustainable improve-
ments in workplace ergonomics. The holistic approach of 
Volkswagen’s ergonomic strategy is also reflected in fur-
ther improvements in the methodology used to assess 
workplace stress and strain. So in future not only assem-
bly work but also other tasks can be assessed in this way.
At the Volkswagen brand’s “Ergonomics Day”, held in 
Wolfsburg early in 2012, experts reported on the many ini-
tiatives already in place and presented ergonomic innova-
tions from Volkswagen sites around the world. For exam-
ple, the Kassel plant has been holding regular forums on 
the impact of demographic change. The third such fo-
rum, held in October 2012, focused on combating mental 
stress at the workplace, raising awareness of the issues 
and identifying practical approaches to combating inap-
propriate mental stress.
A number of Volkswagen AG plants took an important step 
towards reducing the impact on health of shift work by re-
organising shift patterns. The reorganisation has drawn 
particularly on research findings relating to shift design 
and adapted these to the needs of the automotive indus-
try. Medical experts favour forward-rotating shift patterns 
with frequent changes, because short-cycle patterns fa-
cilitate the body’s transition from one set of working 
536,532 SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENTS  
SUBMITTED. 380,475 IDEAS ADOPTED, EARNING 
THEIR ORIGINATORS SOME €34.1 MILLION

Strategy       Ec onomy       So ci e ty       Envi r on m ent  	
	
	

73
hours to another: the forward-rotating shift pattern mim-
ics gradually lengthening days and so is more in line with 
human biorhythms than a pattern that mimics shorten-
ing days.
Employee surveys show that the revised shift patterns im-
pose less stress on employees’ health. In Wolfsburg, em-
ployees were surveyed both before and after their shift 
plans were changed, and the findings show that the meas-
ures taken in 2011 to reduce the impact of shift working on 
health and wellbeing had improved respondents’ general 
level of health. The improvement was particularly marked 
in their perceptions of fitness. 
A two-shift pattern is now in operation for some employees, 
particularly those with performance impairment. These 
employees now work an early and a late shift in alternate 
weeks and are no longer required to work night shifts.
Volkswagen AG is particularly committed to helping em-
ployees with reduced capacity or disabilities. People 
with disabilities made up 7.22 percent of the total work-
force of Volkswagen AG in 2012, once again well above 
the statutory quota. 55 percent of all employees with se-
vere disabilities worked in production and 45 percent in 
the non-production sector. 
As part of the German government’s national action plan 
to implement the United Nations Convention on the 
Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Volkswagen in Ger-
many has been focusing on the inclusion of employees 
with disabilities. The aim is not only to create accessible 
workstations, staff canteens, toilets and washrooms, but 
also to make managers aware of the issues and train them 
to provide the best possible support to employees with 
disabilities.
Volkswagen is also helping to boost employment for peo-
ple with severe disabilities outside the Company: during 
the reporting year alone, it placed orders worth more 
than €22 million with workshops employing people with 
disabilities. In addition, over recent decades, Volkswagen 
mobility aids have also helped to give people with disabili-
ties greater independence and autonomy. The Company 
directly supplies a comprehensive range of driving aids 
for its vehicles including rotating and swivel seats, manu-
ally operated accelerator and brake controls, an EDAG 
automatic wheelchair loading device, and the FRANZ 
hands-free driving system.
On the initiative of the German automotive industry’s rep-
resentatives of people with severe disabilities, Volkswagen 
AG, AUDI AG and Porsche AG took part in a research study 
Examples of good practice in ergonomic workplace and work process design are adopted in other sites.
Employment    Demographic change    Advancing women and promoting diversity    Social responsibility    CSR

74	
	
	
	
	
	
	

entitled “Ageing Healthily and Appropriately in the Auto-
motive Industry: Career-Long Participation and Inclu-
sion”, known by its German acronym, PINA. This cooper-
ation project, which is funded by Germany’s Federal 
Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, also involves Darm-
stadt University of Technology and the University of Co-
logne. The partners are developing tools and initiatives to 
maintain the health and working capacity of older em-
ployees.
During the reporting year, the ŠKODA brand was recog-
nised in the “Most Responsible Company in the Czech Re-
public” awards for its Seniority Programme, while the 
European Commission acknowledged its exemplary treat-
ment of older employees, awarding ŠKODA second prize 
in the “Workplaces for People of All Ages” category as part 
of a European project. For many years now, ŠKODA has 
been focusing its “Seniority Programme” on targeted 
health promotion measures for older employees.  
 62
Work2Work is a key programme across all our sites and 
creates new job opportunities for employees with perfor-
mance impairment. It focuses on achieving an optimal fit 
between the requirements of the workplace and employ-
ees’ existing potential, enabling them to make a major con-
tribution to creating value despite their performance im-
pairment. Over recent years, some 1,700 employees have 
benefited from the scheme, and around 700 people are 
now employed in Wolfsburg in 92 different fields of activity 
that have been adapted to their specific capacity. One of 
Work2Work’s aims is to reintegrate employees who have 
suffered illness or injury into Volkswagen’s production and 
specialist departments, and since 2005, it has had some 
200 successes to its credit. The Company knows that many 
performance-impaired employees have talents and exper-
tise that can be developed with targeted support. Once 
these skills are identified, it is often possible to move the 
employees concerned to a different, but high-quality, job 
within the Company. Work2Work is based on three princi-
ples – personal responsibility, independent initiative and 
solidarity – and the Company intends to continue and con-
tinuously improve this success story.
The Company is also particularly committed to its perfor-
mance-impaired employees outside Germany. One prime 
example here is the six sheltered workshops that employ 
over 200 people with disabilities at the ŠKODA production 
plants in the Czech Republic. Working closely with OS 
KOVO, the local trade union, ŠKODA continues to use these 
facilities to create new employment prospects for employ-
ees whose health is impaired.
Staying fit, healthy and safe
Healthy, capable and competent employees are crucial to 
top performance and to enabling Volkswagen to boost its 
market position and competitiveness. Protecting and pro-
moting good health is therefore not just a social responsibil-
ity and part of Volkswagen’s corporate culture but also vital 
to the Company’s ongoing economic health and viability. 
Health management at Volkswagen is a key part of corporate 
policy and goes well beyond traditional preventive health-
care and health and safety at work. Volkswagen’s long-estab-
lished integrated approach to health management also in-
cludes aspects such as work organisation, ergonomics, 
leadership style, and prospects for each individual. Arrange-
ments are continually being developed and expanded.
To this end, Volkswagen is represented on a number of 
national and international bodies and maintains close 
links and exchanges with the worlds of higher education 
and politics. In May 2012, Volkswagen collaborated with 
Germany’s Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and 
Health and DLR, the German Aerospace Center, to host a 
national conference entitled “Health as a Success Factor: 
Health in a Changing Employment Context”. The confer-
ence, held in Wolfsburg, was the eighth such event run 
jointly by the three organisations.  
 63
The Volkswagen Checkup, a high-quality, comprehensive 
medical examination and advice session available to all 
employees, was introduced in 2010. The Checkup is now 
available across all Volkswagen AG plants and helps main-
tain and improve the health, fitness and performance of all 
employees. Employees across the board value the Check-
up’s high diagnostic quality: more than 42,000 Volkswagen 
Checkups have been carried out so far.
The Audi Checkup has been running since 2006, with 
more than 51,000 Checkups carried out to date, including

Strategy       Ec onomy       So ci e ty       Envi r on m ent  	
	
	

75
some 9,300 follow-up measures. In 2012 alone, over 7,300 
employees took an Audi Checkup.
Following the successful introduction of the Checkup in 
sites in Germany, the Company’s priority in 2012 was 
again to broaden the range of both internal and external 
preventive health measures linked to the scheme. The 
rollout of the Volkswagen Checkup also continued across 
many Group sites abroad. At Volkswagen de México, the 
Checkup was introduced in the Puebla plant during the 
reporting year, and more than 4,000 employees have al-
ready taken up the opportunity for a free health check. 
Other Group companies have been bringing existing 
screening and preventive health programmes into line 
with the Group-wide standards represented by the Check-
up. Across the Volkswagen Group, the integrated ap-
proach to health management also includes healthy eat-
ing campaigns and a wide variety of sports and leisure 
activities, ranging from a Company ‘fitness factory’ at 
Volkswagen in Wolfsburg to corporate running events, 
also open to the public, at Volkswagen Autoeuropa in Por-
tugal.
2012 also saw Volkswagen continue its international com-
mitment to combating infectious diseases, for example 
through measures to combat HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. 
At its South African site in Uitenhage, Volkswagen has in-
vested in building a youth centre run by the HIV preven-
tion initiative LoveLife. The centre offers AIDS testing 
and advice, healthy lifestyle information, sports and lei-
sure activities, academic support, and careers advice. 
The commitment of Volkswagen of South Africa (Pty) Ltd. 
is also recognised internationally: in 2012, the Company 
won a Global Business Coalition on Health award for its 
holistic health programme, following on from the 2011 
award for its pioneering work in the area of HIV preven-
tion.  
 64
Assistance and mentoring opportunities for employees 
with mental health or psychosomatic problems and help 
with rehabilitation are being constantly expanded. 
Among other measures, employees with health problems 
have access to psychological support and specific consul-
tation arrangements for psychosomatic diseases. A tai-
lored rehabilitation programme has been developed to 
reintegrate employees after serious and/or long-term ill-
ness, offering early intervention and job-related support. 
Evaluation of the arrangements by medical experts has 
endorsed the contribution this scheme makes to reinte-
grating employees into the working process. Efforts also 
The Volkswagen Checkup, a high-quality, comprehensive medical examination and advice session available to all employees,  
was introduced in 2010. A wide variety of sports activities is also available.
Extension of the Volkswagen Checkup and 
subsequent prevention programmes
Employment    Demographic change    Advancing women and promoting diversity    Social responsibility    CSR

76	
	
	
	
	
	
	

continue to improve ergonomics in all workplaces. De-
ploying ergotherapists to production lines means that em-
ployees can access advice and guidance in situ on how to 
do their jobs more ergonomically. Further improvements 
to the workplace management system have made it a tool 
that helps workplace profiles to be reconciled with the de-
ployment options of individual employees, taking health 
and strain factors into account.
To ensure a common standard of health provision across 
the Group, a multi-level audit system was developed in 
2010, comprising self-audit and expert audit. Many sites 
have already successfully completed a self-audit, while 
the expert audit is currently being developed. This system 
helps not only with standardisation but also with knowl-
edge management, quality improvement, and the maxi-
misation of synergies.
As part of management development, supervisors in the 
Company are being made aware of the need to take great-
er account in the way they do their job as managers of the 
links between leadership and employees’ health.
In addition, since early 2012, compulsory skills modules 
on occupational safety have been organised for all future 
supervisors. On the basis of these skills modules, the 
skills training building blocks for future Meister are be-
ing standardised in 2013 and will be made an integral and 
mandatory element in the programme for developing the 
next generation of Meister. Occupational safety officers at 
all German sites have been receiving skills training since 
2009, creating a consistent basis for occupational safety 
at all Volkswagen brand sites in Germany.  
 65, 66
On the basis of the Group’s occupational safety management 
system (KAMS), which was introduced in 2010, all the rele-
vant Group brands and companies have carried out a com-
prehensive analysis of their occupational safety structures 
and processes. The findings are now available across the 
Group via a central database, and examples of good practice 
Company pension plan
Volkswagen AG, all its brands and all its subsidiaries run 
Company pension schemes to ensure that former employ-
ees have a source of income in retirement. In Germany, 
these are direct pension commitments. At Volkswagen AG, 
the arrangements comprise a basic pension and contribu-
tory pensions I and II. The basic pension and contributory 
pension I are employer-funded, while contributory pension 
II offers employees an opportunity to convert part of their 
pre-tax salary into pension contributions.
Since 2001, payments to Volkswagen AG’s Company pension 
scheme have been invested in the capital markets by the 
scheme, which is administered in trust by the Volkswagen 
Pension Trust e.V. At the end of 2012, 22 other Group 
companies in Germany were also using these arrangements. 
At year-end 2012, the Company’s pension fund had total 
assets of €3,009 million for employees’ retirement and 
disability pensions and lifelong annuity benefits in the 
event of death. Employees can also make direct contri-
butions to their own pension provision by converting a 
proportion of their salary into pension contributions.
Volkswagen AG’s Time Asset Bond is a scheme to reduce the 
length of an employee’s working life. Since 1998, the bond 
has offered employees the chance to bring forward their 
retirement age by making contributions from their gross 
salary or their working time credits. Their contributions are 
invested in the capital markets by the Time Asset Fund, 
which is administered in trust by the Volkswagen Pension 
Trust e.V. The Time Assets accumulated can then be used to 
enable employees to take paid time off in the run-up to 
retirement. At the end of the reporting year, the Time Asset 
Fund had assets of €1,329 million.

Strategy       Ec onomy       So ci e ty       Envi r on m ent  	
	
	

77
across the Volkswagen Group are systematically disseminat-
ed. A health and safety committee has been set up at each in-
cluded site to represent the entire local workforce.
Moreover, all those involved have agreed to conduct a 
brand-specific audit at all Volkswagen sites around the 
world from 2012. This audit took place at the first two sites 
in the reporting year. In addition, the Group’s occupa-
tional safety management system at the Osnabrück and 
Uitenhage sites was audited and certified by independent 
auditors. Within the Group, 2012 saw the 27th annual Oc-
cupational Safety Cup competition for Volkswagen plants 
in Europe; the cup for “Best Plant” was awarded to the 
Bratislava plant in June.  
 67
The wide range of occupational safety measures continues 
to help reduce the frequency of accidents and the stress 
they cause. 2012 brought further success in reducing the 
number and severity of occupational accidents.
ADVANCING WOMEN AND  
PROMOTING DIVERSITY
Volkswagen considers both career and family life ex-
tremely important. For Volkswagen, family-friendly HR 
policies are a key factor in becoming a top employer. This 
commitment has a long track record: in 1989, Volks-
wagen was the first major German company to formulate 
guidelines on advancing women, underpinned by tai-
lored programmes. As early as 2007, Volkswagen AG had 
set specific targets for increasing the proportion of wom-
en in the Company. In spring 2011, the Volkswagen Group 
set differentiated targets within the framework of volun-
tary undertakings to achieve sustainable growth in the 
proportion of women working for the Company in Ger-
many. With this differentiated approach, Volkswagen is 
on course to promote equality of opportunity in a way 
that is realistic and makes business sense.
Recruiting and developing talented women
One pioneering measure is setting quotas for graduate re-
cruitment. Volkswagen recruits the best graduates in their 
cohort in the skills area it needs and develops them system-
atically. As its starting point here, Volkswagen takes the 
proportion of female graduates in each discipline, so that, 
for example, around 10 percent of all the mechanical engi-
Volkswagen is keen to attract talented women. The “Woman Experience Day” targets female students and graduates in engineering disciplines. 
Hands-on experience days give young women a practical insight into careers in the automotive industry.
FURTHER FALL IN THE NUMBER AND SEVERITY 
OF OCCUPATIONAL ACCIDENTS 
 
 
Employment    Demographic change    Advancing women and promoting diversity    Social responsibility    CSR

78	
	
	
	
	
	
	

neers it recruits should be women. For electrical engineer-
ing, the proportion is also 10 percent, rising to 50 percent 
in business areas. When all the disciplines relevant to  
Volkswagen’s work are averaged out, differentiated quotas 
produce a recruitment target of at least 30 percent female 
graduates.
Volkswagen forges links with female students early in 
their academic careers to persuade them of the attrac-
tions of the engineering professions with the Company. 
In 2012, Volkswagen began working with universities to 
offer a six-month internship for female students with the 
Abitur, Germany’s school-leaving examination. Known as 
the “Technikum”, this internship is designed to encour-
age young women to take up courses in such areas as me-
chanical engineering, electrical engineering, vehicle 
technology and mechatronics.  
 68
Since 2004, the Company has been running the “Woman 
DrivING Award”, aimed at the top female engineers from 
these disciplines. The competition is held across Germany 
every two years and is designed to encourage young female 
graduates into employment in technical areas where they 
can contribute to designing and producing the cars of to-
morrow.  
 69
The “Woman Experience Day”, introduced in 2012, targets 
female students and graduates in engineering disciplines. 
Participants spend a day and a half with Volkswagen and 
are able to talk to experienced female engineers and HR 
experts. The Company has so far run five “Woman Experi-
ence Days”, offering more than 70 young women an in-
sight into the wide variety of career opportunities the 
Company can offer them.  
 70
Having a higher proportion of skilled women joining the 
Company is helping to secure a steady increase in the pro-
portion of women managers at various levels of manage-
ment over the next few years. The Volkswagen Group in Ger-
many is targeting an increase in the percentage of women at 
all management levels to 30 percent in the long term.
Since 1998, Volkswagen has offered a mentoring pro-
gramme aimed at increasing the proportion of women in 
management positions. Having been through 21 cycles with 
a total of almost 400 participants, this is a recognised de-
velopment programme in the Group. 41 women took part in 
the Volkswagen AG mentoring programme in 2012.
Volkswagen is also aiming to increase the proportion of fe-
male skilled workers and Meister to 10 percent. To help it 
achieve this goal, the Company has for over six years been 
supporting talented female skilled workers with a tailored 
mentoring programme designed to help them to progress 
to Meister grade. In 2012, 31 women within Volkswagen AG 
benefited from this programme. 
Women accounted for 26.8 percent of all apprentices in 
2012 and for 20.9 percent of all apprentices in industrial or 
technical areas. This means that the Volkswagen Group in 
Germany has one of the highest proportions of female ap-
prentices of any automotive company in the country. Volks-
wagen is keen to increase the proportion to nearer 30 per-
cent, however, and is actively seeking to recruit talented 
women. The tools it is using include special information 
days on industrial or technical vocational education and 
training at Volkswagen and hands-on experience days for 
young women. For the past twelve years, the Company has 
taken part in a national initiative, “Girls’ Day”, and during 
the reporting year, it offered around 2,000 female school 
students a practical insight into the careers offered by the 
automotive industry.  
 71
AUDI AG ran its tenth “Girls’ Day” at its Ingolstadt site in 
April 2012, attracting around 300 female students from 
across the region. Since 2007, the Association of Bavarian 
Business’s training arm, “Bildungswerk der Bayerischen 
Wirtschaft eV”, has joined forces with AUDI AG and Ingol-
stadt University of Applied Sciences to organise a “Female 
Researchers” camp, and in summer 2012, twelve students 
spent a week experiencing first-hand what female engi-
neers do in their day-to-day work. The camp has a solid ac-
ademic footing but also gives the girls a real insight into 
everyday practice.  
 72
Combining work and family
The Volkswagen Group’s Strategy 2018 sets the goal of be-
coming the most attractive employer – which also means 
the most family-friendly employer, because the Company 
Broadening provision of HR development
programmes for women
INCREASE IN FEMALE EMPLOYEES TO  
30 PERCENT AT ALL MANAGEMENT LEVELS

Strategy       Ec onomy       So ci e ty       Envi r on m ent  	
	
	

79
cannot do without dedicated and well-qualified mothers 
and fathers in any area of its activities. 
Volkswagen is working continually to improve employees’ 
opportunities to combine work and family responsibili-
ties, offering substantial flexibility, an extensive range of 
part-time and shift-working arrangements, a return to 
work at the same level after parental leave, and childcare 
provision either within or near the Company. Telework-
ing and new information and communications technolo-
gy are also helping employees to find the solution for 
combining work and family responsibilities that suits 
them best. 
To maintain contact with employees on parental leave and 
to ensure a smooth return to work at the same level, 
Volkswagen offers work options during parental leave, 
get-togethers for employees on parental leave, and semi-
nars. For more than 15 years, the Company has been run-
ning “Family Management and Career” seminars at the 
Wolfsburg plant, while Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles 
offers similar provision. All employees on parental leave 
are invited in to the Company six months before they are 
due to return to work, to discuss how they want to manage 
their working life and future career and obtain informa-
tion and advice on the range of childcare provision avail-
able. At the same time, the statutory provisions and Com-
pany arrangements for parental leave and returning to 
work are explained to them.
A further step on the way to becoming a family-friendly em-
ployer is the ongoing expansion of tailored childcare provi-
sion. At the Wolfsburg site, employees have been able since 
2010 to call on “Kaleo – SOS Childcare” which provides 
childcare when unforeseen circumstances arise. AUDI AG 
has been offering employees flexible short-term childcare 
since September 2012.
During the reporting year, five Volkswagen AG sites of-
fered provision for childcare during school holidays, ca-
tering for children aged between 6 and 12. From 2013, this 
provision will be rolled out to all Volkswagen AG sites. 
Volkswagen Osnabrück GmbH and Porsche AG are also 
planning holiday childcare provision from 2013, following 
Volkswagen Financial Services AG and AUDI AG, which 
have been running such programmes since 2008 and 2011 
respectively.
The Volkswagen Group has so far found it beneficial to es-
tablish childcare facilities within or near the Company. 
For example, Volkswagen Financial Services AG opened 
the “Frech Daxe” nursery in Braunschweig in 2008, 
which has capacity for up to 180 children up to six years of 
age, making it one of Germany’s largest company nurser-
Volkswagen is working continually to improve employees’ opportunities to combine work and family responsibilities. One example here is  
the ongoing expansion of tailored childcare provision.
Employment    Demographic change    Advancing women and promoting diversity    Social responsibility    CSR

80	
	
	
	
	
	
	

ies. In 2011, Volkswagen in Kassel and MAN Diesel & Turbo 
SE in Augsburg both opened childcare day centres near 
their premises, while the Volkswagen Group of America 
has been offering childcare provision at its Chattanooga 
plant since January 2012. Working with a regional health 
service provider, it has set up modern facilities offering 
round-the-clock care seven days a week for up to 200 chil-
dren. The care centre is also open to the local community, 
but Volkswagen employees enjoy discounted fees. As well 
as full-day care for babies and children from six weeks to 
five years of age, the centre also offers half-day care for 
schoolchildren aged up to 13. 
Volkswagen Motor Polska in Poland won a prize in the na-
tional “Mothers at Work” competition in 2012 for its com-
mitment to the family, while Volkswagen Motor Polska 
and Volkswagen Poznan’s “Mother-to-be” programme al-
lows women to work flexible hours or to reduce their 
hours without loss of pay during pregnancy. Women also 
benefit from additional arrangements such as rest rooms 
for pregnant and breast-feeding women, dedicated park-
ing spaces near the workplace, and special medical 
check-ups from the Company medical service. Since the 
programme was launched at Volkswagen Motor Polska in 
2006 and at Volkswagen Poznan in 2008, more than 100 
mothers-to-be have benefited from these arrangements.
Volkswagen AG has a wide range of provision for time off to 
help its employees to care for close family members. Em-
ployees have a right to 10 working days’ leave at short notice 
to organise appropriate care or to make other arrange-
ments. They may also take up to six months’ part-time or 
full-time leave to fulfil their caring responsibilities.
Volkswagen is particularly flexible in its commitment to 
re-employing workers who take extended leave. For the 
past 20 years or so, employees have been able to request 
up to eight years’ leave of absence without having to give 
reasons and have the right to re-employment on their for-
mer terms and conditions.
Diversity and Equality
The Volkswagen Group is a complex global undertaking 
with 99 manufacturing plants across Europe, America, 
Asia and Africa. Volkswagen vehicles are sold in 153 coun-
tries, and in 2012, Volkswagen AG alone employed nation-
als of 107 countries. The Company is deeply committed to 
promoting peaceful cooperation between diverse tradi-
tions and cultures. 
Volkswagen is committed to respect, tolerance and cosmo-
politanism. Treating each other with respect and working 
together means valuing each individual’s personality. 
Volkswagen guarantees equal opportunity and equal treat-
ment irrespective of ethnicity, skin colour, gender, disabil-
ity, ideology, faith, nationality, sexual orientation, social 
background or political conviction provided this is based 
on democratic principles and tolerance towards those of 
contradictory convictions. The Volkswagen Group’s Code 
of Conduct underpins this aspiration across the Group, 
and every employee and member of an executive body has 
responsibility under the Code for ensuring that individuals 
work together in partnership.  
 15

The fact is, however, that discrimination happens in all 
parts of society. Openness and transparency, collegiality, 
and civil courage have proved the best tools with which to 
combat it, so every employee is under an obligation to noti-
fy any breach of the Code without delay. If an employee 
feels he or she is being discriminated against, the Compa-
ny meets the statutory provisions for whistle-blowing but 
also provides access to trained personnel to support and 
advise the individual concerned. At the employee’s re-
quest, meetings can be organised with all parties to resolve 
the situation, and this system has proved successful in re-
solving many disputes before they ever reached the formal 
complaint stage. If there is a major breach of the Code of 
Conduct, the Company may take appropriate action against 
an individual who is acting in a discriminatory way; sanc-
tions range from a formal warning or relocation to dis-
missal. 
These rights and obligations have been firmly established 
in the works agreement “Co-operative Conduct at the 
Workplace” for Volkswagen AG employees and sites since 
1996. This works agreement was revised in 2007, and every 
new employee receives a copy or instruction when they are 
appointed. To provide deeper insight, Volkswagen also reg-
ularly holds seminars on fair behaviour at the workplace, 
DIVERSITY IN ACTION: VOLKSWAGEN AG ALONE  
EMPLOYS NATIONALS OF 107 COUNTRIES

Strategy       Ec onomy       So ci e ty       Envi r on m ent  	
	
	

81
seminars for line managers, and briefings on labour law 
for those in an advisory role. There are also plans to intro-
duce an online learning programme to complement the 
Company’s current skills training provision.
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Corporate social responsibility also means being commit-
ted to local well-being beyond the factory gates – for exam-
ple, through promoting regional growth initiatives. 
Wolfsburg AG, a public-private partnership between the 
Company and the town of Wolfsburg set up in 1999, takes a 
leading role here. Since 2009, it has been partnering with 
another organisation to form the “Allianz für die Region” 
or Regional Alliance; its partner, the “Region Braun- 
schweig GmbH” project, takes in the towns of Wolfsburg, 
Braunschweig and Salzgitter and the surrounding rural 
areas, as well as regional businesses. The aim of the Alli-
ance is to develop this region as a national beacon for em-
ployment and quality of life. To this end, partners from the 
private sector, higher education, government and society 
have joined forces to share skills and resources at local, 
regional and supra-regional level. In addition to a broad 
range of measures to promote business, the initiative also 
contributes towards educational, health, leisure and en-
ergy goals. By improving local facilities for residents and 
businesses, the Alliance is boosting a sense of well-being 
and identity and making the area more attractive to skilled 
workers and as a business location.
Pioneering approaches to sustainable regional develop-
ment have already been launched in many areas. For exam-
ple, what is known as the “Metropolitan Region of Hano-
ver, Braunschweig, Göttingen and Wolfsburg” hosts one of 
Germany’s four electric mobility showcases. Wolfenbüttel, 
an administrative district involved in piloting the “Health 
in the Future Regions” project overseen by the federal state 
of Lower Saxony, has launched a mobile doctor’s surgery to 
provide the best possible healthcare to those living in rural 
areas and housebound patients. Cooperation within the 
Regional Alliance is also being stepped up from 2013.
At the initiative of Volkswagen AG, Wolfsburg AG is coordi-
nating cooperation between Volkswagen, the Volkswagen 
Works Council, the town of Wolfsburg, Wolfsburg AG, Auto-
stadt GmbH, and public transport providers in Wolfsburg. 
The partners have been working together since early 2012 
to develop coordinated models for sustainable improve-
ment in the traffic conditions around the Wolfsburg site. 
The first results came on stream during the reporting year 
and included a plant shuttle bus service, new parking pro-
vision, and dedicated parking areas for car-sharers.  
 73
In addition to these infrastructure projects, Volkswagen  
is also actively involved in education in the region. The 
“Neue Schule Wolfsburg” project, an initiative designed 
to set up a new school in Wolfsburg in partnership with 
the town and local businesses, opened its doors in August 
2009. The primary and secondary school, which is open 
to all children from the town of Wolfsburg and the sur-
rounding region, designs its curriculum around five key 
themes: a strong international focus, science and tech-
nology, business, the arts, and the promotion of talent. 
The school’s mission was developed by an international 
panel of experts and is delivered by 64 committed teach-
ers who work closely with business and educational ex-
perts and a wide range of extramural institutions. In the 
current (2012/2013) school year, the school has more than 
500 students in years 1 to 4 and 5 to 8 (those aged between 
6 and 9 and between 10 and 13). The steady stream of inter-
ested visitors from German towns and cities and adminis-
trative districts shows that our efforts in this area have 
created new impetus in the education sector.
In addition to school projects, many Group sites have 
launched their own education initiatives in the area of 
road safety. Porsche AG, for example, collaborated with a 
partner to set up a “Kids’ Driving School”. A longer-run-
ning initiative is the “Parque Polo”, an area for road safety 
training through play for children aged 5 to 15 in the 
grounds of the Volkswagen Navarra plant in Spain. The 
park was opened in 1999 as a community project run by 
Volkswagen Navarra, the Navarra savings bank, and the 
regional government. 4,227 school-age children visited 
the park in its first year, and by 2012, visitor numbers had 
almost doubled, to 8,019.  
 74 
ŠKODA, too, is constantly expanding its road safety train-
ing activities. The multimedia tool “Playful ŠKODA” is 
ROAD SAFETY TRAINING INITIATIVES  
LAUNCHED  
 
 
Employment    Demographic change    Advancing women and promoting diversity    Social responsibility    CSR

82	
	
	
	
	
	
	

aimed primarily at school-age children and helps young 
children to get to grips with the concepts and rules of road 
traffic. This interactive tool can be accessed in four lan-
guages on the ŠKODA website.  
 75
Volkswagen Group China, meanwhile, has been building 
on the success of its road safety television programme 
“Family Road Safety” in 2012 to launch a fifth series, 
which targets the whole family with tips and advice for 
safe travel.
But Volkswagen aims to support the older members of 
society as well as the youngest. The Company’s HR policy 
is to support older workers as they make the transition 
from employment to retirement. About two years before 
they are due to retire, older employees take part in 
events facilitated by HR staff to help them move smooth-
ly into this new phase in their lives. They are briefed on 
volunteering 
opportunities, 
including 
working 
in 
schools to help children with reading or as learning sup-
port assistants. A Group-wide “Senior Expert” scheme 
was established to provide this service across all sites, 
and retired employees are offered the opportunity to 
pass on their skills and experience to others, whether at 
regional, national or international level, for example by 
teaching technology and maths in schools or by helping 
to train specialists and management staff. Since the pro-
ject began in September 2010, some 250 retirees have 
signed up with this scheme.
Volkswagen takes enormous pride in its commitment to 
volunteering. Current employees are also very keen to 
take up and carry out voluntary roles, and the Company 
supports them in their efforts. The “Volkswagen Pro 
Ehrenamt” (Volkswagen Supports Volunteering) initia-
tive is a highly successful clearing house, linking com-
munity initiatives looking for volunteers with Volkswagen 
staff wanting to help in a social capacity. “Volkswagen 
Pro Ehrenamt” works not only within Volkswagen AG 
sites but also in the surrounding regions in partnership 
with some 700 organisations and bodies. The core aim is 
to boost the profile of volunteering in the public percep-
tion, and support for volunteering has become firmly 
embedded in the Group’s sustainability strategy over the 
past few years.
In 2012 alone, line managers held more than 800 debrief-
ings with volunteers that highlighted the value of social 
responsibility and skills development outside narrowly 
defined technical areas. Since the project was set up in 
late 2008, it has registered over 3,000 volunteer openings 
and placed some 1,500 volunteers. Other companies in 
the Group have developed similar models, including 
AUDI AG and ŠKODA Auto a. s.
Volkswagen also supports employees who volunteer as 
fire-fighters by funding, organising and carrying out the 
necessary medical tests on those trained to use breathing 
equipment. Volunteer fire-fighters are able to access 
these preventive tests at all German sites as part of the 
employee preventive healthcare programme. This ena-
bles the Company to reduce the amount of time volun-
teers spend on such procedures and, by meeting the cost, 
also to relieve the financial burden on local communities. 
The scheme, which was launched by “Volkswagen pro 
Ehrenamt”, has been running since 2011. 
The Volkswagen Group also supports the voluntary commit-
ments of its employees outside Germany. The “Great Show of 
Hands” programme that operates in and around Johannes-
burg and Port Elizabeth is just one example. The programme 
was launched at the initiative of Volkswagen employees in 
South Africa who wanted to play an active part in the exten-
sive support offered by the Company to local communities. 
The “Great Show of Hands” programme focuses on educa-
tion, support for young people, healthcare and community 
welfare, and its projects are supported by Volkswagen of 
South Africa (Pty.) Ltd. More than 300 Volkswagen employ-
ees took part in a range of voluntary activities in 2012. 
As well as giving their time and talents, Volkswagen em-
ployees show sustainable commitment to charitable giving. 
For several decades, the Company has operated an employ-
ee donation scheme initiated by the General Works Coun-
cil to benefit those in need in the areas in which it oper-
ates, and employees and Company alike have supported it 
generously. In Wolfsburg alone, about €410,000 was raised 
in 2012 to support social welfare organisations.
The Company also demonstrates its social responsibility 
through its recently-created foundation, the “Volkswagen 
SINCE 2008 VOLKSWAGEN HAS PLACED EMPLOYEES 
IN SOME 1,500 VOLUNTARY ROLES

Strategy       Ec onomy       So ci e ty       Envi r on m ent  	
	
	

83
Belegschaftsstiftung” (Volkswagen Employees’ Founda-
tion). This body, set up by Volkswagen AG in 2011, supports 
social projects benefiting socially disadvantaged children 
and young people across all Group sites, with a particular 
emphasis on vocational education and training. The 
Board of Management and the Board of Trustees took up 
office in 2011. They have decided, in conjunction with the 
Volkswagen Belegschaftsstiftung’s cooperation partner – 
the children’s and adolescents’ charity “terre des 
Hommes” – to build a vocational education and training 
centre for socially disadvantaged young people in India. 
Training began in mid-2012 and is being provided on al-
ternative premises until the centre is built. 
The Company supports organisations and events world-
wide through sponsoring and donations. Charitable giv-
ing is a key way in which Volkswagen channels its com-
mitment to social responsibility. The Company has a 
Group-wide Code of Conduct governing donations and 
sponsoring and donates both money and equipment for 
science and education, culture, sport and social con-
cerns. 
For example, Volkswagen has for many years collaborated 
with the Peter Maffay Foundation. Set up in 2000, the 
Foundation mainly provides therapeutic activity holidays 
for disadvantaged and traumatised children and young 
people. Volkswagen has been working with singer and 
songwriter Peter Maffay since 2007 in a cooperative “Alli-
ance for Children”, which supports joint charitable pro-
jects for vulnerable and needy children.  
 76
Since 2009, Volkswagen has also been providing vehicle 
support to the Hanover-based “Netzwerk für die Ver-
sorgung schwerkranker Kinder und Jugendlicher e. V.”, a 
network supporting children and young people with seri-
ous health problems. Mobility is vital to the network, and 
in August 2012, Volkswagen donated two vehicles to support 
its research, coordination and training activities across 
Lower Saxony. 
Fairtrade
At the suggestion of the General Works Council, Volks-
wagen has been selling Fairtrade-branded products in 
its catering facilities via its catering provider, Service 
Factory Gastronomie und Hotellerie, since 1999. Fairly 
traded products help producers in developing countries 
to earn an independent and dignified livelihood, and 
support for Fairtrade has been growing across the 
Group: an increasingly wide range of products is availa-
ble, and new sales stands and product information help 
raise awareness and boost sales. In 2012, for example, 
total consumption of Fairtrade coffee was 46.5 tonnes, 
Taking pride in volunteering. The “Great Show of Hands” programme was launched at the initiative of Volkswagen employees in 
South Africa.
Employment    Demographic change    Advancing women and promoting diversity    Social responsibility    CSR

84	
	
	
	
	
	
	

close to the record consumption of 51 tonnes in 2011. 
Over the reporting year, Service Factory Office Manage-
ment extended its range of fairly traded products to in-
clude craft items for the first time. Small workshops in 
Madagascar have been using recycled cans to produce 
model vehicles based on the iconic VW Beetle  and VW 
Transporter T2. More than 1,500 models have been sold 
within Volkswagen since they were introduced in May 
2012, enabling two new craft businesses in Madagascar 
to be recruited as suppliers.
Company donations	
Volkswagen supports organisations and events around the 
world with sponsoring and donations in areas including:
>	 Science and research, education
>	 Charitable purposes
>	 Sport
>	 Culture
>	 General welfare and other purposes
>	 Churches, religious bodies and learned bodies
The total value of giving in 2012 does not include the “Volkswagen Bel-
egschaftsstiftung” (Volkswagen Employees’ Foundation). Volkswagen 
made no donations to political parties, party-affiliated foundations or 
representatives of the political arena.
*The figure given does not include cause-related marketing, sponsor-
ing or projects and activities conducted by Volkswagen as part of its 
social and cultural commitment.
Volkswagen only grants donations to organisations recog-
nised to be non-profit or that are authorised by special 
provisions to accept donations. The awarding of dona-
tions must be transparent; the purpose, the recipient of 
the donation, and the receipt for the donation from the 
recipient are documented and can be verified.
For example, in April 2012, Volkswagen and its dealers do-
nated a total of €349,000 to the cooperative “Alliance for 
Children”. The Company has been working with Peter 
Maffay since 2007 to support charitable projects targeting 
children in need. In 2012, Volkswagen donated a total of 
€33 million, more than twice as much as in the previous 
year.
Volkswagen also recognises its corporate responsibility to 
support political parties in their work. The Company is 
very careful to avoid any influence on the exercise of de-
mocracy. Volkswagen does not make donations to politi-
cal parties. 
Workforce donations	
Workforce donations for people in need have a long tradi-
tion at Volkswagen: in 2012, employees of Volkswagen AG 
alone gave more than €2 million to good causes. Work-
force donations represent a major contribution by Volks-
wagen AG companies and their employees to those in 
need in locations where Volkswagen AG operates. In 2012, 
some €490,000 went into supporting regional social pro-
jects, including the “Starthilfe” (Getting Started) project 
devoted to combating the growing problem of child pov-
erty in the Wolfsburg region. “Starthilfe” uses donations 
to launch, promote and focus projects and measures to al-
leviate child poverty. In the “One hour for the future” 
Charitable purposes
Cultural, religious and general welfare purposes
Sport
Science and research, education
Total giving*: 
€33 million
VOLKSWAGEN AG: 
COMPANY DONATIONS in % 2012
77.0 
15.0
1.2
6.8

Strategy       Ec onomy       So ci e ty       Envi r on m ent  	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	

85
campaign, Volkswagen and Audi employees donate an 
hour’s pay to help street children, and in 2012, Volks-
wagen AG employees alone raised over €1.3 million for aid 
projects in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, India 
and Germany. Since 2003, this initiative has also included 
the collection of “spare cents”: employees donate the odd 
cents included on their monthly pay slip.
 
To mark the 2010 football World Cup, hosted by South Afri-
ca, the Group Global Works Council launched a special 
project, “A chance to play”, now renamed “A chance to 
play – o direito de brincar” and carried over to the next 
World Cup, which will be held in Brazil. The bodies in-
volved include the “Football and Development Founda-
tion”, which works across South America to coordinate 
the huge interest in street football. Volkswagen AG em-
ployees gave €287,670 to this special project during the 
reporting year.  
 77
The special project “A chance to play” was launched to mark the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The programme now moves to Brazil and has 
been renamed “A chance to play – o direito de brincar”.
Volkswagen Ag: 
WORKFORCE DONATIONS IN 2012
Commitment to social projects around the world: Volkswagen AG 
employees alone gave more than €2 million.
€ 1,292,568
€ 287,670
“A chance to play”
“One hour for the future”
Employee giving
€ 490,082
Employment    Demographic change    Advancing women and promoting diversity    Social responsibility    CSR

Volkswagen is motivated by a sense of re-
sponsibility to help meet the key chal-
lenges of the 21st century – in particular 
resource conservation, climate protec-
tion, and striking a fair balance within 
and between generations around the 
world. For a global corporate group like 
Volkswagen, this responsibility grows in 
parallel with its commercial success, at 
the same time boosting the intensity with 
which the Group pursues its Corporate 
Social Responsibility (CSR) projects. 
Volkswagen supported a multitude of ini-
tiatives in 2012 – helping not only with 
concepts and planning, but also by pro-
viding funding and material assets such 
as vehicle loans.  
 78
In selecting projects, the Group is guided 
by a philosophy and fundamental convic-
tion comprising two core elements: conti-
nuity rather than chasing trends; and a 
commitment to sustainable structural 
development in the locations where we 
operate, with the goal of driving socioec-
onomic growth and creating opportuni-
ties for local people. In concrete terms, 
this means that all CSR projects initiated 
or supported by Volkswagen around the 
world comply with the following princi-
ples:
>	 They align with our corporate mission 
while addressing a specific local or re-
gional issue.
>	 They are an expression of the diversity 
within the Group and the social envi-
ronment where the projects are car-
ried out.
> They are developed in close dialogue 
with local stakeholders, who are also 
involved in the implementation phase.
>	 They are managed locally under the re-
sponsibility of the Group units that op-
erate in that region.
This modern understanding of CSR makes 
the projects an important building block 
of sustainability at Volkswagen; the eco-
nomic, environmental and social aspects 
are not conflicting objectives, but are mu-
tually dependent and drive each other for-
ward. At Volkswagen, this approach enjoys 
a long tradition. Long before CSR was in-
corporated as a strategic aspect of its cor-
porate policies, Volkswagen pursued a 
commitment to social responsibility that 
invariably combined the promotion of its 
own business interests with serving phil-
anthropic motives. Projects carried out in 
Brazil and South Africa in the 1970s re-
flect this conviction.
Since 2009, Volkswagen has been hold-
ing regular Group CSR Meetings to build 
effective internal networks between proj-
ects and continue expanding its world-
wide engagement. Wolfsburg played host 
to this Group-wide communication and 
information forum in 2012. At the two-
day conference, CSR coordinators repre-
senting each region and brand presented 
new projects and ideas. 2012 also saw the 
development of a comprehensive CSR 
publication which provides concrete ex-
amples and interesting background in-
formation on individual Volkswagen CSR 
projects.
For Volkswagen, corporate responsibility does not end at the factory gates. The Group 
supports aid projects and social and environmental initiatives around the globe.
86	
	
	
	
	
	
	

Acting on our 
convictions.

Strategy       Ec onomy       So ci e ty       Envi r on m ent  	
	
	

87
	
	
	
	
	
	

87
To support social and ecological projects, Volkswagen set 
up “Fundação Volkswagen” in Brazil. Over the past ten 
years, this foundation has reached out to help more than 
a million schoolchildren and students.

CSR projects 
around the world
Antarctica
1 	 Princess Elisabeth Antarctic 	
	
	
Station (not on map)
Argentina
2  Grupo de Voluntarios
3  Ferdinand Porsche Institute
4  Global Compact
5  Water biotope
Australia
6 	 Fuel-saver courses
Ethiopia
7 	 Education initiatives
Brazil
8  Sustainable Life programme
9 	 “Fundação Volkswagen”
10  Hydroelectric power plants
11  Sewing the Future
12  Nature and species conservation 		
	
projects
13  Water pump project
14  Ten Trees per Car
15  Wastewater treatment
16  Water purification
17  Industrial water treatment
18  A Chance to Play
19  Donating used computers
20 Small hydropower stations
21  Pro-Educate Brazil
22  Volkswagen in the Community
23  HIV/AIDS programme
24  Quality of Life
25  Fitness Index
26  Regional school programme
27  Fitness competition
28  Drug abuse prevention
29  Infant care
30  Home care
31  Environmental performance
32  Protecting plant biodiversity 
China   
33  Volkswagen Road Safety TV
34  Green Future Environmental 	
	
	
Education Initiative
35  Accident research
36  China river oases
37  Intercultural dialogue
Germany
38  Work2Work integration project
39  Centers of Competence e.V.
40 Volkswagen pro Ehrenamt
41  Senior experts 
42  Eco-friendly use of resources
43  Helping children in Braunschweig
44 Neighbourhood Dialogue
45  Nature and species conservation 		
	
projects
46 Audi 24-hour race
47  A Heart for Hamsters
48 Renaturation of Aller River 	
	
	
biotope
49 Support for NABU’s German 	
	
	
Wildlife Corridor Network project
50  Water usage at Audi
51  FleetCompetence eCO2
52  Protecting moorland near 	
	
	
Gifhorn
53  Recycling centre
54  Young drivers
55  Oak forests store CO2
56  New Responsibility Foundation
57  Museum Bus 
58  Urban Future  
59  Urban Cycling
60 Junior Coach
United Kingdom
61  Green Travel Plan
India
62  Volkswagen India Academy 
Israel
63  Bilateral training
Italy   
64 Solar power plant
65  Oak forest research project
Japan   
66 Biodiversity
Netherlands Antilles   
67  Wind-diesel power plant
67
97
70
71
72
99
100
101
102
98
88	
	
	
	
	
	
	

2
3
4
5
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
20
17
19
21
18
16
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
88	
	
	
	
	
	
	

32

Mali   
68 Assistance for Tuareg people
69 Development assistance for 	
	
	
Tuareg people
Mexico   
70  Izta Popo Project
71  A Day for the Future
72  Volkswagen Award
Poland
73  Children and Career
74  Mini Handball Cup
Portugal
75  ATEC training centre
Russia  
76  Dual vocational education
77  Sports sponsorship
Sweden        
78  Fun Theory
79  Scania Drivers Competition
Slovakia
80 Inventory in Paradise
Spain   
81  “Life” electromobility initiative
82  SEAT in the Sun
South Africa
83  Volkswagen Community 
	
Trust
84 Great Show of Hands
85  AIDS Care
86 Rally to Read
Czech Republic
87  One Tree per Car
88 Na Karmeli
89 Festival of cultures
90 Laughter is the best medicine
91  ŠKODA Auto Museum
92  Sheltered Workshops
93  ŠKODA Auto Brass Band
Turkey  
94 Road safety awareness
Hungary
95  Audi Kreativity
96 Oak forests store CO2
USA
97  Partners in Education
98 MoMA Partnership
99 VSA Arts
100 Green factory in Chattanooga 
101 Battery research
Venezuela   
102 All for One
Zimbabwe 
103 Junior Masters 
6
35
39 40 41 42
45
44
43
46 47
51
50
90
52
95
54
88
62
63
64
65
66
68
69
73
75
79
74
77
78
81
80
82
83 84
85 86
92
89
87
93
91
96
103
In a new publication, 
Volkswagen shows 
how it advocates 
ecological and social 
sustainability 
around the world.
                       
 79
 	
	
	
	
	
	
	

89
59
58
61
76
48
49
53
55 56 57
7
33
94
 	
	
	
	
	
	
	

89
34
36
37
38
60
CSR worldwide
Overview of all CSR projects at:
www.sustainability-report2012.volkswagenag.com

Environment.

Environment
Management approach // Climate protection // Life cycle assessments // Efficient vehicles // 
Efficient production // Sustainable mobility // Traffic noise // Green logistics // Green IT // 
Resource efficiency // Water // Biodiversity // Awards // Think Blue. Factory.
4
The commitment of our employees leads to superior environmentally compatible technology.  
Active Cylinder Management (ACT), for example, shuts down two of the four cylinders when the 
engine is in the low-load range. For the environment that means 9 grams less CO₂. Every kilometre.

92	
	
	
	
	
	
	

Environmental impacts
Volkswagen is aiming to achieve a 25 percent reduction in  
environmental impacts from its production operations by 2018.
	 25%
Clean credentials.
On its way to becoming the world’s most sustainable automaker, Volkswagen passed  
further key milestones during the past year, and continues to set its sights on ambitious 
goals.
2010
2012
2011
2.53 MWh/veh.
2.26 MWh/veh.
2.21 
MWh/veh.
Energy consumption
Volkswagen aims to reduce its production-related 
energy consumption by 25 percent by 2018 versus 
2010 levels. Since that baseline year, energy con-
sumption for passenger car and light commercial 
vehicle production has already been reduced by 
around 13 percent per vehicle.
kg
The weight of the new Golf has been reduced by up to  
100 kg, despite further improvements in comfort and safety. 
And depending on the engine version, fuel consumption has 
been reduced by up to 23 percent. In the European market 
alone, that represents potential savings of 119,000 tonnes  
of CO2 per year.
Lightweight design
100 kg

Strategy       Ec onomy       Soc i e t y       E nvi ronm e nt 	
	
	
	
	
	

93
Dr.-Ing. E. h. Michael Macht
‘GROUP PRODUCTION’
ambitious goals, across all our 
“With our sights set on 
 sites, we are on our way to 
becoming the world’s
Volkswagen will invest some 
€600 million in the expansion 
of renewable energies by 2016.
Renewable 
energy
CO₂ emissions
164 g/km
144 g/km
134 g/km
<120 g/km
95 g/km
2007
2010
2012
2015
2020
At present, Volkswagen offers 245 models with CO₂ emissions of less than 120 g/km. By 2020, 
the company will reduce the average CO₂ emissions of its European new car fleet to 95 g/km.
most sustainable manufacturer.”

94	
	
	
	
	
	
	

MANAGEMENT APPROACH
The Group’s environmental management is responsible 
for ensuring that the ecological aspects of sustainability 
are firmly anchored in our product development and 
production strategy at all sites. For Volkswagen, the pri-
orities here include the efficient handling of resources 
such as energy and water, efficient use of materials, mini-
mising emissions of noise and pollutants, waste and 
wastewater, and preserving and promoting biodiversity. 
Ambitious objectives
Volkswagen has set itself the goal of becoming the global 
number one in the automotive sector in ecological terms by 
2018, and is aiming to improve the eco-friendliness of its 
production by 25 percent. To this end, energy and water 
consumption, together with emissions and waste, are all to 
be cut by 25 percent over 2010 levels. Additionally, in Ger-
many the Group is committed to reducing its greenhouse 
gas emissions from energy supplies by 40 percent between 
2010 and 2020. To meet these ambitious targets, the Group 
will channel over two thirds of its €50.2 billion investment 
programme directly or indirectly into the development of 
increasingly efficient and safer vehicles, new drive systems 
and environmentally compatible production processes at 
its plants around the world.  
 80
Around €600 million worth of investment has been ear-
marked specifically for renewable energy expansion. 
Volkswagen has also set itself clear targets regarding the 
ecological performance of its products. For example, it is 
aiming to reduce the CO₂ emissions of its European new 
vehicle fleet by 30 percent by 2015 compared with a 2006 
baseline. Volkswagen has adopted 95 g CO₂/km as its 2020 
target for European new car fleet-average emissions.This 
makes the Volkswagen Group the first carmaker to com-
mit to this ambitious goal. This emissions figure corre-
sponds to fuel consumption of less than 4 litres/100 km –
across all vehicle segments and classes.
Volkswagen has already achieved some notable improve-
ments en route to its aspired environmental leadership. 
For example, between 2010 and 2012, emissions of CO2 
from the production process were cut by approximately 
129 kilograms per vehicle produced (passenger cars and 
light commercial vehicles), while metallic production 
waste was reduced by more than 28 kilograms per vehicle. 
Over the same period, the Volkswagen Group also re-
duced its output of wastewater per vehicle produced by 
around 440 litres. Between 2008 and 2012, European 
fleet-average CO2 emissions were reduced from 159 g 
CO2/km to 134 g CO2/km. That equates to a reduction of 
approximately 15.7 percent.  
Group-wide environmental management
The corporate environmental management system pro-
vides the organisational basis for meeting the Group’s en-
vironmental targets. It also ensures Group-wide compli-
ance with all relevant legislation. We are not aware of any 
significant violations of environmental legislation during 
the reporting year. 
November 2011 saw the appointment of a Group Chief Of-
ficer for the Environment, Energy and New Business Areas, 
who reports directly to the Board Member for Production 
at Volkswagen AG. This newly created role will combine 
and reinforce all global activities relating to implemen-
tation of the Volkswagen Group environmental manage-
ment and energy strategy, and the development of new 
Energy consumption per vehicle produced 
has been cut by 13 percent compared to 2010 
A commitment driven by responsibility
THE ECOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF SUSTAINABILITY FORM AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE CORPORATE 
CULTURE AT VOLKSWAGEN. THROUGH FAR-SIGHTED STRATEGIES AND IN DIALOGUE WITH  
ITS STAKEHOLDERS, THE COMPANY DEVELOPS NOT ONLY EFFICIENT AND ENVIRONMENTALLY 
COMPATIBLE PRODUCTS BUT ALSO SOLUTIONS THAT ADDRESS OVERARCHING CHALLENGES  
SUCH AS CLIMATE CHANGE.
4

Strategy       Ec onomy       Soc i e t y       E nvi ronm e nt 	
	
	
	
	
	

95
business areas. Important duties will include inter-brand 
coordination on environmental and energy strategies and 
ensuring implementation of these strategies across all 
brands. Within the context of the Collective Agreement 
for the Future, in 2011 an Innovation Fund II was set up at 
the Works Council’s initiative. This fund will promote the 
development of new business areas above and beyond our 
existing portfolio of products and services, with a particu-
lar focus on energy-related and environmental aspects. 
Innovation Fund II will contain around €20 million per 
annum of funding for Volkswagen projects across the en-
tire automotive value chain, and will have the effect of 
safeguarding jobs in the long term. Under one project 
launched with the help of Innovation Fund II, gravity-
based conveyors have been developed which are now han-
dling doors on the Golf 7 production lines in Wolfsburg, 
achieving energy savings of up to 80 percent. The doors 
slide slowly down the roof-mounted conveyors to their 
correct destination on the production line under the  
action of gravity. The same system could also be used to 
handle wheels, bodies, engines and many other types of 
component. Group-wide deployment of this technology 
could potentially create up to 50 jobs.
The Corporate Environmental and Energy Steering 
Group helps to safeguard the long-term value of the Com-
pany and avert potential environmental threats. The 
Steering Group plays an overarching role in the pursuit of 
environmental goals and is subdivided into seven mod-
ules to address measures at each stage of the process 
chain. All decisions made by the Steering Group are di-
rectly incorporated into the Volkswagen Group’s manage-
ment processes. Their implementation falls partly within 
the remit of the plant environmental officers, who meet 
several times a year to discuss projects, goals and meas-
ures. 
In order to ensure that all Volkswagen cars launched on 
the market are environmentally superior to their prede-
cessors, environmental “mentors” are consulted from the 
outset of any vehicle project, and their expertise is incor-
porated into the vehicle development process. 
CORPORATE ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY STEERING GROUP
Environment
Governance
Social
Group “CSR 
and Sustainability” Steering Group 
Corporate  
Environmental 
and Energy 
Steering Group
Modules
Overarching implementation of environmental goals
Company
Product  
planning and  
development
Suppliers
Logistics
Production
Sales and 
marketing
Recycling
- 	Overarching  
function
- 	general overview 
- 	benchmarking
- 	reporting
- 	recommen-
   	dations
Management approach    Climate protection    Life cycle assessments    Efficient vehicles/production    Sustainable mobility    Traffic noise   
Green logistics/IT    Resource efficiency    Water    Biodiversity    Awards    Think Blue. Factory.

96	
	
	
	
	
	
	

Energy management is also firmly anchored in the Volks- 
wagen organisation. A Corporate Energy Working Group 
was set up back in 2002, with representatives (“Energy Of-
ficers”) from every plant. The Working Group regularly de-
bates a range of issues including energy procurement, 
planning, invoicing and controlling, and develops stand-
ards. It is also in charge of energy reporting, energy audits 
and energy campaigns. The Working Group has drawn up a 
list of around 200 individual energy efficiency measures 
for the technical and organisational sectors. The Working 
Group devises training concepts for energy officers in all 
production segments and at all locations. To date, more 
than 270 energy officers have successfully completed their 
training. 
A corporate energy management system was developed in 
2008. At its heart is a global intranet portal, linking all of-
fices across the Group that are working to boost energy ef-
ficiency. The portal showcases best practice examples and 
facilitates direct contact with those responsible for their 
implementation, to ensure a seamless exchange of ideas. 
It also outlines basic regulations and energy-saving tips, 
including some generated by the central idea manage-
ment system. An interactive program, “The Energy Advis-
er”, provides another invaluable source of information on 
energy efficiency measures in the production sector. 
Principles and certification
Volkswagen boasts a long tradition of environmental man-
agement and certification. In 1995, Volkswagen was the 
first automaker to voluntarily participate in the EU Eco-Au-
dit at its German plants, while its sites worldwide partici-
pated in the environmental certification process to inter-
national standard ISO 14001. The Group Environmental 
Principles governing our products and production opera-
tions are the mainstays of Volkswagen’s environmental 
policy. The Environmental Principles, Product focus on the 
aspects of climate, resources and health, and stipulate that 
over its entire life cycle, every new vehicle model should ex-
hibit superior environmental properties to its predecessor. 
The Environmental Principles, Production are devoted to 
the aspects of production processes and infrastructure. Both 
these sets of Environmental Principles are based on interna-
tional environmental and energy management systems as 
defined by EMAS and ISO 14001. All responsible individuals 
in the corporate functions and at the various sites are re-
quired to uphold the Group Environmental Principles in 
every decision they make. Since 1996, this standard has also 
applied to the environmental management system of the 
Volkswagen Technical Development department, which has 
additionally held DIN ISO/TR 14062 certification since 2009. 
Recertifications and monitoring audits confirmed Volks-
wagen’s leading position during the reporting year.  
 7
Training and sensitisation 
The 1995 Factory Agreement on Environmental Protection 
motivates all employees to integrate the principles of envi-
ronmental protection into their everyday work. Volkswagen 
also arranges training courses for employees to ensure that 
environmental management objectives and measures are 
upheld in practice across all its global production sites. In 
2012, a variety of training courses were held, and attended 
by a total of 519 employees. Topics included environmental 
protection for supervisors and energy efficiency awareness 
training for planning staff.  
 24, 25, 81, 82, 83
Additionally, dedicated training is given to environmental 
protection specialists at all Volkswagen locations in Ger-
many, and also (from 2013) at Audi in Neckarsulm. Training 
courses are held at a central location to encourage net-
working and learning from one another. The environmen-
tal protection specialists assist the environmental officers 
and help to anchor environmental protection in the wider 
consciousness of the workforce. Additionally, Works Coun-
cil members at all Volkswagen sites in Germany receive 
training in energy and environmental issues to equip them 
for their vital role as multipliers when recommending spe-
cific practices for greater sustainability. Four such events 
were held in 2012, and attended by a total of 58 participants. 
The Volkswagen brand’s annual “Think Blue. Factory”-Award 
is another important management tool for engaging, in-
centifying and motivating all employees. With effect from 
2013, the Volkswagen “Think Blue. Engineering”-Award will 
also be presented at product level.  
 84
The “Sustainability in Supplier Relations” concept helps 
to ensure that Volkswagen’s environment-related targets 
270 energy officers have been 
trained worldwide

Strategy       Ec onomy       Soc i e t y       E nvi ronm e nt 	
	
	
	
	
	

97
and measures are observed at every stage of the supply 
chain (> p. 34). 
Regional and international environmental conferences
Volkswagen holds regular environmental conferences at 
regional and Group levels. The Regional Environmental 
Conferences follow a clear five-point plan, with the open-
ing address followed by international audit workshops, 
after which environmental action plans are drawn up. 
The Regional Conference debates and aligns these plans 
with the corporate objectives, then adopts them if appli-
cable, with due regard for regional feasibility. The aim of 
these Regional Conferences is to synchronise the envi-
ronmental efforts of all plants worldwide, and the next 
one is scheduled for May 2013 in China.  
The 4th Group Environmental Conference was held at the 
AutoUni in Wolfsburg in July 2012, and attended by more 
than 400 experts from sites around the world. Entitled 
“Heading for pole position – both economically and ecologi-
cally”, the Conference brought together the environmental 
Regional Environmental Conference 
2013 will be held in China
officers from the plants, planning and products, as well as 
those responsible for implementation in the various de-
partments. On the agenda were environmental require-
ments in the individual regions, powertrains of the future, 
as well as sustainable materials. A “Marketplace of Oppor-
tunities” was set up, showcasing a range of implementation 
strategies, tools and projects. Details of various projects 
and implementation examples can be found in the follow-
ing chapter.  
 84, 85
CLIMATE PROTECTION
With efficient vehicles built using efficient production 
processes, and with its Powertrain and Fuel Strategy as 
a roadmap, Volkswagen is making an important contri-
bution to the fight against climate change (> p. 99). 
The Board of Management embeds climate change and the 
resulting opportunities and risks into its strategic decision-
making processes. It is assisted in this by the CSR & Sus-
tainability Steering Group and the CO₂ Steering Group, 
The Volkswagen Chattanooga Solar Park has a peak output of 9.5 megawatts and is the largest solar facility operated by any  
carmaker in the USA. This eco-friendly power will be used in production of the Passat.
Management approach    Climate protection    Life cycle assessments    Efficient vehicles/production    Sustainable mobility    Traffic noise   
Green logistics/IT    Resource efficiency    Water    Biodiversity    Awards    Think Blue. Factory.

98	
	
	
	
	
	
	

which are made up of sustainability experts and decision-
makers from all the relevant business units. Internally de-
veloped management and analysis tools such as the CO₂ 
Registry are among the information sources used. This tool 
permits analysis of the CO₂ emissions of every vehicle proj-
ect at the Group over the entire product creation process. 
The requirements for CO₂ savings are also laid down in the 
Volkswagen Group Environmental Principles, Product. 
Climate protection is also a component in the process of 
setting employee performance targets at Volkswagen.
Risks related to climate change
Climate change presents significant risks for Volkswagen. 
These risks are therefore an integral focus of the Volkswagen 
Group’s risk management strategy. All risks are quantita-
tively and qualitatively evaluated against eight criteria, and 
assigned a rating. The results of the risk evaluation process 
are reported to the Board of Management, and the process 
itself is reviewed, on an annual basis. This wide-ranging 
evaluation of risks and opportunities is at the heart of  
Volkswagen’s climate protection strategy, which takes into 
account the following factors: 
>	 regulatory aspects, in particular EU penalties for failing to 
meet fleet-average emissions targets, 
>	 market-related requirements, resulting in particular from 
increased public awareness of climate issues,
>	 physical aspects, such as potential supply chain or pro-
duction disruption, for example due to worsening 
droughts or extreme precipitation caused by climate 
change. Water shortages pose a significant risk to Volks-
wagen’s operations, particularly in light of the Compa-
ny’s plans for new production facilities in Asia, Africa 
and Central and South America. The various risk factors 
were taken into account in formulating the Group’s envi-
ronmental goals. 
For the first time ever, the Volkswagen Group has published 
a Scope 3 inventory for CO₂ emissions. The calculations re-
vealed that the “use phase” emission category accounts for 
over 70% of all Scope 3 emissions. Against this backdrop, 
Volkswagen offers:
>	 A product portfolio that makes increased use of fuel-saving, 
low-emission technologies, but with no resulting loss of di-
versity or customer choice. At the present time the Group 
brands offer a total of 245 models with CO₂ emissions of less 
than 120 g CO₂/km, including 36 which already emit less 
than 100 g CO₂/km. 
>	 Product communication which uses “efficiency badging” 
to highlight extra-efficient, low-CO₂ vehicles and tech-
nologies.  
 87
>	 Customer information which encourages drivers to 
adopt an efficient, eco-friendly driving style in order to 
reduce CO₂ emissions throughout the life cycle of the 
vehicle.  
 2, 25, 88, 89, 90
Opportunities related to climate change
At the same time, climate change and the associated chang-
es in customer requirements are also opening up new  
opportunities. Volkswagen is developing ever more new 
technologies, products and services whose goal is to offer so-
Environmental group criticises  
Volkswagen’s climate programme  
at Paris Motor Show 
 
SCOPE 3 INVENTORY
With the publication of the 2012 Group Sustainability 
Report, the Volkswagen Group has for the first time 
simultaneously published a Scope 3 Inventory for CO2
Emissions. In accordance with the WBSCD/WRI Scope 3 
reporting standards published in 2011, Volkswagen is 
reporting CO2 emissions in 12 of the 15 Scope 3 categories. 
Calculations showed that more than 90 percent of total 
Scope 3 emissions fell under the categories “Purchased 
goods and services” and “Use of sold products”. The 
information provided in these inventory categories  
was therefore validated and verified in accordance with 
international standard ISO 14064-3 by external auditors 
from the TÜV NORD technical inspectorate. (> p. 143) 
            	
	
	
	
                  
 86

Strategy       Ec onomy       Soc i e t y       E nvi ronm e nt 	
	
	
	
	
	

99
lutions to the challenges of climate change. Examples in-
clude efficient, environmentally friendly vehicles, backed up 
by mobility services and fuel-saver courses, as well as ener-
gy-related products for use outside the mobility sector. 
Moreover, climate legislation and statutory targets provide a 
further incentive to develop innovative, efficient technolo-
gies for products and production processes. 
Climate protection in the production sector
Many production plants in all parts of the world, and all 
Group brands, have launched measures to implement the 
Group’s climate protection goals. The Efficient Production 
section of this report presents a number of examples (> p. 111). 
Examples of further projects can be found online.  
 91
Among other things, Volkswagen’s climate goals include a 
commitment to reducing the greenhouse gas emissions as-
sociated with production-related energy supplies. In Ger-
many the aim is to cut these emissions by 40 percent by 
2020 versus 2010 levels. This will only be possible through 
increased use of renewable energy, based on further diver-
sification of the energy-generating mix. In the coming 
years Volkswagen will therefore be investing around €600 
million in the expansion of renewable energies such as so-
lar, wind and hydroelectric power. 
Volkswagen has put in place uniform standards of efficient 
production. In one example of the implementation of these 
standards, in 2012 Volkswagen do Brasil received the first 
ever external certification of its greenhouse gas emissions 
inventory. Certification confirms that the underlying pro-
cess complies with ISO 14064 and the GHG Protocol. Since 
2010, Volkswagen do Brasil has reduced its CO₂ emissions 
per vehicle produced by 4.8 percent, and has increased its 
waste recycling rate to over 95 percent. 
In the reporting year, the Volkswagen Group brands imple-
mented a wide range of initiatives and actions at their sites 
to combat climate change. At Scania, for example, climate-
impacting emissions of carbon dioxide from internal goods 
transportation have been reduced by around 70 percent by 
switching from diesel fuel to bioethanol. Scania also par-
ticipated in Earth Hour, switching off the lights for an hour 
at its production facilities in Europe and South America.
Climate protection through efficient products
Volkswagen’s most effective lever in the development of 
more environmentally compatible mobility is its vehicles 
themselves. In 2012, global fleet-average new-car CO₂ 
emissions of the Volkswagen Group stood at 134 g CO₂/km 
– 25 g less than in 2008.
Volkswagen’s long-term approach to emissions reduction will 
focus mainly on powertrain electrification, since electric cars 
are emission-free at the point of use. In the mid-term, by 2015, 
Volkswagen will have reduced the average CO₂ emissions of 
its European new-car fleet by approximately 30 percent 
compared to 2006 levels, bringing its fleet-average emis-
40 percent cut in greenhouse 
gas emissions by 2020 versus 2010   
 
Fuel cell
Battery power
Plug-in hybrid
Hybrid drive
Combustion engine
–
neutral and 
sustainable 
mobility
Conventional fuels
Conventional electricity
Carbon-neutral electricity
Carbon-neutral fuels  
 (liquid, gaseous)
Carbon
THE ROAD TO CARBON-NEUTRAL MOBILITY
Climate protection in practice: The Volkswagen Powertrain and Fuel Strategy points the way to carbon-neutral and sustainable mobility.
Management approach    Climate protection    Life cycle assessments    Efficient vehicles/production    Sustainable mobility    Traffic noise   
Green logistics/IT    Resource efficiency    Water    Biodiversity    Awards    Think Blue. Factory.

100	
	
	
	
	
	
	

sions down below the 120 g CO₂/km mark for the first time. 
The goal of the development departments is to make each 
new model generation between 10 and 15 percent more ef-
ficient than its predecessor. At the same time it should be 
noted that the Volkswagen Group’s vehicles already offer 
impressive CO₂ performance (> p. 103). 
The legislative backdrop
The EU new-car fleet-average emissions target of 130 g 
CO₂/km is being introduced in four stages, starting in 2012. 
In 2012, 65 percent compliance was be required, rising to 
100 percent in 2015. A further significant reduction in the 
EU average fleet emissions target, to 95 g CO₂/km by 2020, 
has also already been agreed, although the modalities for 
compliance have still to be determined in an ongoing re-
view by the EU Commission, which is expected to be com-
pleted by mid-2013. Volkswagen has adopted 95 g CO₂/km 
as its 2020 target for European new car fleet-average 
emissions. This makes the Volkswagen Group the first 
carmaker to commit to this ambitious goal. 
Other important EU regulations affecting the automotive 
industry include: 
>	 EU Directive 2009/33/EC on the promotion of clean and 
energy-efficient road transport vehicles (“Green Pro-
curement” Directive)
>	 Energy Labelling Directive 1999/94/EC
>	 Fuel Quality Directive 2009/30/EC, amending fuel quali-
ty specifications and establishing energy efficiency re-
quirements for fuel production 
>	 Renewable Energy Directive 2009/28/EC, establishing 
sustainability criteria 
>	 Revision of Energy Taxation Directive 2003/96/EC, 
amending minimum tax rates for all energy products 
and electricity.
In order to be optimally prepared for the third emissions 
trading period starting in 2013, Volkswagen calculated 
and reported the CO₂ emissions to be reported for our 
German plants in accordance with the Datenerhebungs-
verordnung (DEV 2020 – German Data Collection Regula-
tion). Volkswagen submitted the appropriate applications 
for the allocation of certificates to the Deutsche Emissions-
handelsstelle (DEHSt – German Emissions Trading Au-
thority) for all the affected plants. The other Volkswagen 
plants in the European Union were also checked in ac-
cordance with the national laws in force at those locations 
and action was taken to ensure that applications were 
submitted to the relevant national authorities in good 
time.  
 93
The changes to the Emissions Trading Directive and their 
transposition into German law have been completed. From 
a current perspective, the number of plants included in the 
European emissions trading system from 2013 onwards 
and the related amount of CO₂ emissions requiring to be 
traded will not increase significantly.
The allocation of the necessary emissions certificates will 
change fundamentally as of 2013. They will no longer be al-
located mostly free of charge through national allocation 
plans. Instead, a steadily falling number of certificates, for 
heat generation using natural gas for example, will be allo-
cated free of charge. Companies will have to purchase any 
additional certificates they require at auction. Unlike be-
fore, CO₂ emissions certificates for power generation will 
have to be purchased in full. Estimates to date indicate that 
the energy costs incurred by the Volkswagen Group’s Euro-
pean sites will increase as a result of purchasing the emis-
sion allowances required for the operation of proprietary 
power plants and heating facilities. The amount of the ad-
ditional costs will depend essentially on the price at which 
the certificates are traded. 
The European Commission is currently giving detailed 
consideration to intervening in EU emissions trading in or-
der to boost it. The Commission is currently in favour of 
withdrawing a defined number of freely allocated certifi-
cates at the beginning of the third trading period and not 
allocating them until the end of the trading period. This ar-
tificial shortage of certificates at the beginning of the trad-
ing period may cause certificate prices to rise.
The future political direction of global climate protection 
agreements remains unclear. There is currently no sound 
long-term prospect of specific reduction targets, respon-
sibilities and funding arrangements or more stringent 
climate protection requirements based on them. At the 
UN, a new climate protection agreement for 2020 on-
wards is to be negotiated by 2015 at the latest.  
 94
By 2015, European new car fleet-average CO₂ 
emissions will be reduced by 30 percent over 
2006 levels 
 
Weak start for home power plants

Strategy       Ec onomy       Soc i e t y       E nvi ronm e nt 	
	
	
	
	
	

101
Strategic dialogue 
Continuous dialogue with stakeholders provides Volks-
wagen with a broader basis for assessing the opportuni-
ties and risks of climate change and for developing ap-
propriate strategies and solutions. For many years, 
Volkswagen has been taking part in a dialogue with gov-
ernment representatives, ministries, NGOs, multina-
tional initiatives, other companies, associations and 
public authorities. These stakeholders include the Ger-
man Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Re-
actor Safety’s “National Platform for Electric Mobility”, 
the International Energy Agency (IEA), the United Na-
tions Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 
(IPCC) and the World Business Council for Sustainable 
Development (WBCSD).  
 11
At the annual EUCAR conference in Brussels, Volkswagen 
presented an internal combustion engine developed in 
the framework of the EU research project POWERFUL 
(Powertrain for Future Light-duty vehicles). In combina-
tion with new aftertreatment systems, this engine can 
achieve significant reductions in CO₂ emissions. Along 
with Volkswagen, other vehicle manufacturers, suppliers 
and leading research institutes are also participating in 
this syndicate project. The four-year project is part of the 
seventh EU Commission Research Programme and will 
be concluded in December 2013.
The Volkswagen Group is committed to intensive stake-
holder dialogue at local government level, too. For example 
at its Neckarsulm site, Audi has kept local authorities and 
environmental organisations informed about its progress 
towards carbon-neutral mobility. 
LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENTS
To minimise the environmental impacts from its vehi-
cles, Volkswagen looks at the whole life cycle of the vehi-
cle. Using Life Cycle Assessments (LCA), we calculate 
which life cycle processes generate the biggest environ-
mental impacts. The LCA results also highlight improve-
ment potential which can be targeted in future develop-
ment work. 
Focus on lifelong environmental impacts
Using LCAs, Volkswagen analyses the life cycle of new vehi-
cles, components and materials from the first design 
sketches, through the manufacturing and use phases to fi-
nal disposal. After all, a vehicle begins to generate environ-
mental impacts long before it takes to the road. At every 
stage in the life cycle of the vehicle, resources and energy 
are consumed, and emissions are released. The Life Cycle 
Assessment shows that there are marked quantitative vari-
ations in environmental impacts between the different 
phases in the life cycle. For example, whereas CO₂ emis-
sions are relatively high during the use phase, they are vir-
tually negligible in the recycling phase. For water on the 
other hand, the picture is quite different, with relatively 
low consumption and low environmental impacts in the 
use phase and very high impacts further upstream. From 
these findings, Volkswagen can then determine which ac-
tions, targeted in which areas, will be most effective in de-
livering environmentally compatible mobility. 
The four steps of a Life Cycle Assessment
The first stage in the Life Cycle Assessment is the Life Cycle 
Inventory, in which data is collected on every single compo-
nent and process in the life cycle. Volkswagen extracts this 
information from sources such as vehicle parts lists, the 
Volkswagen Material Information System (MISS) and the 
processing-related GABI database. The next step is to calcu-
late how much raw materials and energy each of these com-
ponents and processes consumes over the course of the life 
cycle. The use phase too, based on an assumed useful life of 
150,000 kilometres, is analysed in detail. Fuel consumption 
and CO₂ emissions are computed using the statutory New  
European Driving Cycle. In addition, we also calculate the 
amount of energy consumed in end-of-life dismantling and 
recycling of vehicle components. Together, these calcula-
tions enable us to compute all airborne and water-borne 
emissions, all emissions released into the soil and all waste 
and wastewater generated during the life cycle of the vehicle. 
The second stage in the Life Cycle Assessment is the Life Cy-
cle Impact Assessment, which calculates the potential envi-
ronmental impacts of the vehicle. The various material flows 
from the manufacturing, use and recycling phases are clas-
sified into five environmental impact categories: global 
Management approach    Climate protection    Life cycle assessments    Efficient vehicles/production    Sustainable mobility    Traffic noise   
Green logistics/IT    Resource efficiency    Water    Biodiversity    Awards    Think Blue. Factory.

102	
	
	
	
	
	
	

warming potential, photochemical ozone creation poten-
tial, acidification potential, ozone depletion potential and 
eutrophication potential. This process involves defining an 
indicator substance for each environmental impact catego-
ry. Carbon dioxide (CO₂), for example, is the indicator sub-
stance for the impact category “global warming potential”. 
All other substances that also contribute to global warming 
are then expressed in terms of this category indicator – as 
“CO₂ equivalents”. 
In the third stage, a materials composition analysis shows 
the constituent materials of which a given vehicle is com-
posed. From this analysis, it can be seen how much primary 
energy is consumed over the complete life of the vehicle, and 
also how much CO₂, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, ni-
trogen oxides, hydrocarbons and methane the vehicle emits. 
The final stage in a comparative Life Cycle Assessment is 
certification. The requirements for this process are de-
fined in ISO 14040. Volkswagen arranges for external audi-
tors, such as the TÜV NORD technical inspectorate, to veri-
fy its compliance with this standard. Following validation, 
Volkswagen provides a transparent presentation of the LCA 
results in an Environmental Commendation. A recent ex-
ample, published during the reporting period, is the Envi-
ronmental Commendation for the new Golf.  
 95, 96
Efficient Vehicles 
In order to become the most sustainable automobile 
manufacturer in the world by 2018, Volkswagen has de-
fined the following product-related goals:  
>	 To offer the most efficient and environmentally compati-
ble model in every segment and vehicle class in which 
Volkswagen is represented
>	 To reduce CO₂ emissions from its European new-car 
fleet by 30 percent between 2006 and 2015
>	 To ensure that every new vehicle generation is on aver-
age 10 to 15 percent more efficient than its predecessor
>	 To offer efficiency technologies such as start-stop and recu-
peration systems as standard equipment on all new models
>	 To ensure that newly launched models always offer better 
life cycle environmental performance than their prede-
cessors.
The new Golf is up to 100 kg lighter than its predecessor, despite increased comfort and safety.

Strategy       Ec onomy       Soc i e t y       E nvi ronm e nt 	
	
	
	
	
	

103
Eco-compatible products 
In 2012, Volkswagen launched a raft of new models which set 
new standards in efficiency. One highlight was the launch of 
the Volkswagen brand’s new Golf. Despite the improved com-
fort and safety of this model, its DIN unladen weight has been 
reduced by up to 80 kilograms. This increases to as much as 
100 kilograms if frequently specified optional equipment – 
for example: four doors, or air conditioning – is taken into ac-
count. Fuel-saving technologies such as automatic start-stop 
and braking energy recuperation systems are fitted as stand-
ard equipment, i.e. at no additional cost.  
 87, 97
The technologies now incorporated in the Golf have 
achieved the following results:
>	 The CO₂ emissions of the entry-level petrol model have 
been reduced by 36 g CO₂/km (23 percent) compared 
with the previous model.
>	 The most popular petrol model, with 63 kW 1.2-litre TSI 
engine, is around 12 percent more efficient than its pre-
decessor. Its CO₂ emissions have been reduced from 129 
to 113 g/km. This also brings an improved efficiency rat-
ing, from “C” to “B”.
>	 The most popular diesel model, with 77 kW 1.6-litre TDI 
engine, is a full 17 percent more efficient than its prede-
cessor. Its CO₂ emissions have been reduced from 119 to 
99 g CO₂/km and as a result its efficiency rating has im-
proved from “B” to “A”.
>	 The newly developed ACT Active Cylinder Management 
system reduces fuel consumption by 0.5 l/100 km, and CO₂ 
emissions by 9 g CO₂/km (calculations based on the 103 kW 
TSI engine). Across the engine range as a whole, the new 
Volkswagen Golf achieves an average 14 percent improve-
ment in CO₂ emissions. Due to its popularity and large 
market share, the Golf has the leverage to make a signifi-
cant contribution in terms of reducing transport-related 
CO₂ emissions. Based on the current sales figures, the new 
Golf has the potential to reduce CO₂ emissions by 119,000 
tonnes annually, in the European market alone.  
 98
Efficient vehicles launched during the reporting year also 
included the eco up! With emissions of 79 g CO₂/km, the 
eco up! has the lowest CO₂ emissions of any internal com-
bustion-engined vehicle in the world. From 2013 onwards, 
further efficient models are due to be launched. As well as 
the third-generation Golf TDI BlueMotion, with fuel con-
sumption of 3.2 l/100 km, and CO₂ emissions of 85 g CO₂/
km, the first CNG version of the Golf TGI BlueMotion, a 
production  version of the e-Golf electric model and the 
first Golf TSI twinDRIVE are also planned.  
 99
At the Geneva Motor Show, the debut of the new A3 from 
the Audi brand marked a milestone in sustainable mobil-
ity. Thanks partly to the use of warm-formed steel, this car 
weighs just 1,175 kilograms – up to 80 kilograms less than 
At the 2012 IAA Commercial Vehicle Show, MAN showed how rigor-
ous aerodynamic design can lead to big fuel savings.
In 2012, two eco up! models were supplied to the first customer, the 
municipal utility company in Neumünster, Germany.  
 104
The eco up! has the lowest emissions of any vehicle 
with an internal combustion engine, at 79 g CO₂/km 
 
Management approach    Climate protection    Life cycle assessments    Efficient vehicles/production    Sustainable mobility    Traffic noise   
Green logistics/IT    Resource efficiency    Water    Biodiversity    Awards    Think Blue. Factory.

104	
	
	
	
	
	
	

the previous model. The Audi A3 also incorporates a range 
of efficiency technologies including direct injection, tur-
bocharging, thermal management and the start-stop 
function. As a result, the average fuel consumption of the 
new A3 has been reduced by 12 percent compared with its 
predecessor. Audi will expand the engine line-up for this 
model step by step. In the pipeline are high-efficiency, 
low-emission versions including a 1.4-litre TFSI engine 
with automatic cylinder deactivation, a CNG version and a 
1.6-litre TDI engine that achieves fuel consumption of just 
3.8 l/100 kilometres, and emits just 99 g CO₂/km.  
 100
The SEAT Leon, too, has shed weight. The new model is up 
to 100 kilograms lighter than its predecessor. The most ef-
ficient engine version, featuring start-stop system and re-
cuperation, has CO₂ emissions of just 99 g CO₂/km. Else-
where in the Group, the ŠKODA brand’s ŠKODA Rapid 
made its debut in 2012. The 1.6 l TDI GreenTec version has 
average fuel consumption of just 4.0 litres and emissions of 
106 g CO₂/km. Also in 2012, the Volkswagen brand’s new 
Gol 6 and Voyage 6 models for the South American market, 
with the Tecnologia para Economia (TEC) energy-saving 
package, were presented. 
Many further recent examples show just how serious  
Volkswagen is about its mission to become the most sus-
tainable automaker in the world by 2018. The Group brand 
Lamborghini for example is working to reduce its new 
models’ emissions by 35 percent. And Volkswagen Com-
mercial Vehicles presented its Caddy blue-e-motion elec-
tric research vehicle. The eT! concept model too – an elec-
trically powered van with many intelligent extras – was 
widely acclaimed in 2012, winning an Ökoglobe award. At 
the 2012 IAA International Commercial Vehicle Show, 
MAN’s Concept S truck demonstrated the potential for sig-
nificant reductions in the fuel consumption – and CO₂ 
emissions – of trucks. Thanks to its revolutionary aerody-
namic design, the concept model’s drag coefficient is on a 
par with that of a car. Scania meanwhile presented its first 
Euro 6 engines back in 2011. The Scania R 480 Euro 6 was 
rated the most eco-compatible heavy-duty semitrailer trac-
tor on the market in 2012 and was voted “Green Truck 2012” 
by trade magazines.  
 101
Volkswagen Leasing GmbH and the German Nature and 
Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) continued their 
“Green Fleet Award” scheme in 2012, for key account and 
New, efficient Gol 6 and Voyage 6 models 
for the South American market 
New Green Fleet record: 680,000 litres 
of fuel saved 
The Green E Line version of the new ŠKODA Octavia Generation will be the most fuel-efficient Octavia ever – with fuel consumption of just 
3.4 l/100 km and maximum CO₂ emissions of 89 g/km.  
 106

Strategy       Ec onomy       Soc i e t y       E nvi ronm e nt 	
	
	
	
	
	

105
fleet customers, achieving even better results than in the 
previous year. 94 participating organisations saved around 
1,785 tonnes of CO₂ and around 680,000 litres of fuel, with 
around 12,000 vehicles. In all, this environmental initiative 
covers 216,000 vehicles. But as vehicles in commercial 
fleets are on average roughly two thirds younger and cover 
three times the mileage of privately owned vehicles on av-
erage, the fleet vehicles exert almost ten times as much lev-
erage in terms of climate-compatible mobility.
Zero emissions, 100% emotion: electric mobility 
In 2013, the Volkswagen Group will launch its first produc-
tion electric vehicles (EV). ŠKODA will launch the Octavia 
Green E Line. Also starting in 2013, the Volkswagen brand, 
which is aiming to play the leading role in electric mobili-
ty by 2018, will be launching the all-electric e-Up! and  
e-Golf, along with a limited-production XL1 plug-in diesel 
hybrid.  
 102, 103  
In the first six months of 2012, the e-Golf took part in exten-
sive road testing. The total mileage recorded was equivalent 
to driving more than ten times round the world. For 180 days, 
a number of vehicles were field-tested by private and com-
mercial drivers, under real-world driving conditions. NABU 
too is testing the e-Golf, which is emission-free at the point 
of use. Further urban fleet testing also took place in France, 
Austria, Belgium, Japan and the USA.  
 105 
At other Group brands too, electric models are currently 
undergoing everyday field testing. For example Audi is tri-
alling the A1 e-tron and ŠKODA is testing the Octavia Green 
E Line. The latter has a range of 150 kilometres, sufficient 
to meet the needs of most European commuters.  
Ahead of the actual market launch of its electric vehicles, 
in the reporting year the Volkswagen brand took further 
measures to get the service network up to speed. It provid-
ed special training for service staff and outfitted workshops 
with all the necessary tools and equipment, such as the 
new VAS 6558A high-voltage diagnostic and measuring sys-
tem, launched in 2012. This means Volkswagen dealerships 
are already in a position to perform all relevant mainte-
nance and repair work on Volkswagen electric vehicles. At 
many dealerships, selected workshop employees have 
been trained as “electrically skilled personnel”. Work on 
high-voltage vehicle systems is performed by certified 
high-voltage technicians. Worldwide, some 43,000 electri-
cally skilled personnel are already employed at Volkswagen 
dealerships. A further 1,700 high-voltage technicians are 
based at 890 special high-voltage centres, while another 
110 high-voltage specialists are employed in the importers’ 
organisations. 
At the plants too, Volkswagen is now all set for the start of 
production of electric vehicles. Employees working on 
standard vehicle assembly processes, involving exclusively 
non-technical activities, have undergone general EV prod-
uct training. Other employees meanwhile have undergone 
training to work on specialised vehicle finishing technolo-
gies and are now competent and qualified to perform de-
fined electrical engineering tasks. 
However, all-electric powertrains are only one side of the 
coin. The concept of electric mobility also includes hybrid 
technology, in which an electric motor is combined with 
another propulsion system, such as an internal combus-
tion engine. For example, the Detroit Auto Show 2012 saw 
the debut of the new Jetta Hybrid, which is powered by a 
combination of a 1.4-litre TSI engine and an electric motor. 
Following the Touareg Hybrid, the new Jetta Hybrid is the 
second Volkswagen model with hybrid petrol-electric 
drive. Pre-ordering for German customers began in De-
cember 2012.  
 107
The new electric  
mobility brochure 
signposts the way to 
a new age of mobility.
  
 103
With 1,700 high-voltage technicians in place at 
special service centres, Volkswagen is all set for 
its upcoming electric mobility rollout 
 
Management approach    Climate protection    Life cycle assessments    Efficient vehicles/production    Sustainable mobility    Traffic noise   
Green logistics/IT    Resource efficiency    Water    Biodiversity    Awards    Think Blue. Factory.

106	
	
	
	
	
	
	

Major progress is still required to bring the electric car out 
of its niche and into the mass market – progress in terms of 
the battery and of the charging infrastructure. And ulti-
mately, each electric car is only as climate-friendly as the 
electricity that drives it.
Plug-in hybrids are emerging as a particularly promising 
powertrain solution. This type of powertrain comprises an 
internal combustion engine and an electric motor, the bat-
tery for which can be charged from a standard electrical 
power socket. Plug-in hybrids combine quiet, zero-emis-
sion operation in town with mid- and long-distance range 
capability and easy and convenient charging. In 2012, the 
Volkswagen Group pressed on with preparations for a ma-
jor product offensive. For example, the Porsche brand can 
launch plug-in hybrid versions of the Panamera and the 
918 Spyder. Plug-in hybrid versions of the Golf and Passat 
from Volkswagen will follow. Audi too will then enter the 
plug-in hybrid age with the launch of the Audi A3 and Audi 
Q7, to be followed shortly afterwards by the Audi A6 and 
Audi A8. Numerous plug-in hybrid models from other 
Group brands will follow.
Clear information builds trust
Volkswagen believes it has a duty to inform its customers 
as fully as possible about the options for achieving sus-
tainable mobility during the use phase of the product. 
Communication starts with the purchase of the vehicle, 
where efficiency badging identifies the most environmen-
tally friendly models and provides clear orientation for 
customers. At the Volkswagen brand for example, vehicles 
with the BlueMotion label are in each case the most fuel-
efficient Volkswagen models in their class. And the 
BlueMotion Technology label denotes a range of efficien-
cy packages including technologies such as the automatic 
start-stop function and braking energy recuperation. In 
future, BlueMotion Technology will be offered as stand-
ard on all new-model vehicles in Europe. Bi-fuel natural 
gas/petrol vehicles offered under the efficiency badge TSI 
EcoFuel emit around a quarter less CO₂ than similar pet-
rol-only models. And the Blue TDI label denotes vehicles 
which, thanks to exhaust aftertreatment, present very low 
nitrogen oxide emissions. At ŠKODA, extra-fuel-efficient 
models bear the GreenLine and GreenLine Technology 
badges, while SEAT uses the labels ecomotive and E-Eco-
In 2012, the new SEAT Leon made its debut. All models in the new LEON range are powered by state-of-the-art TDI and TSI engines, and all 
rank among the best-in-class on fuel consumption and emissions. The highlight is the Leon 1.6 TDI, with start/stop system, which returns 
combined fuel consumption of 3.8 l/100 km, with CO2 emissions of 99 g/km.  
 115

Strategy       Ec onomy       Soc i e t y       E nvi ronm e nt 	
	
	
	
	
	

107
Volkswagen: 77 models  
emit less than 120 g CO2/km
Most efficient model: eco up! 
1.0 MPI CNG, 79 g CO2/km
ŠKODA: 68 models  
emit less than 120 g CO2/km 
Most efficient model: Citigo 
1.0 MPI CNG, 79 g CO2/km
Audi: 52 models  
emit less than 120 g CO2/km
Most efficient model: A1/A3 
1.6 TDI, 99 g CO2/km
SEAT: 48 models  
emit less than 120 g CO2/km
Most efficient model: Mii 1.0 
MPI CNG, 79 g CO2/km 
motive. Audi equips its models with fuel-efficient technol-
ogies as standard.  
 108, 109
A further important source of information for customers 
of the Volkswagen brand is the Environmental Commen-
dation. In 2012 the Volkswagen brand once again used 
this communication medium to report on improvements 
in life cycle environmental performance achieved by new 
vehicles and technologies over their predecessors or ref-
erence models. Environmental Commendations provide 
information for customers, shareholders and stakehold-
ers about the improved environmental design of vehicles, 
components and processes. In all cases, the Environmen-
tal Commendation is based on a Life Cycle Assessment, 
which provides full data on the energy consumption, 
emissions and all other environmental impacts associat-
ed with a vehicle throughout its life cycle. The Life Cycle 
Assessments are verified and certified by TÜV NORD. 
They list product inputs in the form of types and quanti-
ties of raw materials and energy used during the manu-
facturing, use and recycling phases, along with outputs in 
the form of emissions. Summarised environmental data 
for all Volkswagen models is also provided in the “Envi-
ronmental Descriptions” on the Internet. 
In 2012, the Environmental Commendation for the new Golf 
was certified by TÜV NORD, confirming that the new model 
offers significantly better environmental performance than 
its predecessor, based on an ISO 14040/14044-compliant 
Life Cycle Assessment. Specifically, its life cycle CO₂ emis-
sions have been reduced by 11 percent for the petrol models 
and by 13 percent for the diesel models. A 12 percent im-
provement in raw materials efficiency results in substantial-
ly reduced resource consumption. 
As a communication measure to raise customer awareness 
of sustainable driving techniques, the Volkswagen Group 
also provides information on ways of reducing fuel con-
sumption, along with fuel-saver courses. In the case of the 
Volkswagen brand, the courses have been offered for many 
years under the label “Volkswagen Driving Experience”. 
More than 140,000 drivers have already taken part. In 2012, 
fuel-saver courses were also offered by Volkswagen Com-
mercial Vehicles. 34 free-of-charge events, open to all cus-
EFFICIENCY BADGES IN THE VOLKSWAGEN GROUP
Efficiency badges denote vehicles with the lowest fuel consumption and CO2 emissions and provide clear orientation for customers.  
The Group offers 36 models that emit less than 100 g CO2/km, and 245 models that emit less than 120 g/km.
Management approach    Climate protection    Life cycle assessments    Efficient vehicles/production    Sustainable mobility    Traffic noise   
Green logistics/IT    Resource efficiency    Water    Biodiversity    Awards    Think Blue. Factory.

108	
	
	
	
	
	
	

tomers and prospective customers, were organised for the 
Volkswagen Crafter. SEAT too provides fuel-saver tips for its 
customers, on a special website.  
 110
In addition to these communication measures, Volkswagen 
vehicles also feature a wide range of intelligent technolo-
gies designed to support a fuel-saving driving style. On the 
new Golf, these include a tyre pressure monitoring system, 
a visual gear change recommendation, an expanded start-
stop display and the optional ECO driving mode, which 
programs the engine management, air-conditioning and 
other auxiliary units for optimal fuel efficiency.  
 111
Creating incentives
Positive news about fuel-efficient driving can also motivate 
other drivers to adopt an eco-compatible driving style.  
Volkswagen therefore reports regularly on its latest success-
es in fuel-saving competitions and efficiency tests. For exam-
ple, in 2012, the ŠKODA Citigo triumphed in the 31st ŠKODA 
Economy Run, recording average fuel consumption of just 
2.97 l/100 km (and emissions of just 70.6 g CO₂/km), on the 
288.4-kilometre course. On behalf of the Volkswagen brand, 
the Polo BlueMotion too delivered a stunning performance 
in a fuel-saver challenge: in a competition,  participants 
were invited to guess how far the Polo BlueMotion could 
travel on just one tankful of fuel. Most people did not expect 
the vehicle to go anything like as far as the actual recorded 
distance of 1,564 kilometres, which works out at an average 
consumption of just 2.9 litres/100 km. 
Today, extensive use is also made of online media in product 
communication regarding sustainability. All Group brands 
have set up attractive and in some cases interactive Internet 
platforms for this purpose. The new, interactive version of 
the environmental magazine “dialoge” (“dialogues”) from 
Audi, launched in 2012, is just one example. 
 112
Customer dialogue at Volkswagen also includes the online 
social networks and mobile devices. Volkswagen is an  
active player in these areas, not least with fuel-saver 
eGames.  
 113
For 2012, Volkswagen is once again not aware of any cases 
in which its dialogue with customers and other stakehold-
ers, on any of the various platforms, failed to comply with 
legal requirements. All forms of product communication 
also conformed to ethical guidelines. Responsibility for 
meeting such requirements and guidelines lies with the in-
dividual brands. All publications of the Volkswagen Group 
are checked by the Communications department’s clear-
ing centre to ensure full compliance with ethical and legal 
guidelines. In 2012, no cases of non-compliance with these 
rules were identified. Nor were any cases reported of  
Volkswagen products being sold in markets where their 
sale was prohibited. As a result, during the period under 
review Volkswagen incurred no fines due to infringement 
of legal requirements regarding the supply and use of prod-
ucts and services. Needless to say, Volkswagen’s products 
are always in the spotlight of debate and critical analysis by 
stakeholders and the public (> pp. 22, 157).
ŠKODA GreenFuture
GreenFuture is based on three pillars: GreenProduct, 
GreenFactory and GreenRetail. The aim of this programme 
is to further improve sustainability at ŠKODA, focusing on 
efficient vehicles and more efficient resource use through-
out the company. By 2018, ŠKODA is aiming to reduce its 
energy and water consumption by 25 percent, to reduce 
emissions and to further increase its recycling perfor-
mance. With these measures, the Czech manufacturer will 
also contribute to achieving the environmental goals of the 
Volkswagen Group as a whole for 2018. The “GreenFuture” 
principles are part of the 2018 ŠKODA growth strategy, 
whose aim is to combine improved economic performance 
with reduced environmental impacts. All ŠKODA’s environ-
mental activities to further reduce resource consumption 
are now being integrated into, and coordinated through, 
the “GreenFuture” project. An expert team has been 
formed to ensure that these activities are managed even 
more effectively. The “GreenFuture” team reports directly 
to the ŠKODA Board of Management.  
 118

Strategy       Ec onomy       Soc i e t y       E nvi ronm e nt 	
	
	
	
	
	

109
Sustainovation Award 2012 for “Think Blue. Factory.”
More than an umbrella brand: the “Think Blue.” mindset
Volkswagen Passenger Cars has set itself the ambitious goal of 
becoming the most sustainable car brand in the world by 2018. 
All its activities in the field of environmental sustainability have 
now been integrated into a single philosophy: “Think Blue.” 
“Think Blue.” was launched three years ago, in a bid to make 
the brand’s environmental strategy internationally visible, 
transparent and above all accessible.  
 114
“Think Blue.” aims to inspire new thinking and new approaches, 
both within the Company and in Volkswagen’s external commu-
nications. “Think Blue.” is a holistic philosophy with three main 
themes: to develop and supply efficient products and technolo-
gies, to engage in an active dialogue to help people become 
more environmentally aware, and to support environmental  
projects and initiatives worldwide. Within the Company, “Think 
Blue.” has steadily developed and taken root in business units 
throughout the value chain. It all starts with the application of 
ever more ambitious standards of sustainability in the planning 
and design of the vehicles. Here the Technical Development de-
partment has drawn up ambitious environmental goals, de-
signed to ensure that significant environmental aspects in the 
areas of climate protection, resource conservation and health 
protection are taken into account at every stage in the life cycle, 
and are integrated in the development of all Volkswagen Passen-
ger Car models. The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand refers to 
this strategy as “Think Blue. Engineering.”  
 81
On the production side too, clear objectives have been formu-
lated through the international “Think Blue”.Factory. initiative. 
This programme’s exemplary integration of environmental and 
economic goals earned Volkswagen Passenger Cars the “Sustai-
novation Award 2012”, presented by the German business mag-
azine Wirtschafts-Woche and the Altran Foundation for Innova-
tion.  
 116 
To involve as many people as possible, “Think Blue.” has a clear 
and simple message: environmental protection is fun and 
doesn’t require sacrifices. Also, everybody can contribute in 
some way, as they go about their everyday lives. For Volks-
wagen, as an automaker, fuel consumption plays a key part in 
this thinking, particularly since an eco-friendly driving style can 
reduce fuel consumption by up to 25 percent. The international 
fuel-saving championship “Think Blue. World Championship 
2012.” is intended to raise awareness of fuel-saving driving 
techniques and to demonstrate the important influence of 
driver behaviour on fuel consumption. With this event Volks-
wagen Passenger Cars also shows that it is easy to get better 
mileage than the manufacturer’s official figures – even when, 
as in this event, challenges have deliberately been put in the 
drivers’ way. The 2012 championship was contested by the win-
ning teams from 18 national qualifying competitions. The logis-
tics, catering and accommodation arrangements for the “Think 
Blue. World Championship 2012.” were meticulously planned to 
minimise environmental impacts. As a final step, to make the 
event fully carbon-neutral, all emissions which could not be 
avoided were compensated through a Gold Standard-certified 
carbon offsetting project in Ceará, Brazil.
By the end of 2012, “Think Blue.” had been rolled out in more 
than 30 markets, and more will follow. Many projects have al-
ready been implemented, often in partnership with environ-
mental organisations. In each market, the idea is that activities 
should focus on the most urgent sustainability challenges in 
that particular country. Further encouragement, and confirma-
tion that Volkswagen’s “Think Blue.” strategy is on the right 
track, came recently from the well-known independent brand-
ing consultancy “Interbrand”. In the Interbrand report “Best 
Global Green Brands 2012”, Volkswagen improved its ranking to 
fourth and emerged as the greenest German brand.  
 117
The “Think Blue.” philosophy is also to be rolled out to Volks-
wagen dealerships. A range of modules are available for Volks-
wagen dealers looking to improve their eco-friendliness. For ex-
ample, the Volkswagen Dealer Buildings Consultancy can provide 
eco-friendly design tips for dealer premises. The consultants pro-
vide free-of-charge basic advice up front to identify improvement 
potential and, if such potential is found, can also offer more de-
tailed energy-saving advice, which includes suggestions for im-
provements or structural alterations to premises, tips on possible 
dealership upgrading and remodelling options, complete with 
cost estimates, and suggestions on energy awareness training for 
personnel. Other ideas dealers can adopt, and offer to their cus-
tomers, include “Clever Repair” solutions for the workshop, 
whereby parts are repaired rather than replaced, products such as 
efficient engine oils and low-rolling-resistance tyres, and services 
such as the BlueMotion safety check. In Germany, in collaboration 
with the German Nature Conservation and Biodiversity Union 
(NABU), dealers can also offer fuel-saver courses.
Management approach    Climate protection    Life cycle assessments    Efficient vehicles/production    Sustainable mobility    Traffic noise   
Green logistics/IT    Resource efficiency    Water    Biodiversity    Awards    Think Blue. Factory.

110	
	
	
	
	
	
	

EFFICIENT PRODUCTION
Although the biggest share of the vehicle’s total life cycle 
impact is generated during the use phase or “service 
life”, the production phase too offers enormous poten-
tial for improving environmental sustainability. 
A closer look at energy consumption makes this clear. In 
2012, an average of 2.21 MWh of energy was consumed for 
every Volkswagen Group vehicle produced – a reduction of 
0.32 MWh compared with 2010. At first glance such im-
provements may seem small, but when multiplied by the 
total number of vehicles produced, they actually represent 
an important lever for improving sustainable production. 
Volkswagen’s goal of reducing the environmental impact 
of its production operations by 25 percent by 2018 is being 
systematically followed up at all currently participating 
sites. For example, at many Volkswagen brand plants, 
workshops have already been held to produce detailed 
roadmaps for the necessary ecological measures, com-
plete with a timeline for their phased implementation 
through 2018.  
 119, 121
Broadly speaking, the individual Group brands are each 
responsible for improving the efficiency of their own pro-
duction processes. Brand-level initiatives have been devel-
oped to identify improvement potential, develop strategies 
and solutions and implement action plans. These include 
the Green Future initiative at ŠKODA, Ecomotive at SEAT 
and “Think Blue.”Factory at the Volkswagen brand (> p. 
130). At Volkswagen Group level, an important landmark  
in the quest for improved production efficiency was the 
launch of the modular transverse matrix (MQB) for the 
Volkswagen, Audi, ŠKODA and SEAT brands.  
 13
To achieve further improvements in production efficiency, 
detailed analyses are carried out to systematically identify 
potential. At the Volkswagen brand, one example is the 
analysis of “LCA hotspots in the vehicle production 
phase”. This analysis identifies the most environmentally 
significant components and processes in the manufacture 
of the Polo, Golf and Passat. It has shown that in absolute 
terms, the upstream supply chains for sheet steel and 
blanks have the biggest impact on CO₂ emissions at the 
production stage. It also established that offcut waste  
(38 percent of raw material input) offers significant im-
provement potential, and that platinum-group metals 
(PGM) in catalytic converters, along with electronic com-
ponents and magnesium, make significant contributions 
relative to their weight. By carrying out analyses of this 
type, the Volkswagen Group brands can identify the most 
effective ways to make their production processes more ef-
ficient, thereby reducing energy consumption, emissions 
and consumption of valuable resources such as water and 
raw materials.  
 122
Saving energy and using renewables
The following real-life examples from the reporting period 
illustrate some of the steps being taken by Volkswagen 
Group factories to make their production processes more 
energy-efficient. For the Volkswagen brand, since 2012 the 
Chattanooga plant in the USA has been using variably con-
trollable compressed air generating equipment in the 
manufacture of its vehicles. That is to say, the amount of 
compressed air generated is always matched to the amount 
required, at any given time. Baseload and intermediate de-
mand is met by turbo-compressors. At peak load periods, 
variable-speed-drive screw compressors also come on 
stream. The two variable speed drive compressors are rat-
ed for an operating pressure of six bar and can be con-
trolled in tandem and on demand. The overall result of 
these measures is a 15 percent reduction in energy con-
sumption.  
 85
In a further example, at the Volkswagen plant in Kaluga, 
Russia, hot exhaust gases from a natural-gas-fired boiler 
house at the plant are passed through a heat exchanger to 
recover heat. This is then used in the hot water system, sub-
stantially reducing energy consumption. In addition, the 
water temperature is now controllable over a wider range 
(110/60 °C instead of 110/90 °C). The overall result is an im-
provement of up to 5 percent in energy efficiency. If such a 
system were implemented at other sites as well, it can be 
assumed that the annual savings for a boiler house of 20 
MW capacity would be in the order of 1,000 MWh of energy, 
and 485 tonnes of CO₂.  
 85
With its environmental principles and goals for the pro-
duction plants, the Volkswagen Group ensures efficient  
Between 2010 and 2012, energy consumption  
per vehicle produced fell by 0.32 MWh

Strategy       Ec onomy       Soc i e t y       E nvi ronm e nt 	
	
	
	
	
	

111
energy use at all Group sites. One current example is the 
start-up of an energy-efficient PXL servo press line at the 
Mladá Boleslav plant in the Czech Republic. An important 
innovation here is the use of decentralized servo motors. 
In place of one large motor driving the entire line as be-
fore, 14 significantly more efficient servo motors are now 
used. This design also allows extremely flexible adaptation 
of individual processes on the PXL line.  
 85
In order to reduce purchasing of primary energy from ex-
ternal suppliers, many Volkswagen sites are also looking 
to produce their own renewable energy. One example is 
the solar panel system on the roof of the Audi A3 body shop 
in Ingolstadt, which is capable of generating around 460 
MWh of electricity a year. Similar installations also came 
on stream at other plants during the reporting period, in-
cluding the Braunschweig (420 MWh/a) and Hanover (420 
MWh/a) plants. Early in 2013, a further solar facility com-
prising over 33,000 modules will be installed at the  
Volkswagen brand’s Chattanooga plant. And a new solar 
system installed by Group brand Lamborghini at its Sant’ 
Agata Bolognese plant brought a marked reduction in CO₂ 
emissions in the reporting period. With 17,000 square me-
tres of solar panels, this facility is the largest solar panel 
installation in the region. Further measures are now un-
der consideration with a view to further reducing this 
plant’s CO₂ emissions by as much as 50 percent. In Swit-
zerland meanwhile, Volkswagen has leased a low-head 
(run-of-river) power plant on the River Aare, with an in-
stalled capacity of 28.5 MW. Since late August 2011, this fa-
cility has been supplying power to the six Volkswagen 
plants in Germany.  
 85 
In mid-2012, an eco-friendly combined-cycle gas-and-steam 
power plant was installed at the Volkswagen plant in Kassel. 
This facility supplements the existing CHP plant. Combined 
generation of heat and power achieves high average annual 
efficiency of up to 75 percent. A similar system is also 
planned for the Wolfsburg plant.  
 85
In 2012, a new energy efficiency project was launched at 
the Volkswagen brand’s Emden plant. A new body shop at 
this plant uses approximately 3,500 of the building’s 5,000 
foundation piles as energy piles. These piles, which are 
driven 20 metres into the ground, extract geothermal 
cooling energy, which is used to provide cooling in the 
welding shops. This solution dispenses with the need to 
evaporate water in conventional cooling towers, thereby 
reducing freshwater consumption by 25,000 cubic metres 
annually. In summer, the near-surface geothermal ener-
gy is also used to provide cooling in the production shop. 
In winter, as required, the production shop can be heated 
with the aid of a heat exchanger, which extracts stored 
heat.  
 123
Sometimes, it is first necessary to actually increase ener-
gy consumption before the savings are achieved. Warm 
forming of sheet steel is a good example. The warm form-
ing process simultaneously forms and tempers the steel 
by cooling it from 950°C to around 175°C in a matter of sec-
onds. The yield strength of warm-formed steel is up to six 
times that of conventional deep-drawn steel, making it 
possible to produce thinner and lighter components. Al-
though the energy consumed during warm forming is ini-
tially higher, the total life cycle energy consumption of the 
vehicle is reduced significantly, due to its lower weight. 
The new Golf provides a good illustration. Weight savings 
of up to 100 kg mean that fuel consumption is reduced by 
as much as 23 percent, with a corresponding reduction in 
CO₂ emissions. Warm forming is therefore an important 
Continuous expansion: by 2018, Volkswagen is looking to generate 
more than 2.5 GWh of energy from renewable sources.  
 120
GENERATING ENERGy FROM RENEWAbLES
Wind energy
Hydroelectricity
Biomass (wood)
Photovoltaic plants
2011
47
GWh
2015
1,480
2018
2,530
17,000 square-metre solar facility at the 
Sant’Agata Bolognese plant of Group 
brand Lamborghini 
 
Management approach    Climate protection    Life cycle assessments    Efficient vehicles/production    Sustainable mobility    Traffic noise   
Green logistics/IT    Resource efficiency    Water    Biodiversity    Awards    Think Blue. Factory.

112	
	
	
	
	
	
	

key to meeting the goal of reducing fleet-average emis-
sions below 120 g/CO₂ km. 
Less waste in the production sector
Despite increased production throughout the Group, and the 
introduction of new vehicle models, Volkswagen reduced its 
total waste quantities per vehicle produced (passenger cars 
and light commercial vehicles) during the period under re-
view. In 2012, 188.72 kg of metallic waste was produced per 
vehicle (2011: 210.59), along with 10.62 kg of hazardous waste 
for recycling (2011: 11.27), 10.37 kg of hazardous waste for dis-
posal (2011: 9.86), 10.62 kg of non-hazardous waste for dispos-
al (2011: 11.74) and 34.46 kg of non-hazardous waste for recy-
cling (2011: 34.14). The overall reduction was mainly down to 
the use of more resource-efficient production processes. 
Production emissions reduced 
Despite increased energy consumption due to increased 
production and the inclusion of new plants in the reporting 
data, direct CO₂ emissions (scope 1) have fallen, from 
555.02 kg per vehicle in 2010 to 425.13 kg per vehicle in 2012. 
Other pollutant emissions have also been reduced signifi-
cantly. Direct NOx emissions were reduced by 51.07 kg per 
vehicle compared with 2011, to 271.01 g, and SO2 emissions 
were reduced by 48.46 g to 28.42 g. VOC emissions were re-
duced from 4,045 g per vehicle to 3,521 g. 
The Porsche brand’s Zuffenhausen plant illustrates one of 
many ways in which emissions can be reduced. At a new 
paintshop at this plant, a waste air treatment system has 
gone into operation which can filter out solvents using 
physical/mechanical processes. Wet-mechanical treat-
ment reduces solvent concentrations in the waste air to less 
than 50 mg C/m3. No fossil fuels are used in the operation 
of this system.
Many further examples of real improvements in efficient 
production were presented during practice-sharing at the 
Group Environmental Conference in mid-2012, where they 
were discussed by more than 400 experts from all brands 
and regions. Outstanding examples and suggestions were 
compiled in “commitment papers”, the aim of which is to 
further improve sharing of best-practice project data be-
tween the Group’s brands. In addition, representatives of 
the five high-volume brands Audi, SEAT, ŠKODA, Volks-
wagen and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles took part in a 
questionnaire-based survey on the subject of efficient pro-
duction. Objectives, process landscapes and structures 
were mapped and documented, and outstanding initiatives 
in each market were identified. Finally, ideas for the opti-
misation or modification of higher-order processes and 
structures were developed, for use in a Group Environ-
mental Strategy. 
At the Audi plant in Ingolstadt, electrically-powered mini-trucks are 
used to collect paper and non-recyclable waste.
The warm forming process produces high-density steel with high 
strength and high crash safety. These qualities pave the way for  
efficient lightweight design and thus reduced fuel consumption.

Strategy       Ec onomy       Soc i e t y       E nvi ronm e nt 	
	
	
	
	
	

113
SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY 
Sustainable mobility is not just about building fuel-effi-
cient cars. It is also about integrating efficient vehicles 
and attractive services into a complex and heterogeneous 
network of structures and requirements such as changes 
in vehicle utilisation patterns, social and demographic 
trends, infrastructural and ecological challenges, and 
developments in the field of energy and technology. A 
global company like Volkswagen must take all these as-
pects into account as it develops a vision of sustainable 
mobility.  
Vision
In a future world of sustainable mobility, the car will re-
main a key means of transport. However, it will also be-
come increasingly integrated with other modes of trans-
port such as buses, rail or two-wheeled transport. The 
mode of transport chosen will depend on the purpose of 
the individual journey. Road transport itself will be largely 
emission-free, and electric road vehicles will be integrated 
with the power grid. In some cases, future vehicles will op-
erate fully automatically, making optimal use of the finite 
infrastructure – both when driving and when parking. Ac-
cidents will be virtually eliminated, and assistance systems 
will support or even take over driving tasks. Close coopera-
tion between vehicles and traffic lights will reduce time 
spent waiting at lights. This in turn will reduce environ-
mental impacts and journey times. Vehicles will communi-
cate and cooperate with other vehicles and with infrastruc-
ture, thereby improving traffic flow.  
 139, 141
Hiring not owning: the car-sharing trend
The car-sharing project Quicar, launched in Hanover in 
2011, saw further growth in 2012. The number of rental 
stations has now increased to 93, and well over 8,000 us-
ers have already registered for this scheme, showing that 
the Quicar concept is a good match for the needs of cus-
tomers. The average duration of a rental is 2.75 hours. 
Quicar is also in step with the continuing trend towards 
urbanisation. As vehicle utilisation patterns change, 
Flexible and convenient: with more than 8,000 users in Hanover and the surrounding region, the Quicar car-sharing 
project is already a hit.  
 140
Quicar comes top in Stiftung 
Warentest comparison test
Management approach    Climate protection    Life cycle assessments    Efficient vehicles/production    Sustainable mobility    Traffic noise   
Green logistics/IT    Resource efficiency    Water    Biodiversity    Awards    Think Blue. Factory.

114	
	
	
	
	
	
	

within an increasingly dense urban environment, users 
are showing a growing interest in inter- or multimodal so-
lutions. Quicar slots perfectly into these changing usage 
patterns. This logically structured concept was one of the 
reasons Quicar came out “best in test”, with an overall 
score of 1.8, when German consumer institute Stiftung 
Warentest compared nine car-sharing providers from 
Germany and the Netherlands. “Booking”, “driving” and 
“online experience” were among the categories where 
Quicar impressed the testers.  
 139
In addition, Quicar also impressed customers with its fair 
pricing, which is also geared to target gruops with less 
available income. During the reporting period, further 
steps were taken to integrate Quicar into regional commu-
nities and infrastructures. Quicar entered into new coop-
eration arrangements, for example with the Edeka super-
market chain and with Studentenwerk, a students’ welfare 
organisation in Hanover, or with LifeThek, an online lend-
ing service for everyday articles. In cooperation with these 
partners, Quicar developed customised packages and 
opened new rental stations. An agreement was also signed 
with the Greater Hanover Transport Association (GVH), 
giving around 100,000 GVH season-ticket holders reduced-
rate access to Quicar.  
 140
Another solution catering to the needs of an increasingly 
urban society is the MicroCity concept, developed by  
Volkswagen Group Research.  
 142
Challenges of the shift to renewables
The shift in energy production towards renewable sources 
presents huge opportunities, and also many challenges, in-
cluding expansion of the power grid, integration of energy 
sources with highly intermittent output, such as wind and 
solar power, the development of smart grid and grid storage 
solutions for improved load management and the quest for 
Natural gas feed-in 
From here, the e-gas is fed via the  
public gas grid to CNG filling stations
Methanation unit
In the methanation unit, the hydrogen  
reacts with carbon dioxide to create synthetic 
methane, or Audi e-gas
Amine scrubber
Here the carbon dioxide is  
treated ready for use as a raw 
material in the e-gas plant
Power supply
Audi e-gas is produced from  
renewably generated electricity
Electrolysis
Three electrolysers powered by  
renewable electricity split water  
into oxygen and hydrogen
AUDI E-GAS PLANT
Alternative fuels have an important role to play in reducing carbon emissions. In Werlte in North Germany, the world’s first 
industrial facility for generating synthetic methane (e-gas) from CO2 and renewable electricity is under construction.

Strategy       Ec onomy       Soc i e t y       E nvi ronm e nt 	
	
	
	
	
	

115
sustainable biofuels. Solutions being explored under Audi’s 
“future energies” initiative include ways of integrating mo-
bility into the energy landscape of the future and ways of de-
veloping practical and drivable carbon-neutral vehicles for 
short- and long-range transportation.  
 143
One objective is to use wind-power-generated electricity ei-
ther to power electric vehicles directly or to power produc-
tion of hydrogen at the “e-gas” plant in Werlte. The plant 
will also be capable of combining the hydrogen with CO₂ to 
produce synthetic natural gas, which could be fed into the 
existing natural gas network. The hydrogen could be used 
in future to power fuel-cell vehicles while the natural gas 
could be used, from as soon as the end of 2013, to power 
Audi TCNG natural gas models. The e-gas facility currently 
being built in Werlte will be the world’s first power-to-gas 
plant. Due to come on stream in the third quarter of 2013, it 
will feed gas to the natural gas grid as a backup for inter-
mittent renewable energy. In addition to the e-gas project, 
Audi is also working on other “e-fuels” based on CO₂ and 
renewable energy with the aim of providing future Audi 
customers with carbon-neutral mobility. Examples include 
e-thanol and e-diesel, which are being developed in coop-
eration with innovative project partners in the USA. No bio-
mass is required to produce these fuels, nor do they divert 
arable land from food production.  
 143, 144
The “Electric Mobility Fleet Test”, launched in 2008, is look-
ing at the implications of large-scale use of renewable energy 
to power electric vehicles. Volkswagen is using 20 current-
generation Golf Estate twinDRIVE models as research vehi-
cles in this test. In urban driving, their plug-in hybrid drive 
system operates mainly in zero-emission electric mode. The 
Golf twinDRIVE research project is focusing particularly on 
integration of the electric vehicle into the power grid. Mean-
while, in Berlin, the Volkswagen Group is taking part in the 
Effizienzhaus Plus project, which is aiming to demonstrate 
how sustainable living can dovetail with carbon-neutral driv-
ing. The Volkswagen Group is contributing an Audi A1 e-tron 
and two Volkswagen e-Golf models to this project.  
 146
Mobility research: revealing future options
Volkswagen has for many years been carrying out mobili-
ty research aimed at obtaining a holistic understanding 
of automotive mobility within the wider context of alter-
native modes of transport, human settlement patterns, 
transport infrastructures, public policy and urban devel-
opment. On this basis it aims to derive strategic conclu-
sions for future automotive development.  
 147
In 2012 once again, a wide range of dialogues, discussions 
and workshops took place. Often the focus was on broad-
based mobility strategies under the headings of Reduce, 
Transfer or Improve and the potential contributions of 
such strategies to future sustainable mobility. Volkswagen 
thinks it is important to gain as sound and accurate a pic-
ture as possible of the respective potential of these strate-
gies, and how it can best be exploited. Volkswagen has 
long believed that the urban – and rural – mobility of the 
future will require an intelligent mix of different trans-
port modes. What mix ultimately emerges will depend not 
least on the innovation capability – among other things in 
terms of intermodal potential – of the different modes of 
transport.  Accurately predicting the potential for modal 
shifts is a challenging task. Equally difficult to assess is 
the potential contribution of mobility services to im-
proved transport, the potential for operating such servic-
es cost-effectively and the potential for improved access. 
Human behaviour modelling is an extremely complex task 
when it comes to modal choice. In this field, Volkswagen 
is therefore working with a range of well-known organi-
sations, including scientific bodies such as ETH Zurich or 
the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the Fraun-
hofer Gesellschaft, as initiator of the Morgenstadt (city of 
tomorrow) initiative, the international think tank EM-
BARQ at the World Resources Institute Center for Sus-
tainable Transport and the World Business Council for 
Sustainable Development (WBCSD).  
 148, 149
In a variety of projects, Volkswagen has taken further steps 
towards the goal of sustainable mobility. One of these pro-
jects is the KOLINE project, which aims to reduce the ad-
verse effects of traffic light stops. The associated braking, 
acceleration and waiting times have a significant impact 
on urban traffic emissions. In a bid to reduce the amount 
of time cars spend stopped at lights, the KOLINE project 
adopts a “cooperative” approach. The Volkswagen KOLINE 
research vehicle uses car-to-infrastructure (C2X) commu-
nication to optimise its approach to the lights. This (tacti-
The KOLINE project has been  
successfully completed
Management approach    Climate protection    Life cycle assessments    Efficient vehicles/production    Sustainable mobility    Traffic noise   
Green logistics/IT    Resource efficiency    Water    Biodiversity    Awards    Think Blue. Factory.

116	
	
	
	
	
	
	

cal) driving strategy is implemented using a near-produc-
tion system for active longitudinal vehicle control (i.e. speed 
management). In addition, (strategic) model-based optimi-
sation of traffic signal control is also performed, throughout 
the urban road network, using infrastructure- and vehicle-
related sensor data. Simulations performed to date show 
significant potential for reducing the number of stops, fuel 
consumption and emissions. The project concluded in au-
tumn 2012 with the successful testing and demonstration of 
the system on public roads. 
In a further project, INEES, Volkswagen and other project 
partners are researching the possibilities for integrating 
electric vehicles into the electricity market. The project is 
concerned with intelligent grid integration of electric vehi-
cles and provision of vehicle-to-grid services. Over the com-
ing years, project activities will include a field test to collect 
data on the smart charging and discharging of EV batteries. 
Raising public awareness
An important prerequisite for sustainable mobility is 
public awareness. Volkswagen supported a number of 
projects in this area in 2012, including the Audi Urban Fu-
ture Initiative. This initiative, which includes an architec-
tural award with the biggest purse in Germany, aims to 
provide a better understanding of how major world cities – 
and urban mobility – will develop in future. Learning more 
about the future face of the city is important in order to as-
sess what forms of personal mobility will still be possible in 
this context. In order to influence these future develop-
ments today, Audi aims to identify significant urban plan-
ning trends from around the world and assess their rele-
vance for future mobility. The 2012 award was won by the 
Boston architecture practice Höweler + Yoon Architecture, 
for their “New American Dream” concept for the metro-
politan region Boston/Washington. The US firm developed 
an ambitious architectural and urban planning vision cen-
tred on the “Shareway”, a revolutionary means of commut-
ing between home and workplace. The basic idea involves 
merging private and public transport into a new kind of 
mobility platform, where the existing infrastructure is 
combined with intelligent traffic flows and networks. The 
“New American Dream” is based on a new social consen-
sus, where the focus is on community, and where sharing 
is more important than ownership.  
 150
How does a traffic jam happen? “Stauspiel”, a tailback game at Autostadt Wolfsburg, presents scientific findings in an entertaining way.
“New American Dream” vision for metropolitan 
region Boston/Washington developed as part 
of Audi Urban Future Initiative

Strategy       Ec onomy       Soc i e t y       E nvi ronm e nt 	
	
	
	
	
	

117
Another example is the “Stauspiel” exhibit at Autostadt 
Wolfsburg, an interactive simulation where visitors see 
how and why congestion can sometimes develop “out of 
thin air”, bringing traffic to a standstill. “Stauspiel” was de-
veloped on the basis of current research data, as a joint 
project of the Institute for Transport & Economics of Dres-
den University of Technology and Volkswagen Group Re-
search. The simulation is unique in this form. 
Sustainable mobility is not just a vision for the future.
Volkswagen is currently working to improve traffic flow in 
and around its Wolfsburg site. To this end, the Company 
has joined with the City of Wolfsburg, Wolfsburg AG and 
Autostadt to form a Transport Task Force and draw up a 
coordinated traffic concept. Here too the approach is fo-
cused not just on the car but on an intelligent mix of trans-
port modes. As well as enhancing traffic flow and park-
ing, the initiative is also aiming to improve public 
transport, along with the cycle track and footpath net-
works. Concrete results have already emerged: for exam-
ple a second exit lane has been added from the A39 motor-
way, leading to the factory gate. This has significantly 
reduced tailbacks in the morning rush hour. Also, several 
thousand new parking spaces have been created all 
around the factory, while reserved parking continues to be 
provided close to the factory for car pools (of three or more 
employees). Traffic light phasing has been improved, while 
for bus and rail users, more buses have been laid on and 
timetables have been extended. Within the plant, employ-
ees can use internal shuttle services to get to their office or 
from their office to a meeting elsewhere in the plant. The 
impact on commuter traffic emissions is shown in the 
SCOPE 3 inventory (> p. 143). 
Traffic noise
Cars, buses and trucks, motorcycles, trams and trains all 
generate noise which impacts on the health and quality 
of life of urban residents in particular. Safeguarding mo-
bility while at the same time reducing noise is a chal-
lenge.
Volkswagen is facing up to this challenge not only by devel-
oping ever quieter vehicles but also through intensive ac-
tivities in the field of traffic noise in general. The aim is to 
gain a better understanding of the contribution of the car 
to traffic noise, as a basis for deciding which tasks should 
in future be the responsibility of the vehicle manufacturers 
themselves and which tasks require a more broadly fo-
cused approach, involving dialogue with other stakehold-
ers.
In cooperation with internationally recognised partners, a 
“noise level tool” has been developed. Based on a model 
city, the tool can be used to carry out a quantitative compar-
ison of noise-reduction measures, looking at their effect in 
terms of both noise levels and numbers of people exposed 
to noise. The focus is on traffic noise in general, not the in-
dividual vehicle. A new feature of this tool is that for the 
first time it also addresses noise “immissions”, that is to 
say how much noise actually “reaches” how many of the 
city’s inhabitants. In the past, a focus exclusively on the 
emissions side – the sources of noise − resulted in a distort-
ed picture of the effectiveness of noise-reducing measures. 
Factors which influence noise immissions include traffic 
volumes, the relative numbers of cars and trucks on the 
road, speeds, type of road surface, powertrain noise and 
tyre/road noise. 
Volkswagen believes these activities can result in better co-
ordination of future noise reduction measures and more 
effective targeting of funding.
Volkswagen’s work on vehicle noise reduction at the Acous-
tics Centre in Wolfsburg is focused on improvements to the 
powertrain – comprising the engine, the transmission, the 
drive shafts and the air intake and exhaust system – and on 
tyre/road noise. Noise is a particularly important consider-
ation for Volkswagen when selecting original equipment 
tyres. The Volkswagen brand therefore only uses products 
Management approach    Climate protection    Life cycle assessments    Efficient vehicles/production    Sustainable mobility    Traffic noise   
Green logistics/IT    Resource efficiency    Water    Biodiversity    Awards    Think Blue. Factory.

118	
	
	
	
	
	
	

which comply with the noise limits set by Germany’s Blue 
Angel eco-label system. Audi has its own test procedure for 
approving original equipment tyres, which goes well be-
yond the actual statutory requirements. 
Green Logistics
Volkswagen Logistics took further action to reduce 
environmental impacts from the transport of prod-
ucts and materials during the period under review. 
Measures were geared to ensuring that logistics prod-
ucts and processes deliver sustained environmental 
value.  
Volkswagen has identified the following significant envi-
ronmental aspects for this sector at the present time: en-
ergy consumption, emissions, fine particulate pollution, 
water consumption and waste. To achieve improvements 
in these areas, the following action areas have been de-
fined:   
>	 reduction in freight traffic, for example through opti-
mised transport structures, a reduction in the number of 
empty runs and improved load factors 
>	 a shift from road transport to other modes of transport 
>	 reduction in fuel consumption through use of efficient 
technologies.  In 2012, Volkswagen made progress in im-
plementing these strategic objectives, as the following 
examples show.
“Green Trains” have now gone into service on further 
routes. On the Wolfsburg to Zwickau line, Volkswagen has 
become the first German car manufacturer to use DB Schen-
ker Rail’s EcoPlus trains for the transport of materials. Eco-
Plus trains are powered entirely by renewable energy. 
On the car transport side, a further route went over to 
EcoPlus during 2012: “Green Trains” are now being used 
to transport new vehicles on the 693-kilometre journey 
from Audi’s Neckarsulm plant in South Germany to the 
North Sea port of Emden, for onward shipment. The re-
sult is a saving of 38 kilograms in CO₂ emissions per vehi-
cle transported, and a saving of 3,420 tonnes in total 
emissions per annum. 
The Group brand Scania significantly reduced CO₂ emis-
sions from internal freight traffic operations at its 
Södertälje site in Sweden in 2012 with the acquisition of 
eight trucks powered by bioethanol ED95. Using bioetha-
nol instead of iesel reduces CO₂ emissions by approxi-
mately 70 percent.  
 136
Scania has also set up a wholly owned subsidiary, Scania 
Transportlaboratorium AB, to assess the characteristics 
and performance of vehicles used in commercial haulage 
and to train drivers in fuel-efficient, eco-friendly driving. 
In the space of one year, drivers in the Transportlaborato-
rium test fleet reduced their average fuel consumption 
from 33 to 27 litres/100 km. This represents an annual sav-
ing of €30,000 per truck and reduces the total annual CO₂ 
emissions of the fleet as a whole by 1,300 tonnes. Impor-
tantly, it has also been established that eco-friendly driving 
does not have to be at the expense of speed. In fact, Scania 
Transport Laboratory drivers improved their on-time de-
livery rate from 93 to 99 percent. 
At the Wolfsburg site, the new Multimodal Logistics Centre 
Wolfsburg (MLW) was opened in October 2012. This hub 
centrally controls supplies of vehicle components and 
parts to overseas Volkswagen plants and the supply of new 
and used vehicles to Volkswagen dealers in the local re-
gion. 
With the new Logistics Centre for materials and vehicles, 
Volkswagen is combining two key logistics functions. 
From this 200,000 square metre site in the Fallersleben 
area of Wolfsburg, Volkswagen Logistics will firstly coor-
dinate the shipment of new and used vehicles to dealer-
ships in the Wolfsburg, Hanover, Braunschweig, Celle, 
Göttingen and Magdeburg regions, and will provide tech-
nical services for these dealerships. Secondly, as well as 
handling the shipment of vehicles, the centre will also 
supply CKD (Completely Knocked Down) parts and com-
ponents sets to overseas production plants of the Volks-
wagen Group. 
Together with the inland port planned by GVZ Entwick-
lungsgesellschaft Wolfsburg, the new Logistics Centre will 
form a highly efficient hub offering trimodal (road, rail 
and water) transport capability. 
New “Green Train” route cuts annual 
CO₂ emissions by 3,420 tonnes

Strategy       Ec onomy       Soc i e t y       E nvi ronm e nt 	
	
	
	
	
	

119
The sustainability of the new Logistics Centre is further 
underscored by its eco-friendly use of recycled materials 
in the base layers under outdoor asphalt surfaces, a so-
lar hot water heating system, LED office and outdoor 
lighting and a soundproofed building to reduce noise 
from night-time vehicle loading and unloading opera-
tions. 
Green IT
Improved IT infrastructures and equipment offer 
great potential for further improving resource and en-
ergy efficiency.  
Particularly in view of the large number of computer 
workstations in the Company, Green IT offers Volkswagen 
significant scope for reducing its use of consumables and 
energy and, by the same token, its CO₂ emissions. Green 
IT is also a key to more efficient networking in a global 
corporation. 
A major project from the period under review indicates the 
scale of potential savings: in 2011, Volkswagen launched 
iDOMP, a global tender process for approximately 35,000 
printers. As part of this process, shortlisted printers and 
suppliers were subjected to a green IT evaluation covering 
the entire life cycle of the product – from the materials 
and type of packaging used to reductions in energy con-
sumption and reduced electronic scrap at the end of the 
product life cycle. Following this evaluation, in 2012 the 
supplier structure was optimised and the existing print-
ers are now being replaced. By the time the changeover is 
completed, the printer fleet as a whole will be 32 percent 
more energy-efficient than the previous fleet, resulting in 
annual energy savings of 2.18 GWh. A one-off 33 percent 
reduction in packaging volumes and a 36,000 kilogram 
reduction in the volume of items packaged with the prod-
ucts have also been achieved.
 
To further emphasise the sustainability of the new print-
ers, Volkswagen is working with the printer manufacturer 
and the German Nature and Biodiversity Conservation 
Union (NABU) to develop a new carbon offset project, 
Audi’s new data centre at the Ingolstadt plant provides 2,000 square metres of space for 6,000 highly efficient servers. The TÜV Rheinland 
technical inspectorate has issued the data centre with a “premium” certificate – its highest energy efficiency rating. 
Management approach    Climate protection    Life cycle assessments    Efficient vehicles/production    Sustainable mobility    Traffic noise   
Green logistics/IT    Resource efficiency    Water    Biodiversity    Awards    Think Blue. Factory.

120	
	
	
	
	
	
	

aimed at fully offsetting the CO₂ emissions associated 
with delivery, use and take-back of the products, taking 
into account not only the energy consumption of the 
printers themselves but also energy consumption for 
toner, paper, packaging and visits by service engineers. 
Volkswagen will offset these unavoidable CO₂ emissions 
with gold standard carbon offset certificates issued by 
The Gold Standard Foundation. Also, as a further contri-
bution to protecting the natural environment and reduc-
ing greenhouse gas emissions, in Germany Volkswagen 
is investing in moorland restoration projects managed by 
NABU. All calculations for this project are being per-
formed by ClimatePartner Deutschland GmbH and certi-
fied by Société Générale de Surveillance Holding GmbH 
(SGS).
RESOURCE EFFICIENCY 
In its environmental goals, Volkswagen has committed it-
self to the responsible use and best possible conservation 
of natural resources. 
Important levers for improving resource efficiency – in  
addition to energy efficiency (> p. 111), efficient water use  
(> p. 123) and improving air quality through reduced pollut-
ant emissions (> p. 112) – include responsible use of natural 
materials and efficient recycling. 
Tracking and streamlining material flows 
To promote efficient and sustainable use of natural re-
sources, in 2012 Volkswagen established a Raw Materials 
Management Steering Group to systematically identify and 
analyse risks to raw materials supplies and take timely 
counter-measures. 
A helpful tool for ensuring more efficient resource use in 
the manufacturing process is material flow management. 
Material flow management allows transparent matching of 
energy and material flows to specific processes. It provides 
a basis for comparing different scenarios or technologies 
and identifying improvement opportunities. First launched 
in 2011, material flow management has been operating 
with an expanded and refined database since 2012, which 
has led to an improvement in the quality of the results. In 
the meantime the tool is being used to plan new paintshop 
facilities and assess existing ones. 
To handle the increasing level of detail generated in this 
modelling process, an operating wizard was developed 
which makes the system much more user-friendly. Small-
scale pilot projects are currently being conducted to assess 
the suitability of this tool for deployment across the Group. 
The high degree of product diversity means that it is not 
possible to produce generalized statistics on material flows 
for the range as a whole.  However, material flow analyses 
for many high-selling models can be found in the Environ-
mental Commendations, or the general brochure “The 
Lifecycle of a Car”.  
 125
Responsible use of resources goes hand in hand with a 
high level of materials efficiency. A high level of materi-
als efficiency means, for example, a smaller difference 
Material Composition VW Golf 7
62.9%
Steel and iron 
materials 
Operating fluids and 
auxiliary materials 
2.3%
Electronics/  
electrics 
0.1%
Composites and 
other materials 
3.3%
Process polymers 
1.1%
Polymer materials 
19.5%
Special metals 
< 0.1%
2.6%
Nonferrous 
metals, cast and 
wrought alloys 
8.2%
Light alloys, cast 
and wrought alloys 
Breakdown of the materials used in the new Golf. The new model is 
12 percent more material-efficient than its predecessor.  
 124
A Raw Materials Management Steering 
Group was established in 2012

Strategy       Ec onomy       Soc i e t y       E nvi ronm e nt 	
	
	
	
	
	

121
between the weight of steel blanks entering the produc-
tion process and that of the finished component. This in 
turn reduces the amount of offcut waste that needs to be 
recycled. In the new Golf, introduced during the report-
ing period, materials efficiency was increased by 12 per-
cent. 
Materials efficiency 12 percent up in the Golf
The efficient use of materials is an important factor in 
terms of total operating costs, environmental protection, 
and a cost-efficient production process. A breakdown of 
the materials used in the new Golf provides an example in 
which the materials efficiency has been improved by 12 
percent compared to its predecessor. Among other mate-
rials used, 62.9 percent of the vehicle consists of steel and 
iron materials, 19.5 percent of polymers and 8.2 percent 
of light alloys, cast and wrought alloys.
Responsible and economical use of raw materials is a man-
datory requirement at all our sites worldwide. 2012 saw a 
number of successes in this area. The following are some 
examples of the improvements achieved: 
Bodywork components are made from sheet metal coils. 
Due to the complex shape of the body components, consid-
erable quantities of offcuts are generated during this pro-
cess. The Volkswagen brand’s Wolfsburg plant has there-
fore reduced coil widths. It has also made improvements to 
tools, component geometries and the nesting of blanks. 
The result is a substantial improvement in materials effi-
ciency on the production line for the new Golf, with a 15 
percent reduction in waste volumes compared with the 
predecessor model. These and improvements to other 
models since 2011 have reduced steel consumption by ap-
proximately 73,000 tonnes annually compared with 2006. 
In the paintshop at the Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg, 48 
state-of-the-art painting robots went into operation in 2012. 
Their innovative colour change and application systems re-
duce consumption of materials by up to 50 percent. The ro-
bots also consume up to 20 percent less compressed air and 
significantly less energy, cutting CO₂ emissions by 120 
tonnes per year. There are cost benefits too, with annual sav-
ings of €800,000 at the Wolfsburg plant alone.  
 85
Joint commitment 
In 2012, together with other large corporations, SMEs and 
universities, Volkswagen launched the ValueRess project. 
Volkswagen’s contribution to this project, which will have a 
three-year timeline, will include LCA and Raw Materials 
Analysis methodologies. In 2012, Volkswagen once again 
worked within industry associations to promote efficient, 
sustainable resource use not only in-house but also at indus-
try level. For example Volkswagen is participating in the Fed-
eration of German Industry (BDI)’s Ad Hoc Working Group 
on Resource Efficiency Programmes. Resource efficiency is-
sues are also discussed for example with the European Auto-
mobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), e.g. in the Work-
ing Group Industrial Emissions.
The Volkswagen Group is constructively supporting the polit-
ical process at German and European level in the field of re-
source efficiency. Among recent developments, in 2012 the 
German government adopted its Resource Efficiency Pro-
gramme. And in 2011, the EU Commission published its road-
map for 2020, defining a policy framework for a resource-ef-
ficient Europe, aimed at setting Europe on track to become 
the world’s most resource-efficient region. The EU Commis-
sion is currently working on the first step towards this goal, 
by developing resource efficiency indicators. Volkswagen is 
playing an active role here, and sharing its own experiences 
regarding optimisation of resource efficiency.
Recycling gains life cycle credits
A further important instrument for promoting resource  
efficiency is recycling. Reuse of recycled material reduces 
the need for extraction and processing of primary resourc-
es. In the LCA, therefore, recycling can effectively be treat-
ed as a life cycle “credit”. At Volkswagen, recycling capabil-
ity is built into new vehicles from the very beginning of the 
development process, ensuring that the company’s new ve-
hicles are now 85 percent recyclable. And thanks to the 
Volkswagen SiCon process, which is capable of recycling 
shredder residues, end-of-life vehicles are even 95 percent 
recoverable.  
 126
One of Volkswagen’s core environmental goals is to re-
duce its consumption of primary raw materials. This is 
why use of quality-assured recycled materials is explicitly 
Management approach    Climate protection    Life cycle assessments    Efficient vehicles/production    Sustainable mobility    Traffic noise   
Green logistics/IT    Resource efficiency    Water    Biodiversity    Awards    Think Blue. Factory.

122	
	
	
	
	
	
	

stated as a requirement in Volkswagen’s general environ-
mental specifications, which apply to all projects. The re-
cycled content of the new Golf, calculated by means of a 
certified method based on DIN EN ISO 14021:2012, is be-
tween 34 and 35 percent of vehicle weight.  
 127, 128
Not all vehicle components may require recycling. Many 
can be reconditioned and then reused. This is the princi-
ple behind the Volkswagen brand’s Genuine Remanufac-
tured Parts programme, which recently celebrated its 
65th anniversary. Since the programme was first launched, 
a total of approximately 7.9 million remanufactured en-
gines, 2.9 million remanufactured transmissions and 
over 78 million other remanufactured components have 
been sold. The current Genuine Remanufactured Parts 
range comprises more than 16,000 components from 63 
product groups. Genuine remanufactured parts cost on 
average 40 percent less than genuine new parts, while 
nevertheless offering as-new quality and functionality, 
and being backed by the same warranty. And in addition 
to the benefits for the customer, this is good news above 
all for the environment. For example, engine remanufac-
turing alone delivers annual savings in the order of 7,000 
tonnes of steel.  
 129
Since electric vehicles contain relatively large amounts of 
valuable resources such as cobalt, lithium and rare earth 
metals, in 2012 recycling was also an issue in Volks-
wagen’s preparations for electric mobility. Cobalt in par-
ticular is for the most part fully recyclable and reusable. 
This has been demonstrated amongst other things by the 
LithoRec research project, in which Volkswagen partici-
pated. Tests carried out for this project showed that 90 
percent of the raw materials used in a lithium-ion battery 
can be recovered.  
 130, 131
Tree-planting under way on mountainsides in the Iztaccihuatl-Popocatepetl National Park. In the course of this reforestation project, 
420,000 trees have been planted, 47,000 soakaways have been dug and 350 sizeable dams have been built to date. These measures are 
contributing around 2.6 million m3 to groundwater replenishment annually.

Strategy       Ec onomy       Soc i e t y       E nvi ronm e nt 	
	
	
	
	
	

123
WATER
Volkswagen uses this valuable resource sparingly and 
responsibly. Key points in Volkswagen’s sustainable 
water management policy include reduced water con-
sumption, reduced wastewater volumes, treatment of 
wastewater and protection of habitats in and around 
water. 
Sustainable water management is anchored in the Group’s 
Environmental Principles: three of the 22 Environmental 
Principles for Production Plants are directly concerned with 
water, and the responsible member of the Board of Manage-
ment is kept informed of issues and progress regarding their 
implementation. Ultimately, water shortages represent an 
economic risk for Volkswagen, given that our production pro-
cesses are dependent on this indispensable resource.  
 24
In 2012, the water supplies of Volkswagen AG and Volks-
wagen Sachsen GmbH were taken from surface water (0.77 
million m3), groundwater (2.14 million m3), on-site rainwa-
ter harvesting and treatment (1.85 million m3) and water 
supplied by public utility companies (3.67 million m3). Dur-
ing this period, the various forms of water withdrawal are 
not known to have caused damage to the ecosystem of these 
water sources. In fact, in Mexico the measures undertaken 
are contributing approximately 2.6 million m3 annually to 
groundwater replenishment – significantly in excess of the 
amount the Volkswagen Puebla plant actually withdraws 
from the groundwater. Wastewater discharges are in line 
with the official permits and are closely monitored.
Volkswagen is aiming to reduce water consumption across 
all plants by 25 percent by 2018 over 2010 levels. Impor-
tant strides have already been made towards this goal:  
between 2010 and 2012, water consumption per vehicle 
produced fell by 0.45 m3 (scope 1). Wherever possible, 
Volkswagen aims to recycle water. The Salzgitter plant, for 
example, where all production wastewater is treated in an 
evaporator, achieves zero-wastewater production. In 2011, 
25,251 m3 of industrial wastewater was treated and recy-
cled in this way. Aggregate Group figures for water recy-
cling are not yet available.  
 121
Under its GreenFuture initiative, the Group brand ŠKODA is 
aiming to source 80 percent of its process water require-
ments from treated rainwater by 2018. This kind of closed-
loop water recovery is key to efficient water use. 
Water footprint – knowing where water is consumed 
Using the water footprint, calculated on the basis of the 
Life Cycle Assessments, Volkswagen is able to identify those 
processes in the automobile life cycle with the highest wa-
ter consumption. This analysis shows that most water is 
consumed by upstream material production and supply 
processes.  
Use of water resources at Volkswagen is audited and veri-
fied to rigorous standards such as DIN ISO 14001 or the EU 
Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS). Water is also 
a regular and important topic on the agenda of the Region-
al Environmental Conferences, and was a focus of exten-
sive practice-sharing at the fourth Group Environmental 
Conference in 2012.
Transparent information
Volkswagen provides transparent information to stake-
holders about its management of water resources, and ac-
tion it is taking to reduce the risk of water shortages. Since 
2011, Volkswagen has been participating in the Water Dis-
closure Project (WDP). This non-profit organisation col-
lects water-related data from questionnaires submitted by 
participating companies. It analyses and evaluates this in-
formation and – with the approval of the reporting compa-
ny – makes the results available to the public. In 2012, 
Volkswagen was the only German vehicle manufacturer to 
consent to publication.  
 132
Saving water in everyday industrial operations
At the end of 2012, one of the most advanced wastewater 
treatment plants in China came on stream at the new 
Volkswagen plant in Foshan. The wastewater is recycled 
in an environmentally compatible process that returns 
100 percent of the water to the factory. Here it is used for, 
among other things, the rain test in the assembly shop 
and to replenish the cooling water. As a result, the plant’s 
freshwater uptake has been reduced by some 30 percent. 
During the site approval process, agreements were al-
First near-zero wastewater factory under 
construction – in Foshan, China
Management approach    Climate protection    Life cycle assessments    Efficient vehicles/production    Sustainable mobility    Traffic noise   
Green logistics/IT    Resource efficiency    Water    Biodiversity    Awards    Think Blue. Factory.

124	
	
	
	
	
	
	

ready drawn up on future water use, and plans were de-
veloped for a biological treatment plant. Wastewater fed 
to this central Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) plant is ini-
tially treated using bacteria. The water is then filtered 
through a membrane with an area of approximately 6,000 
square metres, before being disinfected. The resulting 
water, which is virtually of drinking water quality, is used 
as cooling tower feed water (cooling and process water), 
and also for green area watering and toilet flushing. The 
MBR biological treatment plant achieves 98 percent COD 
(Chemical Oxygen Demand) and BOD (Biological Oxygen 
Demand) reduction. It is the first of its kind in the Chi-
nese automobile industry and the largest in the Volks-
wagen Group. Further water-saving measures at the new 
site include a rinsing water recycling system in the paint-
shop and a dry overspray separation system.
The Volkswagen brand’s plant in Taubaté, Brazil, pro-
vides a further example of efficient water management. 
Expansion of the paintshop at this plant has further im-
proved efficiency. A state-of-the-art primerless painting 
process combined with an innovative overspray separa-
tion system has reduced water consumption by 20 per-
cent.  
 133, 134
Efficient water use is also a top priority at the Puebla plant 
in Mexico. The expanded water strategy introduced at this 
plant in 2012 comprises an extensive range of measures: 
>	 rainwater is collected in lagoons for use as process wa-
ter or in cooling towers, 
>	 rainwater from rooftops is collected, filtered through 
layers of turf, earth, stone and geotextiles and then fed 
to a buffer tank, 
>	 treated wastewater is used to flush toilets or to water 
green areas, 
>	 existing showerheads and taps are being replaced by 
more water-efficient fittings. 
With these and other measures, the plant has cut statisti-
cal water consumption from 5.1 m3 per vehicle in 1999 to 
approximately 3.0 m3 in 2012. In 2013, the plant is aim-
ing to reduce this figure below the 3.0 m3 mark. At the 
Chattanooga plant too, rainwater is being captured by 
smart collection systems and used for toilet-flushing, 
amongst other applications. In 2012, rainwater for more 
than 700,000 toilet flushes was collected, with a corre-
sponding reduction in freshwater consumption.  
In 2012, Volkswagen also reported positive results from 
its ongoing reforestation project in the vicinity of the Pop-
ocatépetl volcano in Mexico. Since 2008, the Company 
has reforested a total area of 750 hectares on the slopes of 
this volcano. The trees stabilise the ecosystem and im-
prove rainwater retention. So far 420,000 trees have 
been planted, 47,000 soakaways have been constructed 
and 350 sizeable dams have been built. These measures 
are contributing around 2.6 million m3 to groundwater 
replenishment annually – significantly in excess of the 
amount the Volkswagen Puebla plant actually withdraws 
from the groundwater. 
For Volkswagen, responsible water management also 
means attempting to ensure that this resource is more 
fairly distributed in particularly drought-prone areas. To 
help people in low-rainfall areas of Brazil, in 2012  
Volkswagen joined with partners to install more than 300 
additional public water pumps. Volkswagen do Brasil has 
also assumed responsibility for managing the Popular 
Water Pump (PMP) programme. Under this project easy-
to-operate public water pumps are providing a free water 
supply in nine states. The number of such pumps has now 
been increased to around 1,000, meaning that in future 
140,000 people will benefit, most of them on low in-
comes.  
 135
In cases where water withdrawal is unavoidable, Volkswagen 
aims wherever possible to implement suitable offsetting 
measures. For example the state-of-the-art plant now being 
constructed in Ningbo, in southern China (annual produc-
tion capacity 300,000 vehicles), is sited in an industrial 
zone which was originally built on tidal flats. As early as the 
planning stage, Volkswagen therefore also investigated the 
scope for offsetting projects. The Company is now looking 
into ways and means of designating tidal mudflats on the 
Yellow Sea as protected areas. 
300 new public water pumps installed for  
the Popular Water Pump project in Brazil

Strategy       Ec onomy       Soc i e t y       E nvi ronm e nt 	
	
	
	
	
	

125
Biodiversity 
Biological diversity and the services performed by the 
world’s ecosystems are the very foundations of life and 
economic activity. Yet despite this universally acknowl-
edged truth, species, ecosystems and genetic diversity 
are in dramatic decline. 
The reasons for this are many and varied, but scientists 
cite the destruction of habitats, excessive development 
and the depletion of natural resources, overfertilisation, 
the introduction of non-native species, and increasingly, 
climate change as the principal culprits. Protecting biodi-
versity is therefore one of the most pressing challenges of 
our time. 
As an industrial company, Volkswagen is committed to  
the protection of biodiversity, primarily by reducing its 
greenhouse gas emissions and via conventional environ-
mental management practices designed to reduce and 
eliminate waste, exhaust air, wastewater or noise. Direct 
nature and species conservation measures in the envi-
ronment of our factories likewise play an important role, 
alongside the important issue of land use. 
Biodiversity management
Volkswagen’s commitment to the conservation of biodi-
versity includes implementing statutory guidelines and 
conventions, such as the International Convention on Bi-
ological Diversity (CBD) and the European and national 
biodiversity strategy of the German Government. Ever 
since the mission statement “Protecting Biological Diver-
sity” was first drafted in 2007, safeguarding biodiversity 
has been an explicit corporate goal of Volkswagen AG. In 
the reporting period, the Group was continuously advised 
by the German Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Un-
ion (NABU).  
 151
The Company was also involved in both the international 
Business & Biodiversity (B&B) initiative and the Biodiver-
sity project group of the econsense sustainability forum. 
As co-founder of the B&B initiative, Volkswagen donated 
€50,000 to this dedicated learning and dialogue platform 
for industry in 2012. At the same time, Volkswagen 
stepped up its efforts to incorporate species conservation 
into its factories’ environmental action plans, using the 
regular Regional Conferences staged by global Environ-
mental Management as a platform. The Company also 
shared details of its biodiversity policy with its partners 
on the B2B supplier platform www.vwgroupsupply.com. 
 152
Working together for biodiversity
Starting in 2010, in collaboration with partners from the 
worlds of research and insurance, Volkswagen made an as-
sessment of the ecological risks at its production sites. The 
aim was to analyse and grade emission risks (exhaust air, 
wastewater and waste) in respect of the potential damage 
to water, soil and biodiversity. Having analysed ten German 
Volkswagen and Audi plants in 2010, followed by the Osna-
brück, Brussels and Palmela plants in 2011, the process 
continued with the Leipzig, Zuffenhausen and Weissach 
plants in 2012. The 2012 assessment identified sites adja-
cent to areas of high biodiversity value (> p. 147). There 
were no known cases of Volkswagen’s activities endanger-
ing the natural habitats of species on the Red List of the In-
ternational Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natu-
ral Resources (IUCN) in 2012.
Volkswagen considers biodiversity aspects from the outset 
when considering potential new sites. For example, in 2012 
it examined potential biodiversity projects in the area sur-
rounding its new Changsha plant in the Chinese province 
of Hunan. In collaboration with the German development 
agency GIZ GmbH, it devised a range of project funding 
options to protect agricultural diversity. Volkswagen also 
commissioned a number of studies into potential projects 
to protect the tidal mudflats in the Yellow Sea as a compen-
satory measure.
Biodiversity reporting & communications
Reporting and communications on our activities to pro-
tect biodiversity have been extended and improved. In 
late 2012, the first progress report was posted on the web-
site of the B&B initiative. One year prior to this, the web-
site www.mobil-fuer-mensch-und-natur.de had gone live 
as an interactive platform for our collaboration with 
NABU. Furthermore, in May 2012, Volkswagen and econ-
Management approach    Climate protection    Life cycle assessments    Efficient vehicles/production    Sustainable mobility    Traffic noise   
Green logistics/IT    Resource efficiency    Water    Biodiversity    Awards    Think Blue. Factory.

126	
	
	
	
	
	
	

First progress report on biodiversity activities 
published on website of B&B initiative
sense co-hosted a conference entitled “Adventure Biodi-
versity” at the Natural History Museum in Berlin, attend-
ed by delegates from the worlds of politics and academia.

  
  153
The interactive exhibition “Tour de Wolf” by Volkswagen 
and NABU continued to make the rounds of wildlife parks 
and zoos, with wolf enclosures inviting visitors to a range 
of experience-based educational events (“Welcome Wolf”). 
The accompanying media competition “Wanted – Games, 
Apps, Clips” was designed to sensitise creative young peo-
ple to this topic. 
Having attended the previous two CBD Conferences, in Oc-
tober 2012 the Group once again sent a delegation to the 
11th CoP in the Indian city of Hyderabad. Volkswagen India 
had its own multimedia “ThinkBlue” stand at the confer-
ence, where it showcased a range of topical issues includ-
ing eco-friendly factories, water conservation, biogas, spe-
cies inventory, and environmental education.
Nature conservation and biodiversity projects 
Once again, a slew of projects for the conservation of na-
ture and species were initiated or continued at numerous 
locations, spearheaded by individual brands and regions 
in collaboration with local partners. The large-scale refor-
estation of the “Izta-Popo” mountain region in Mexico, for 
example, provides effective protection against soil erosion 
and allows the soil to store more precious groundwater  
(> p. 124). Meanwhile, Volkswagen de México’s “Por amor 
al planeta” (For love of the planet) project continued to sup-
port research into biodiversity and third-party projects fo-
cusing on the preservation of biodiversity. 
Volkswagen of South Africa became a sponsor-partner of 
the Wilderness Foundation’s Rhino Protection Initiative, 
and also supported the work of the Dyer Island Conserva-
tion Trust to protect dolphins and penguins. Extensive 
tree-planting efforts continued at numerous locations 
around the globe, including the USA, India, Spain, Brazil, 
South Africa and Germany. Additionally, Volkswagen do 
Brasil made the environmental education of its workforce 
a particular priority.
For a number of years, the Volkswagen Group China has 
collaborated with the Chinese Center for Environmental 
Education and Communication on the Green Future Envi-
ronmental Education Initiative, or GFEEI. In summer 
2012, the German Youth Association for the Protection of 
Nature (NAJU) visited the initiative to advise and educate 
the team in a hands-on way.
The flowering rush has spread from the Drömling reserve to the Aller 
river meadows near Wolfsburg, as a result of flooding. 
Volkswagen is supporting around 30 biodiversity projects, which are 
helping to protect species such as the tree frog.

Strategy       Ec onomy       Soc i e t y       E nvi ronm e nt 	
	
	
	
	
	

127
While Volkswagen supported a European Union-funded 
species inventory in the Czech Republic’s national parks, 
Lamborghini launched another species diversity study in 
collaboration with universities in Bologna, Bolzano and 
Munich. The Group also provided (long-term) vehicle loans 
to a large number of nature conservation initiatives and as-
sociations, as well as scientific institutions and research 
organizations around the globe. 
In Germany too, Volkswagen has been busy promoting na-
ture and species conservation. A habitat networking proj-
ect, funded by the Federal Office for Nature Conservation 
under the Federal Programme for Biological Diversity and 
initiated by the German Campaign for Otter Protection (Ak-
tion Fischotterschutz e.V.) in collaboration with Volkswagen, 
was launched in late 2012 along the river Aller. Volks-
wagen is also supporting the renaturation of the Lower 
Havel, Europe’s largest river renaturation project, and 
has contributed in various ways, including a major cam-
paign to collect unwanted mobile phones at its Wolfsburg, 
Emden and Hanover factories, the proceeds from which 
were donated to the initiative. These two projects, which 
are carefully monitored by experts from the participating 
project partners, are renaturing large areas of river land-
scape – inluding 100 kilometres of river bank on the Low-
er Havel.  
 154, 155
Alongside water pollution control, growing importance is 
also attached to moorland conservation. The joint envi-
ronmental programme developed by Volkswagen Leasing 
GmbH and NABU is a particularly effective tool in moor-
land conservation, and enabled NABU to rehydrate both 
the Theikenmeer region of Emsland (240 hectares) and 
the Grosses Moor region in south-east Lower Saxony 
(2,720 hectares), followed in mid-2012 by the Lichten-
moor region near Nienburg/Weser (13 hectares). This has 
helped to preserve a number of carbon sinks and biotopes 
for endangered species of fauna and flora, including the 
European viper, common lizard, large blue butterfly, Eu-
ropean golden plover, sundew and hare’s-tail cotton-
grass. Without hydration, some 180,000 tonnes of CO₂ 
would be released as a result of oxidation in the next 20 
years in the Lichtenmoor region alone. Volkswagen Leas-
ing GmbH also set up the German Moorland Protection 
Fund with initial funding of €1.6 million, which it hopes 
will help attract additional donations. In collaboration 
with NABU, Volkswagen also embarked upon a feasibility 
study to explore renaturation options for Russian moor-
lands in the Nizhniy Novgorod region.  
 23
Finally, in Lower Saxony, the Company also renewed its 
commitment to a wild cat project by the environmental 
protection and nature conservation association Bund für 
Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND), which is 
creating habitat corridors for this endangered species.
For the fifth year running, the Audi Environmental Foun-
dation has joined with the Technical University of Munich 
to support the Oak Forest project near Audi’s headquar-
ters in Ingolstadt. The aim of the project is to plant trees 
and research optimum growing conditions for them. In 
the southern German town of Breitengüßbach, Audi sup-
ported the local environmental centre and opened a “Na-
ture Classroom” on a 125 hectare site, where visitors can 
experience local nature and biodiversity. Meanwhile, 
Audi in Berlin supported a reaction kinetics project on 
older city trees, also run by the Technical University of 
Munich. The Audi Environmental Foundation also fund-
ed a bionics competition for school classes, and a project 
to promote bee-keeping in schools.
Management approach    Climate protection    Life cycle assessments    Efficient vehicles/production    Sustainable mobility    Traffic noise   
Green logistics/IT    Resource efficiency    Water    Biodiversity    Awards    Think Blue. Factory.

128	
	
	
	
	
	
	

Awards
In 2012, Volkswagen once again received a slew of envi-
ronmental and sustainability awards from independent 
organisations and media around the globe. 
Yellow Angel
Each year, the German motoring organisation ADAC 
awards one of the automotive industry’s most prestigious 
prizes – the Yellow Angel (Gelber Engel). The natural gas-
powered Volkswagen Passat TSI EcoFuel won an award in 
the “Car of the Future” category, primarily in recognition 
of its low-emission powertrain. The new multicollision 
brake system developed by Volkswagen, which can help to 
prevent secondary collisions following an accident, was 
likewise awarded a Yellow Angel, winning the special prize 
in the “Innovation and Environment” category. 
Ethics in Business Award
The World Forum for Ethics in Business awarded Volks-
wagen the Ethics in Business Award 2012 in the Outstand-
ing Corporation category, for its extensive activities in the 
field of sustainability and corporate social responsibility. 
As well as praising Volkswagen’s ongoing efforts in the 
fields of environmental management and social engage-
ment, the jury also recognised Volkswagen’s inclusion in 
the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and its third-
place listing in the Sustainalytics DAX 30 Rating. 
VCD Environmental Car List
The Transport Association Germany (VCD) publishes an 
annual ranking of the most climate-friendly cars on the 
market, and has crowned the Volkswagen brand’s natural 
gas-powered eco up! as the overall winner for 2012/2013. As 
well as winning the top spot in the overall ranking, the eco 
up! also scored highest in the “Klimabesten” (“Best Air”) 
category. The key deciding factors are pollutant emissions, 
fuel consumption and noise. With consumption of just 2.9 
kilograms of natural gas per 100 kilometres, the eco up! 
sets new standards. Alongside the eco up!, the Touran TSI 
EcoFuel, likewise powered by natural gas, was awarded 
second place in the 7-seater category, with CO₂ emissions 
Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen brand responsible for Development (right), stepped up to re-
ceive the award for the Volkswagen Golf in the Compact Car category (on the left is Jens Katemann, Editor-in-Chief, “auto motor und sport”).

Strategy       Ec onomy       Soc i e t y       E nvi ronm e nt  	 	
	
	
	
	
	

129
of 128 g/km. Other Volkswagen brand models also scored 
highly in other categories. As a manufacturer, Volkswagen 
was ranked in second place for its environmental commit-
ment. The jury analysed production processes, studied en-
vironmental and sustainability reports, and considered 
the company’s commitment to more efficient environmen-
tal technology in its vehicles. 
Five stars in NCAP test
The new Volkswagen Golf was awarded the top five-star 
ranking by the European consumer protection organisa-
tion Euro NCAP. It also won the Euro NCAP Advanced 
Award for innovations in integral safety, one of which was 
the new multicollision brake. 
Green Truck
The Scania R480 Euro 6 was rated the most environmen-
tally compatible commercial vehicle in the heavy semitrail-
er tractor category by trade magazines “Verkehrsrund-
schau” and “Trucker”, who awarded it the title of “Green 
Truck 2012”. Alongside fuel consumption and related CO₂ 
emissions, the decision also took into account the EURO 
emissions class and other factors such as the maximum 
payload, and was based on extensive vehicle testing. 
NEGATIVE TREND IN SURVEYS BY “AUTO MOTOR 
UND SPORT” MAGAZINE IN THE CATEGORY “ 
ENVIRONMENTALLY COMPATIBLE CARS”
ÖkoGlobe 2012
Volkswagen and Deutsche Post were awarded the ÖkoGlobe 
for their prototype eT! research vehicle by the ÖkoGlobe 
Institute at Duisburg-Essen University. The jury praised the 
electric delivery vehicle for its manoeuvrability and space-
saving design, as well as its state-of-the-art data and power-
train technology that makes for eco-compatible transporta-
tion with very low CO₂ emissions. 
Green Car of the Year
The Gol Ecomotion and the Polo BlueMotion were named 
“Green Car of the Year” by the Brazilian magazine “Auto 
Esporte”, winning one of the most prestigious automotive 
prizes in Brazil. The Gol is a compact car developed espe-
cially for the Latin American market following discontin-
uation of the legendary Beetle, and enjoys growing popu-
larity. 
A list of other environment-related awards from the report-
ing period is available online. Alongside the examples of 
environmental prizes listed here, Volkswagen also won nu-
merous other awards for customer satisfaction, design, 
safety, equipment levels and vehicle performance. Details 
can be found on the websites of the respective brands. In 
2012 the Volkswagen brand also created its own award gal-
lery on its website.  
 156, 157
Management approach    Climate protection    Life cycle assessments    Efficient vehicles/production    Sustainable mobility    Traffic noise   
Green logistics/IT    Resource efficiency    Water    Biodiversity    Awards    Think Blue. Factory.

130	
	
	
	
	
	
	

IN LINE WITH ITS CORPORATE GOALS, VOLKSWAGEN IS AIMING TO MAKE ITS PRODUCTION OPERATIONS 
25 PERCENT MORE ECO-FRIENDLY BY 2018. UNDER THE “THINK BLUE. FACTORY.” INITIATIVE, ALL THE 
VOLKSWAGEN BRAND’S PRODUCTION PLANTS ARE WORKING TO IMPROVE THEIR RESOURCE EFFICIENCY 
AND MAKE SUBSTANTIAL CUTS IN THEIR EMISSIONS. 
The “Think Blue. Factory.” programme 
is a management approach that system-
atically builds on the successful “Think 
Blue.” philosophy, Volkswagen’s holistic 
approach to ecological sustainability. 
Integrating both ecological and eco-
nomic objectives, it aims to reduce the 
environmental impacts from the Volks-
wagen brand’s production operations by 
25 percent per vehicle by 2018. 
To achieve this ambitious goal, the exist-
ing plants have begun a systematic “Think 
Blue. Factory.” process which is setting 
them on the road to greener production. 
The key tool in this process is know-how. 
Consequently, Volkswagen plants are 
pooling their experience in the field of in-
novative production technologies to create 
a body of know-how which can be used 
across the whole organisation. 
To assist with this process, all plants have 
been equipped with the “Think Blue. Fac-
tory.” toolkit. This set of methods and tools 
allows each plant to develop a “migration 
path” for achieving its own particular sus-
tainability objectives. The most important 
tool is the standardised “Think Blue. Fac-
tory.” catalogue of actions and measures. 
This comprises a range of plant and pro-
cess improvement measures covering all 
production sectors and functions. These 
measures are supplemented by improve-
ment actions for building- and utility-re-
lated infrastructures.
The catalogue provides a pool of infor-
mation about new Volkswagen produc-
tion technologies. All measures in this 
catalogue are recommended for wider 
adoption across the plants. Further in-
novations and new developments from 
the plants are being added to the cata-
logue all the time. To monitor progress, 
the improvement drive is continuously 
tracked using the five key indicators en-
ergy, water, waste, carbon dioxide and 
solvent emissions. 
Energy consumption
Across all categories of energy con-
sumption, from electrical power for pro-
duction machinery to natural gas for 
space heating, Volkswagen identifies  
opportunities for savings and exploits 
these opportunities using efficient tech-
nologies. One example is the introduc-
tion of new boiler plants at the Wolfs-
burg site, which have reduced district 
heating consumption by 18,400 mega-
watt-hours and electricity consumption 
by 4,200 megawatt-hours annually.
Water consumption
Wherever water is taken from – on-site 
wells, rainwater or other sources – an 
ever increasing proportion of it is being 
recovered and reused. Meanwhile, over-
all consumption of water by production 
processes is being steadily reduced. For 
example, freshwater consumption for 
paint overspray separation at new plants 
has been reduced to zero by using dry 
overspray separation systems instead of 
conventional wet scrubbing. 
“Think Blue. Factory.”

Waste for disposal
Waste avoidance is a top priority at  
Volkswagen. Treatment and reuse of con-
taminated rinsing thinners at the paint-
shop in Osnabrück is just one example. 
This paintshop also reuses recycled PVC. 
And at the Bratislava plant, a comprehen-
sive system for optimised waste manage-
ment has been developed that will be tak-
en up by all plants in future. Production 
waste, packaging waste and workshop 
waste at Volkswagen is recycled.
CO2 emissions
Volkswagen reduces CO₂ emissions at 
source – for example by using climate-
friendly renewable energy sources such 
as wind, solar and hydroelectric power. 
Recently added renewable energy facili-
ties include a new solar facility in Chat-
tanooga (USA) and the Anhanguera hy-
droelectric power plant in Brazil. In 
2012, Volkswagen decided to build a 
second hydroelectric power plant in 
Brazil, near São Paulo. This will allow 
Volkswagen to meet 94 percent of its lo-
cal energy needs from green power. And 
since December 2011, hydroelectric 
power has been supplying 100 percent 
of electricity requirements at the engine 
plant in Polkowice, Poland. At the same 
time, further reductions in CO₂ emis-
sions are being achieved with the aid of 
optimised plant and equipment. For ex-
ample, new production systems are now 
fitted with more efficient hydraulic 
pumps.
Solvent emissions
Volkswagen’s paintshops are equipped 
with innovative waste air treatment sys-
tems. New technologies are also reduc-
ing consumption of rinsing agents. At 
the Pamplona plant in Spain, for exam-
ple, materials utilisation for adhesives 
has been improved to 100 percent 
thanks to the “Think Blue. Factory.” 
programme. As a result, at this one 
plant alone, hazardous waste and sol-
vents for disposal have been reduced by 
five tonnes annually. 
As the indicators show, in recent months 
the “Think Blue. Factory.” programme 
has made significant progress in reduc-
ing environmental impacts. For example, 
at the Braunschweig components plant 
alone, heating energy consumption in 
production shops has been reduced by 
630 MWh annually, thanks to optimised 
deployment of air curtain systems and 
high-speed doors. Controlled ventilation 
systems at the Kaluga plant in Russia have 
also improved energy efficiency. And at 
the Salzgitter plant, heat recovery from 
compressed air systems is delivering an-
nual energy savings of 7,300 megawatt-
hours. Finally, Volkswagen has upgraded 
the ventilation systems at the Wolfsburg 
plant with state-of-the-art filters in a 
measure that will reduce CO₂ emissions 
by approximately 2,000 tonnes per year. 
Extensive communication and informa-
tion is helping to raise the employee 
awareness of “Think Blue. Factory.” As 
more employees become involved, the 
process becomes more energised and 
dynamic. This is reflected in a flood of 
improvement suggestions submitted by 
employees as well as in record participa-
tion in the ideas management system in 
2012. The Energy Cup for employees 
and the Internal Environmental Award, 
which in 2012 was presented to the 
Pamplona (Spain), Pune (India), Wolfs-
burg (Germany), and Polkowice (Poland) 
sites, are further ways in which Volks-
wagen is motivating employees to devel-
op eco-friendly initiatives. 
“Think Blue. Factory.” also includes reg-
ular Volkswagen-wide practice-sharing 
meetings. For example, the “Think Blue. 
Factory.” Day 2012 in Wolfsburg brought 
together 350 energy and environment 
experts from all plants. This cross-site 
opportunity for networking and best-
practice sharing sets the “Think Blue. 
Factory.” concept on an ever-broader 
base, giving the plants a growing cata-
logue of measures from which to com-
pile their individual roadmaps. In this 
way, and step by step, “Think Blue. Fac-
tory.” is smoothing the way to making 
Volkswagen’s production operations 25 
percent more environmentally compati-
ble by 2018. 
“Think Blue. Factory.” has already re-
ceived widespread acclaim. For exam-
ple, in 2012, Volkswagen was presented 
with the Sustainovation Award for best 
sustainability programme.  
 158, 159

131

132	
	
	
	
	
	
	

132	
	
	
	
	
	
	

Clean cars from clean 
production operations.
AS THESE SELECTED EXAMPLES OF THE MANY PROJECTS SHOW, THE “THINK BLUE.” APPROACH HAS BECOME A WAY 
OF LIFE, ADOPTED WORLDWIDE AND TRANSLATED INTO PRODUCTION OPERATIONS AS “THINK BLUE. FACTORY.” 
MANY OTHER PROJECT PORTRAITS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINe.  
  30
  
 160
Volkswagen’s biggest solar power 
plant worldwide meets roughly 12.5 
percent of energy requirements. Some 
33,600 solar modules supply 13,100 
megawatt-hours of green power every 
year, which is used for producing the 
Passat.  
Solar farm
Chattanooga (USA)
The filler-less painting process 2010 
saves around 75,000 litres of water per 
day. In addition, energy consumption 
has been cut by around 20 percent 
compared with conventional paint-
shops.  
Painting process
Chattanooga (USA)
Some 4,400 cubic metres of water 
from production undergoes chemical 
or biological cleaning. A new waste-
water treatment plant makes it 
possible to reuse 1,700 cubic metres 
of wastewater for production 
purposes.
Wastewater treatment
Puebla (Mexico)
Electrostatic atomising technology is 
used instead of pneumatic spray guns 
to apply the second coat. This doubles 
material efficiency from 35 to 70 percent 
and results in corresponding reductions 
in waste disposal volume and solvent 
emissions.   
Paintshop
Uitenhage (South Africa)

Strategy       Ec onomy       Soc i e t y       E nvi ronm e nt 	
	
	
	
	
	

133
  
 161
 	
	
	
	
	
	
	

133
A heat exchanger in the chimney is used 
to recover energy from waste heat. This 
has almost halved boiler-room operating 
hours and reduced gas consumption and 
CO₂ emissions by around five percent. The 
monthly saving is around €15,000, which 
means the innovation paid for itself in 
just a year.    
Heat recovery
Poznan (Poland)
Every day a new biogas plant converts 
0.5 tonnes of organic waste into biogas 
and fertiliser. The central kitchen uses 
the gas as fuel for cooking, and the 
sludge produced by the process is ap-
plied as fertiliser to the green spaces  
in the factory grounds.
Biogas plant
Pune (India)
The energy required is supplied by hydro-
power plants instead of conventional 
power plants. This saves 100% of the CO₂ 
emissions. The factory was awarded the 
internal Energy Cup for the lowest base 
load. The target: 80 kilowatt-hours per  
engine produced.      
Hydro-power plants
Polkowice (Poland)
Installing frequency converters has  
resulted in more efficient operation of 
large fans for ventilating factory build-
ings and offices. Each ventilator now 
saves some 300 megawatt-hours of 
energy per year – enough energy for 
about 100 four-person households.  
Ventilation  
Braunschweig (Germany)
Instead of expensive refurbishment of 
long pipelines for transporting hot water 
from the south power station to build-
ings 9 and 26, boiler rooms were built 
where they were needed. This prevents 
heat losses in transit – saving 18,369 
megawatt-hours of district heating and 
35 percent CO₂ per year.    
Paintshop  
Wolfsburg (Germany)
The heat arising from compressed-air 
production is used to preheat the fresh-
air supply. This cuts heating costs. About 
7,300 megawatt-hours of heat energy are 
recovered every year – enough to heat 
roughly 400 detached houses for a year.    
Heat recovery  
Salzgitter (Germany)

Key indicators & goals.

5
Key indicators & goals.
Financial indicators // Social indicators // 
Environmental indicators // GOALS & ACTIONS
Beauty is all around us, but it’s only when beauty passes the test of close, rigorous 
and objective scrutiny that it becomes a genuine sustainable success factor. The 
numbers tell the true story.

136	
	
	
	
	
	
	

Financial indicators
For a detailed presentation of our financial indicators, 
please consult our current annual report. The indicators 
set out below correspond to the International Financial 
Reporting Standards (IFRS) for the entire period from 
2008 to 2012. The indicators for calendar year 2012 that 
have been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers are marked 
with the following symbol .
Volume Data in ’000
2012
2011*
2010
2009
2008
Vehicle sales (units)
9,345
8,361
7,278
6,310
6,272
Germany
1,207
1,211
1,059
1,288
1,013
Abroad
8,137
7,150
6,219
5,022
5,259
Production (units)
9,255
8,494
7,358
6,055
6,347
Germany
2,321
2,640
2,115
1,938
2,146
Abroad
6,934
5,854
5,243
4,117
4,201
Employees (yearly average)
533
454
389
367
357
Germany
237
196
178
173
178
Abroad
296
258
210
194
179
* Including allocation of consolidation adjustments between the Automotive and Financial Services divisions.   
** Before consolidation of intragroup transactions: €17,029 million (€17,868 million).
Financial Data in € million 
Volkswagen Group
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
Sales revenue
192,676
159,337
126,875
105,187
113,808
Operating profit
11,510
11,271
7,141
1,855
6,333
Profit before tax
25,492
18,926
8,994
1,261
6,608
Profit after tax
21,884
15,799
7,226
911
4,688
Profit attributable to shareholders of Volkswagen AG
21,717
15,409
6,835
960
4,753
Cost of materials
122,450
104,648
79,394
67,925
75,954
Personnel expenses
29,503
23,854
19,027
16,027
15,784
Provisions for pensions
23,969
16,787
15,432
13,936
12,955
Automotive Division*
Cash flows from operating activities**
16,232
17,109
 13,930
12,815
8,800
Cash flows from investing activities attributable  
to operating activities
– 16,455
– 15,998
– 9,095
– 10,252
– 11,479
Net liquidity at Dec. 31
10,573
16,951
18,639
10,636
8,039
* Adjusted



K ey i n di cato r s & goals 		
	
	
	
	
	

137
Value added of the Volkswagen Group in € million
Source of funds
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
Sales revenue
192,676
159,337
126,875
105,187
113,808
Other income
24,652
13,125
10,787
9,401
9,992
Cost of materials
–122,450
– 104,648
– 79,394
– 67,925
– 75,954
Depreciation and amortisation
–13,135
– 10,346
– 10,097
– 8,877
– 8,438
Other upfront expenditures
–22,077
– 9,759
– 15,250
– 15,767
– 12,554
Value added
59,666
47,709
32,922
22,019
26,854
Appropriation of funds
2012
%
2011
%
2010
%
2009
%
2008
%
to shareholders
1,639
2.8
1,406
2.9
1,034
3.1
647
2.9
779
2.9
to employees (wages, salaries, benefits) 
29,503
49.5
23,854
50.0
19,027
57.8
16,027
72.8
15,784
58.8
to the state (taxes, duties)
4,322
7.2
4,525
9.5
3,105
9.5
1,152
5.2
2,503
9.3
to creditors (interest expense)
3,957
6.6
3,530
7.4
3,563
10.8
3,928
17.8
3,879
14.4
to the Company (reserves)
20,246
33.9
14,393
30.2
6,193
18.8
265
1.2
3,909
14.6
Value added
59,666
47,709
32,922
22,019
26,854
Key figures by brand and business field 1 
thousand vehicles/€ million
2012
2011
2012
2011
2012
2011
2012
2011
Volkswagen Passenger Cars
4,850
4,450
103,942
94,690
77,110
71,504
3,640
3,796
Audi
1,299
1,543
48,771
44,096
33,461
30,496
5,380
5,348
ŠKODA
727
690
10,438
10,266
5,633
6,212
712
743
SEAT
429
362
6,485
5,393
2,785
3,284
-156
– 225
Bentley
9
7
1,453
1,119
1,274
1,060
100
8
Porsche
2
62
5,879
5,442
946
Commercial vehicles
437
441
9,450
8,985
4,920
5,199
421
449
Scania
2
67
80
9,314
10,064
9,314
10,064
930
1,372
MAN
2
134
25
15,999
2,652
15,900
2,652
808
193
VW China
3
2,609
2,201
–
–
–
–
–
–
Other
4
– 1,279
– 1,438
– 36,929
– 33,768
20,516
14,474
– 2,682
5
– 1,617
5
Volkswagen Financial Services
–
–
17,872
15,840
16,322
14,392
1,410
1,203
Volkswagen Group
9,345
8,361
192,676
159,337
192,676
159,337
11,510
11,271
Automotive Division  
of which: Passenger Cars and Light 
Commercial Vehicles Business Area 
of which: Trucks and Buses, Power 
Engineering Business Area
9,345
9,143
202
8,361
8,256
105
172,822
148,021
24,801
142,092
129,706
12,386
174,525
150,042
24,483
143,620
131,428
21,192
9,923
9,405
519
9,973
9,042
931
Financial Services Division
–
–
19,854
17,244
18,151
15,717
1,586
1,298
Vehicle Sales
Sales to  
third parties
Operating  
Profit
1  All figures shown are rounded, so minor discrepancies may arise from addition of these amounts. 
2 Including financial services; Porsche as from August 1, 
2012; MAN as from November 9, 2011. 
3 The sales revenue and operating profit of the joint venture companies in China are not included in the figures for the 
Group. The Chinese companies are accounted for using the equity method and recorded an operating profit (proportionate) of €3,678 million (€2,616 million). 
 
4 Including Porsche Holding Salzburg as from March 1, 2011.  
5  Mainly intragroup items recognized in profit or loss, in particular from the elimination of 
intercompany profits; the figure includes depreciation and amortization of identifiable assets as part of the purchase price allocation for Scania, Porsche Holding 
Salzburg, MAN and Porsche.
Sales revenue



138	
	
	
	
	
	
	

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN THE VOLKSWAGEN GROUP BY REGION 
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
Europe
410,427
378,030
290,159
278,779
284,962
The Americas
63,193
58,072
54,571
48,529
48,867
Africa
6,461
6,602
6,546
5,608
6,194
Asia
68,704
58,540
47,607
35,123
29,423
Australia
978
712
498
461
482
Total
549,763
501,956
399,381
368,500
369,928
of whom temporary staff
24,914
28,342
21,119
12,396
16,016
of whom permanent staff
524,849
473,614
378,262
356,104
353,912
Social indicators
Volkswagen’s workforce is constantly growing. As at 31 De-
cember 2012, the Volkswagen Group, including the Chinese 
joint ventures, had 549,763 employees, 9.5% more than at 
the end of the 2011 financial year (501,956 employees). 
Major factors behind this increase, apart from growth in 
volume, were the consolidation of Porsche with 17,502 em-
ployees and of the motorcycle manufacturer Ducati with 
1,197 employees. As a result, there has been a slight shift in 
the distribution of Group employees between Germany and 
abroad: while at the end of 2011 44.8% of staff worked in 
Germany, this proportion was 45.4% at 31 December 2012. 
The indicators for calendar year 2012 that have been au-
dited by PricewaterhouseCoopers are marked with the 
following symbol .
TOTAL WORKFORCE OF THE VOLKSWAGEN GROUP
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
549,763
501,956
399,381
368,500
369,928
              0	
100,000	
200,000	
300,000	
400,000	
500,000

2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
Production workers
258,685
246,071
207,391
187,966
189,872
Non-production workers
274,364
240,864
181,445
170,688
170,172
Apprentices
16,714
15,021
10,545
9,846
9,884
Total workforce
549,763
501,956
399,381
368,500
369,928
of whom active employees
525,245
482,447
384,058
351,584
351,203
of whom in passive phased retirement
7,804
4,488
4,778
7,070
8,841
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN THE VOLKSWAGEN GROUP BY TYPE OF WORK



K ey i n di cato r s & goals 		
	
	
	
	
	

139
FEMALE EMPLOYEES   
IN THE VOLKSWAGEN GROUP* in %
	
2012	
	
2011
	
2010	
	
2009	
	
2008	
15.2
14.7
14.2
14.2
14.0
	
0	
 5	
10	
15
One of the Company’s goals is to continue to increase the proportion 
of women from 15.2% across the Group, especially in management. In 
the year under review, the proportion of women in management roles 
in the Volkswagen Group in Germany was already increased to 5.5% 
among senior executives, to 7.0% in senior management and to 11.0% 
in management (situation at year-end, excl. Scania, MAN and Porsche).
The annual employee opinion survey, introduced in 2008, is an established standardised Group-wide tool designed to assess employee  
satisfaction, eliminate errors and improve work processes. Its acceptance and level of participation are growing year by year. The employee 
satisfaction index reflects the level of satisfaction as a weighted average of the 11 statements rated across the Group. The scale of the  
index extends from zero to 100.
EMPLOYEE OPINION SURVEY IN THE   
VOLKSWAGEN GROUP: Participation in % 
EMPLOYEE OPINION SURVEY IN THE   
VOLKSWAGEN GROUP: EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION INDEX
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
  
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
  
90
89 
87 
86
78 
79
77 
76 
76
72 
	
0	
	
20	
	
40	
60	
80	
100
	
0	
	
20	
	
40	
60	
80	
100
* from 2011 incl. Scania

APPRENTICES IN THE VOLKSWAGEN GROUP  
IN GERMANY in %
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
4.8
4.8
4.6
4.5
4.5
	
0      	// 	
4.4	
4.5	
4.6	
4.7	
4.8
Volkswagen AG offered 125 more apprenticeships than in 2011, with  
a further 50 places for apprentices created at Volkswagen Sachsen 
GmbH, Automobilmanufaktur Dresden GmbH, and Volkswagen  
Osnabrück GmbH.
Due to its targeted recruitment measures, the Volkswagen Group em-
ploys a large proportion of well qualified employees. Approximately 
95% of employees hold some form of qualification.
LEVEL OF QUALIFICATIONS IN THE 
VOLKSWAGEN GROUP*
20.5%
4.6%
21.0%
53.9%
Higher education 	
Secondary education
Vocational education and training 	
Other
* excl. Scania, excl. MAN



140	
	
	
	
	
	
	

Since 2008, the average age at 
Volkswagen AG has been rela-
tively constant, which is a sign 
of a healthy balance between 
recruitment of employees on 
completion of their training 
and retirement of long-serving 
employees.
The chart shows the age 
structure of employees in 
the Volkswagen Group. The 
average age of Group em-
ployees is 38.4 years, while 
the average age of the 
Volkswagen AG workforce 
is 42.6 years, the average 
for female employees being 
38.0 years and that for 
male employees 43.4 years.
AGE STRUCTURE OF THE VOLKSWAGEN GROUP* in ’000
≥65
64
63
62
61
60
59
58
57
56
55
54
53
52
51
50
49
48
47
46
45
44
43
42
41
40
39
38
37
36
35
34
33
32
31
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
19
≤18
0
5000
10,000
15,000
Number of employees 
as at 31.12.2012
   Age
* excl. Scania, excl. MAN
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
Female employees
38.0
37.8
37.9
37.7
37.5
Male employees
43.4
43.1
43.2
43.1
42.8
Total workforce
42.6
42.3
42.4
42.2
42.0
Volkswagen AG: Average Age



K ey i n di cato r s & goals 		
	
	
	
	
	

141
Low absenteeism calls for increased availability of diagnostic and  
preventive measures. Absenteeism is calculated using the formula: 
number of days lost to illness or accident multiplied by 100, divided 
by total possible days’ attendance in the relevant period
* Production sites excl. Scania, MAN and Porsche
ABSENTEEISM – CUMULATIVE VALUES* in %
VOLKSWAGEN AG: EMPLOYEE TURNOVER in % 
              0  	   0.5	   1.0	   1.5	   2.0	   2.5	   3.0	   3.5	   4.0	   
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
3.2
3.4
3.3
2.5
3.0
              0	
0.1	 0.2	 0.3	 0.4	 0.5	 0.6	 0.7	 0.8	 0.9	 1.0
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
0.4
0.4
0.5
0.4
0.4
The employee turnover rate indicates the percentage of employees 
that leave the Company in the course of a year. As the chart shows, 
there is a very high level of stability in Volkswagen’s workforce.
The accident frequency index is an indication of the frequency with 
which accidents at work occurred in relation to the total number of 
hours worked. The formula for calculating the index is: number of  
occupational accidents, multiplied by 1 million, divided by the number 
of hours worked.
The accident severity index indicates how serious the accidents are  
by relating the total number of working days lost to the number of 
hours worked. In this case, the formula for calculating the index is: 
number of working days lost, multiplied by 1 million, divided by the 
number of hours worked multiplied by ten. 
Information on occupational safety training measures: 
 65
From one year to the next, Volkswagen continues to enhance occupa- 
tional safety across the Group. As is clear from the accident frequency  
index, the number of accidents is falling continuously. This is mainly  
attributable to a more systematic approach to and continuous improve-
ment in occupational safety at the Group’s plants. Accident severity in 
the Volkswagen Group has also declined since 2006. Since then, only one 
Volkswagen AG employee has died, in 2011, as the result of an occupa- 
tional accident. The greatest improvements in accident frequency were 
achieved at Volkswagen Slovakia in Martin, Volkswagen do Brasil in  
Taubaté, Volkswagen Motor Polska in Polkovice, Volkswagen AG in Kassel, 
Volkswagen Argentina in Pacheco and Volkswagen do Brasil in Curitiba. 
ACCIDENT INDEXES*
	
0	
1 	
2	
3	
4	
5	
6	
7	
8
Accident frequency	
	
Accident severity
4.0
5.8
4.0
6.4
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
3.2
2.9
4.7
4.3
3.6
5.3
INCIDENCE OF ACCIDENTS* 
Working days lost 	
Number of occupational accidents
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
26,504
25,907
1,806
1,728
27,084
1,855
26,761
1,865
	
0	
	
10,000	
 20,000	
30,000
29,199
1,819
* Production sites excl. Scania, MAN and Porsche
(2009 also excluding Audi Brussels)
* Production sites excl. Scania, MAN and Porsche
(2009 also excluding Audi Brussels)





142	
	
	
	
	
	
	

Environmental indicators
This section presents selected environmental data for the 
Volkswagen Group in aggregated form. The data are col-
lected, checked and approved at the individual production 
plants on the basis of an internal standard (VW standard 
98 000). The environmental data come from production 
plants with a total workforce of around 450,000 (as of 31 De-
cember 2012); figures for Porsche AG are included from 1 
August 2012 onwards. As in Volkswagen’s Annual Report, 
the data are shown for the years 2010, 2011 and 2012.
The absolute figures include all production sites, plus the 
power stations and boiler plants operated by Volkswagen 
AG at Wolfsburg, Kassel and Hanover. The proportions due 
to cars and light commercial vehicles are shown as solid 
bars, while those due to other parts of the Group (MAN SE, 
Scania AB and power stations and boiler plants operated 
by Volkswagen AG) are cross-hatched.
The Volkswagen Group is first and foremost a car manufac-
turer. Apart from heavy goods vehicles and buses, we pri-
marily produce cars and light commercial vehicles in quan-
tities that have steadily increased over the years. However, 
the inclusion of MAN SE saw the addition of marine engines 
and entire power plants to our product portfolio. For this 
reason the overall environmental impacts cannot be consid-
ered simply in relation to the number of vehicles produced. 
This report therefore introduces the use of relative indica-
tors for the category “cars and light commercial vehicles”. In 
future the aim is to show vehicle-related impacts for the 
“trucks and buses” category as well, when the necessary 
data collection methods are available. 
The indicators for calendar year 2012 that have been au-
dited by PricewaterhouseCoopers are marked with the 
following symbol .
Despite increased production volumes and the inclusion of new production plants, with an associated increase in energy consumption, direct CO₂ emis-
sions have been falling since 2010. Resource-optimised manufacturing processes, climatic influences and changes in the quality of the supplied energy 
sources have a positive impact on CO₂ emissions.
476.89
425.13
555.02
	
0	
50	 100	150	200	 250	300	 350	400	450	500	550
DIRECT CO₂ EMISSIONS (SCOPE 1) 
in kg/vehicle
2011
2012
2010
DIRECT CO₂ EMISSIONS (SCOPE 1) 
in million tonnes/year
	
0	
0.5 	 1.0	
1.5	
2.0	
2.5	 3.0	 3.5	
4.0	
4.5
4.00
4.04
2011
2012
2010
4.05
Cars and light commercial vehicles	
  Other divisions
ENERGY CONSUMPTION in million MWh/year
Fuel gases	 	
Electricity and thermal energy
2011
2012
2010
0
5
10
15
20
3.59
3.78
15.38
18.39
3.41
14.99
ENERGY CONSUMPTION in MWh/vehicle
Fuel gases	 	
Electricity and thermal energy
2011
2012
2010
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
0.43
0.42
1.83
1.79
0.47
2.06
The increase in energy and heat consumption and in the consumption of fuel gases for manufacturing processes is associated with the continuous in-
crease in production over the reporting period. Heat consumption, being the sum of space heat and industrial heat, is subject to variation due to cli-
matic and manufacturing conditions. In relation to the number of vehicles produced, consumption of heat and electricity – one of the largest sources 
of CO₂ emissions – was down thanks to the Group’s resource conservation strategy. The same also applies to fuel gas consumption per vehicle produced.
                                                           Other divisions





K ey i n di cato r s & goals 		
	
	
	
	
	

143
As a result of increased consumption of electricity and heat, overall CO₂ emissions have risen. Greater use of renewably generated energy did, 
however, limit the increase in CO₂ emissions. The CO₂ emissions produced by power stations and boiler plants operated by Volkswagen AG as a 
result of power and heat generation for Volkswagen AG production plants are included with suitable CO₂ emission factors in the total quantity 
of CO₂ emissions. The stated carbon dioxide emissions do not include the emissions arising from district heating and power supplied to third 
parties from power stations operated by Volkswagen AG.
CO₂ EMISSIONS (SCOPES 1 & 2) 
in million tonnes/year
CO₂ EMISSIONS (SCOPES 1 & 2) 
in kg/vehicle
	
0	
1 	
2 	
3	
4	
5	
6	
7	
8	
9
8.35
8.61
2011
2012
7.87
2010
1,200
1,000 
800
600
400
200
0
995.83
889.75
2011
2012
1,079.19
2010
Cars and light commercial vehicles	
             Other divisions* 
* The cities of Wolfsburg and Baunatal use power and heat generated by power stations operated by Volkswagen AG. The quantities of CO2 arising in 
this process amounted to 332,251 tonnes in 2012.
Nr.
Category
tonnes CO₂
%
1.
Purchased goods and services
54,871,485
16.8
2.
Capital goods
8,866,872
2.7
3.
Fuel/energy
1,234,636
0.4
4.
Upstream transportation and 
distribution
3,806,495*
1.2
5.
Waste generated in operations
1,783,630
0.5
6.
Business travel
593,744
0.2
7.
Employee commuting
846,358
0.3
8.
Upstream leased assets
not yet reported
0.0
9.
Downstream transportation and 
distribution
not yet reported
0.0
10.
Processing of sold products
5,223
0.002
11.
Use phase (150,000 km)
250,481,613
76.8
12.
End-of-life treatment
1,355,869
0.4
13.
Downstream leased assets
565,000
0.2
14.
Franchises
1,550,000
0.5
15.
Investments
not yet reported
0.0
Total of reported  
Scope 3 emissions
325,960,925
100.0
GROUP EMISSIONS (SCOPE 3)
The 2012 Sustainability Report is the first 
time that the Volkswagen Group has pub-
lished a Scope 3 inventory for CO₂ emissions. 
In line with the WBCSD/WRI Scope 3 stand-
ard published in 2011, Volkswagen is report-
ing CO₂ emissions for 12 out of a total of  
15 Scope 3 categories. The calculations have  
revealed that the “purchased goods and ser-
vices” and “use phase” emission categories 
account for over 93% of all Scope 3 emis-
sions. These categories were therefore  
additionally validated and verified by  
external auditors from TÜV NORD in accord-
ance with the internationally recognised  
ISO 14064-3 standard.  
 86
* 2011 value



144	
	
	
	
	
	
	

Cars and light commercial vehicles	
  Other divisions
There was a downwards trend in emissions over the 2010 to 2012 period, with this decline also occurring in the specific values per vehicle.
DIRECT NO x AND SO 2 EMISSIONS in tonnes/year
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
Direct NOx emissions	
          Direct SO2 emissions
Other divisions                              Other divisions
2011
2012
2,701
4,482
406
2,058
2,720
368
2010
DIRECT NO x AND SO 2 EMISSIONS in g/vehicle
Direct NOx emissions	
	
Direct SO2 emissions
400
300
200
100
0
322.08
271.01
48.46
28.42
373.10
50.53
2011
2012
2010



As a result of the increase in vehicle production over the reporting period and the associated higher paint consumption, there was an increase 
in VOC emissions. Between 2010 and 2012, however, there was a downturn in the specific values per vehicle.
VOC EMISSIONS in g/vehicle
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
4,045.46
3,521.97
2011
2012
3,902.73
2010
VOC EMISSIONS in tonnes/year
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
33,927
33,331
2011
2012
28,450
2010
PARTICULATE EMISSIONS VOLKSWAGEN AG GERMANY (TOTAL DUST) in tonnes/year
	
0	
	
50 	
	
100	
150
136
2010
109
2012
125
2011
The values are the sum of values from Volkswagen AG plants in Germany.


159
151
137
134
144
CO₂ EMISSIONS FROM THE VOLKSWAGEN GROUP’S EUROPEAN (EU27) NEW CAR FLEET in g/km
	
0	
10	
20	
30	
40	
50	
60	
70	
80	
90	
100	
110	
120	
130	
140	
150	
160	
170	    180	 190 	
2008
2009
2010
2012
2011

K ey i n di cato r s & goals 		
	
	
	
	
	

145
As a result of increased production across the Group and the introduction of new models, metallic waste volumes rose over the total reporting period. 
The reduction in this kind of waste per vehicle is attributable to improved material utilisation and resource-optimised manufacturing processes. Over 
the entire reporting period, there was an improvement in waste for disposal per vehicle, while waste volumes for recycling per vehicle rose slightly.
WASTE in tonnes/year
Non-hazardous waste 
for disposal
Non-hazardous waste 
for recycling
Hazardous waste for disposal
Hazardous waste for recycling 
Metallic waste
	
0	
0.5 million 	 1.0 million	 1.5 million
2011
2012*
286,341
488,069
94,551
118,282
82,684
100,766
1,766,155
1,764,823
98,423
100,858
2010
236,469
88,817
67,536
1,581,707
100,046
Non-hazardous waste 
for disposal
Non-hazardous waste 
for recycling
Hazardous waste for disposal
Hazardous waste for recycling
Metallic waste
WASTE in kg/vehicle
	
0	
50	
100	
150	
200	
250 	
2011
2012
34.14
34.46
11.27
10.62
9.86
10.37
210.59
188.72
11.74
10.62
2010
32.44
12.18
9.26
216.97
13.72
* In the bar “non-hazardous waste for recycling” the proportion relating to other Group divisions is cross-hatched as in the past, while in the other 
fractions this proportion is too small to be marked separately. 
Due to the inclusion of new production plants, water consumption and wastewater volumes rose over the reporting period. Increased produc-
tion across the Group also contributed to this increase. At many plants, water consumption has basically dropped relative to the volume of ve-
hicles produced thanks to the Volkswagen Group’s resource conservation strategy. This is also reflected in the wastewater volumes per vehicle. 
4.56
4.55
3.49
3.34
5.00
3.78
FRESHWATER AND WASTEWATER 
in million m³/vehicle
Freshwater	 	
                         Wastewater
	
0	
1	
2	
3	
4	
5	
6
2011
2012
2010
FRESHWATER AND WASTEWATER 
in million m³/year
Freshwater	                                          Freshwater
0
5
10
15
20
25
35
30
40
45
50
38.24
51.29
29.28
31.94
36.46
27.57
2011
2012
2010
Other divisions                                    Other divisions





146	
	
	
	
	
	
	

WATER DISCHARGE by destination* in million m³/year
Receiving streams	
                 Municipal treatment plant
0
1
2
3
4
5
5.03
4.26
0.80
1.00
5.21
0.63
2011
2012
2010
* Volkswagen AG and Volkswagen Sachsen GmbH plants
554.59
575.04
554.37
CHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (COD) 
in grams/vehicle
	
0	
100	
200	
300	
400	
500	
600 	
700
CHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (COD) 
in tonnes/year
	
0	
1,000 	
2,000 	
3,000 	
4,000	
5,000
4,043
2010
5,212
2012
4,649
2011
2010
2012
2011
As a result of the increase in production across the Group, there was an increase in chemical oxygen demand in wastewater contamination, 
with this parameter also rising per vehicle produced.


WATER withdrawal BY SOURCE* in million m³/year
Groundwater
Surface water
Rainwater
Drinking water
	
0	
0.5 	
1.0	
1.5	
2	
2.5	
3	
3.5	
2011
2012*
2.25
2.14
0.77
0.77
1.73
1.85
3.46
3.67
2010
2.38
1.17
2.29
2.75
* Volkswagen AG and Volkswagen Sachsen GmbH plants

K ey i n di cato r s & goals 		
	
	
	
	
	

147
EXPENDITURE ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 
in million €/year
Investments		
                        Operating costs
	
0	
50 	
100 	
150	
200	
250	
300	
EXPENDITURE ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 
in €/vehicle
Investments		
                        Operating costs
	
0	
10 	
20 	
30	
40	
50	
2.15
1.00
23.69
23.79
1.63
27.02
2011
2012
2010
18.00
9.07
198.65
215.65
2011
2012
11.87
196.97
2010
As in the Volkswagen Annual Report, expenditure on environmental protection relates to Volkswagen AG’s German plants. While investments in en-
vironmental protection fell, operating costs rose. These trends are also reflected in the expenditure on environmental protection per manufactured 
vehicle.
PLANTS IN THE VICINITY OF PROTECTED SITES
Plants
Distance 
(km)
Area* 
(ha)
Plants
Distance 
(km)
Area* 
(ha)
Braunschweig (D): Oker
0.8
53
Polkowice, Components (PL): Jelonek
> 5
14
Chemnitz (D): Zwönitztal
2.5
21.3
Polkowice, Sitech (PL): Jelonek
> 5
10
Dresden (D): Mühlberg
1
8.3
Poznań, Logistics (PL): Dolina Cybiny 
2.7
30
Ehra-Lessien (D): Vogelmoor
3.9
Poznań, Foundry (PL): Fortyfikacje-w-Poznaniu
6.7
40
Emden (D)
0.9
400
Poznań, Production (PL): Dolina Cybiny  
0.6
40
Hanover (D): Leine
0.75
118
Mlada Boleslav, Production (CZ): Radouci
1.2
212
Ingolstadt (D): Übungsplatz
3.8
200
Vrchlabi, Production (CZ): Krkonose
1.1
23
Kassel (D): Fuldatal
1.6
280
Kvasiny, Production (CZ): Uh inov-Benàtky
5
42
Leipzig (D): Tannenwald, Strohgäu
0
20
Martin, Components (SK): Malá Fatra
< 5
12.4
Neckarsulm (D): Jagst, Kocher
0.1
95
Bratislava, Production (SK): Moravy
< 2
178
Osnabrück (D): Mausohr, Belm
5.45
36.1
Palmela, Production (POR): Arrabida
3.5
24.5
Salzgitter (D): Heerter See
7.5
280
Barcelona, Production (ES): Llobregat
3.6
39.3
Stuttgart (D): Max-Eyth-See
0.75
28.8
Martorell, R&E, Production (ES): Llobregat
0.85
800
Weissach (D): Enztal, Stuttgarter Bucht
0.05
84.9
Pamplona, Production (ES): Pena de Etxauri
15
163
Wolfsburg (D): Bahnbruch
0.2
800
Prat, Components (ES): Llobregat
0.7
15.5
Zwickau (D): Zwickauer Muldetal
0.1
180
Brussels, Production (B): Verrewinkel-Kinsendael
3
44
Györ, Components (HU): Göny i homokvidék
< 1
30
Crewe (UK): West Midlands moors
5.7
Mohlsheim (FRA): Rhin-Ried-Bruch, Bas-Rhin
7.9
Sant’Agata Bolognese (I): Torrazzuolo
3.2
The plants stated here are Volkswagen AG’s production plants in Germany and the rest of Europe which are located in the vicinity of protected sites  
pursuant to Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (The Habitats Directive).
* Area = surface area of the production site



148	
	
	
	
	
	
	

Goals and actions
THE MOST IMPORTANT ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS OF THE VOLKSWAGEN 
SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAMME ARE SET OUT BELOW.
Goal
Action
Deadline
Status
Increase efficiency of vehicles, powertrains 
and technology and boost environmentally 
compatible production
More than two thirds of total investment 
programme of €50.2 billion to flow directly  
into increasingly efficient vehicles, new 
technologies and environmentally compatible 
production 
by 2015
1!!
Top customer satisfaction: Top 3 in all markets 
measured by the NCBS and IACS strategic 
studies for the questions: satisfaction with 
purchase, product and last workshop visit
19 markets worldwide to be integrated into  
the customer satisfaction programme
2018
1!!
Extend and interlink compliance activities  
in China
Compliance in China is a key focus for 2013 
including various communication measures
2013
11!
Prevent money laundering
Identification of at-risk units; creation of 
necessary structures together with develop-
ment and implementation of necessary 
training courses
2013
11!
Reinforce exchanges between the members  
of the international Compliance organisation
Direct support in particular for plants in 
international growth markets by staff from 
corporate functions
ongoing
11!
Embed anti-trust and competition law in 
corporate culture
Training courses
ongoing
1!!
Add greater depth to the corporate  
compliance culture
Target-group specific information to be 
communicated via various internal media  
(e.g. videos, apps, etc.) in different brands  
and companies
ongoing
11!
Further expand opportunities to use  
online learning programs about the  
Code of Conduct
Obligatory participation in online learning 
programs about the Code of Conduct for new 
employees of Volkswagen AG
ongoing 
since 2012
111
Introduce in-depth supplier sustainability  
audits
Implementation of “Sustainability in Supplier 
Relations” concept
2013
1!!
Introduce additional supplier training  
courses on sustainability
Implementation of “Sustainability in Supplier 
Relations” concept
2013
1!!
ECONOMY
!!!  not begun      1!!  action started       11!  goal partially achieved     111  goal achieved

K ey i n di cato r s & goals 		
	
	
	
	
	

149 
Goal
Action
Deadline
Status
Strengthen vocational training internationally 
and introduce Meister (foreman/group leader) 
qualification worldwide
Implementation of specialist training and 
Meister qualification in accordance with 
globally identical quality standards and on the 
basis of uniform skills
2018
11!
      
Develop university graduates into  
top experts
Excellent levels of qualification in all “Berufsfa-
milien” (vocational groups). Principle: the young 
learn from the experienced
ongoing
11!
Enhance performance and ensure all 
employees share in success/profits
Establishment of three-part pay system with 
basic pay, profit-sharing and performance-
related components as Group standard
ongoing
11!        
Promote health, fitness and ergonomics
Extension of Volkswagen Checkup and 
subsequent prevention programmes; 
continuous improvement of ergonomics
ongoing
11!
Increase the proportion of women at all levels 
of management
The Volkswagen Group is endeavouring to 
ensure that women fill 30% of management 
posts at all levels. Broadening the provision of 
HR development programmes for women
ongoing
11!
Introduce Group-wide analysis of the 
effectiveness of Corporate Citizenship 
activities
Inclusion of Corporate Citizenship activities in 
IT-based sustainability management system. 
Development and implementation of pilot 
projects for measuring the effectiveness of 
Corporate Citizenship activities
2015
1!!        
Goal
Action
Deadline
Status
Work exclusively with suppliers who meet  
all of Volkswagen’s specific sustainability  
requirements
Implementation of “Sustainability in Supplier 
Relations” concept
ongoing 
since 2006
111
Enhance responsible supply chain manage-
ment
Global e-learning on the Group Business 
Platform 
Expansion of country risk profiles 
Extension of supplier monitoring and  
supplier development
2012
2012
2013
111
111
11!
Group-wide inclusion of human rights in 
compliance risk analysis
The “Guiding Principles on Business and Human 
Rights: Implementing the United Nations ‘Protect, 
Respect and Remedy’ Framework” have led to the 
topic of human rights being included in the 
annual compliance risk analysis process and for 
the first time being assessed across the Group. 
Among other things, Volkswagen is monitoring 
the risks in respect of human rights in the context 
of sustainability in the supply chain
2013
1!!
SOCIETY

150	
	
	
	
	
	
	

Goal
Action
Deadline
Status
Reduce CO₂ emissions for the European new car 
fleet by around 30 percent between 2006 and 
2015 to below 120 g CO₂/km
Wide-ranging actions to optimise consump-
tion through the Volkswagen Group’s 
Powertrain and Fuel Strategy
by 2015
11!
Reduce CO₂ emissions for the European new car 
fleet to 95 g CO₂/km
Wide-ranging actions to optimise consump-
tion through the Volkswagen Group’s 
Powertrain and Fuel Strategy
2020
1!!
Every new model to be 10-15 percent more 
efficient on average than its predecessor
Systematic implementation of the Group 
Environmental Principles, Product
by 2015
11!
“Think Blue.” to be permanently established  
as the mindset of the Volkswagen brand on 
ecological sustainability, through increasing 
internationalisation, stakeholder involvement 
and integration along the value chain
Making “Think Blue.” part of the product 
experience by measures such as “Think Blue. 
Trainer.” 
Ongoing communication of core measures 
relating to alternative powertrains  
(e.g. electric mobility, CNG, etc.) 
Ongoing communication of innovative 
mobility concepts (e.g. Quicar car-sharing)
2011,
ongoing
111
International fuel-efficient driving champion-
ship: “Think Blue. World Championship 2012.”
Inclusion in various consumer shows with 
engaging exhibits (Beijing, Detroit, Geneva, 
Paris, Hanover
2011, 2012
2012
111
111
Continuous involvement of employees 
worldwide on topics of environmental relevance, 
such as use of a monthly newsletter, publication 
on intranet or in employee magazine
2011,
ongoing
111
Electromobility to be established as an 
integral part of the Group’s CO₂ mitigation 
strategy
Market launch of the e-up! and e-Golf 
Market launch of the XL1 with plug-in hybrid 
technology
Market launch of models with plug-in hybrid 
technology
Market leadership in the electric mobility 
sector
Group-wide modular electric traction system
2013, 2014
2013
from 2013
2018
from 2013
11!
11!
11!
11!
11!
Production operations at the Volkswagen 
Group to be 25 percent more eco-friendly by 
2018. In concrete terms that means 25 percent 
less energy and water consumption, waste 
and emissions
Systematic implementation of the Group 
Environmental Principles, Production
2018
11!
ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY
!!!  not begun      1!!  action started       11!  goal partially achieved     111  goal achieved

K ey i n di cato r s & goals 		
	
	
	
	
	
	

151 
Goal
Action
Deadline
Status
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the 
supply of energy to production facilities in 
Germany by 40 percent by 2020
Investment of €600 million in the expansion of 
the renewable resources solar power, wind 
energy and hydroelectricity
2020
11!
Produce efficiency models locally in China
Local production of “BlueMotion” models. Use  
of consumption-reducing technology in ŠKODA 
GreenLine models (at SVW) and Audi vehicles  
(at FAW-Volkswagen)
from 2012
1!!
Increase road safety in China
Volkswagen Road Safety is a TV series promoting 
road safety in China, made in collaboration with 
the founders of “Der 7. Sinn”, a German road 
safety programme, and Chinese producers and is 
set to run until 2016
ongoing 
until 2016
11!
Audi balanced mobility: vision for CO₂-neutral 
mobility
The Audi e-gas project makes use of environ- 
mentally friendly renewable energy sources for 
producing fuels for various environmentally friendly 
powertrain technologies. Power generated by four 
offshore wind turbines in the North Sea is used to 
produce e-gas, a CO₂-neutral, artificial methane gas. 
It can be fed into the natural gas grid and thus be 
used to power the A3 TCNG fleet. The 1.4 TFSI, 
specially adapted for use with natural gas, is the 
basic engine for the A3 TCNG. Project: e-gas using 
A3 TCNG by way of example (2nd prize in the 2011 
“Grüne Lenkrad” awards for environmental 
technology)
ongoing
11!
Optimise combustion engine – Audi
Audi: “Cylinder on demand” to boost efficiency 
under part load. Under low loads, the system 
deactivates four of the eight (or two of the 
four) cylinders, cutting fuel consumption by up 
to ten percent at moderate motorway speeds
- 4.0 series TFSI 
- S8/S7/S6 4.0 TFSI
- A1 and A3 NF 1.4 TFSI
2011-2012
111
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Start-up of MQB platform (in-engine innova-
tions such as variable valve control, intelligent 
thermal management and demand-based 
control of auxiliary units)
Cylinder-on-demand technology in four- and eight- 
cylinder petrol engines (see entry above for Audi)
Start-up of Modular diesel system (MDB) (new 
generation of three- and four-cylinder engines)
2012,
ongoing
2012,
ongoing
2012,
ongoing
111
111
111
Ensure recyclability and labelling of materials
Processes in place, continuous external 
monitoring of processes and vehicle models
ongoing
11!

152	
	
	
	
	
	
	

Goal
Action
Deadline
Status
Increase use of recycled materials
Apart from justified exceptions, use is generally 
approved, providing quality and availability 
criteria are met
ongoing
11!
Improve resource transparency
Joined Extractive Industries Transparency 
Initiative
2012
111
Enable use of alternative fuels taking  
regional circumstances into account
eco up! with emissions of 79 g CO₂/km 
Market launch of Golf TGI BlueMotion  
94 g CO₂/km
Evaluation of the availability of “green electricity” 
as energy source (e.g. as electricity, hydrogen, 
synthetic natural gas) for mobility in 2030
Evaluation of production processes for liquid 
and gaseous fuels based on biomass and CO₂
2012
2013
ongoing
ongoing
111
111
11!
11!
Develop and provide alternative powertrain 
technologies
Electric mobility field testing by VW Commercial 
Vehicles with seven E-Caddy vans in cooperation 
with state capital Hanover; Stadtwerke Hannover 
AG (enercity), Deutsche Messe AG and Gesell-
schaft für Bauen und Wohnen mbH (GBH)
Production of a small batch of 40 E-Caddy vans 
SEAT: GreenLion project (battery modules)
Electric mobility: fleet trials in Austria,  
France, Belgium and USA
Audi A4 Plug-In Hybrid
Audi A6 4x4 Plug-In Hybrid
Porsche Spyder 918
Porsche Panamera Plug-In Hybrid
Volkswagen Golf TSI twinDRIVE
Audi A3 Plug-In Hybrid
Volkswagen Passat Plug-In Hybrid
Porsche Cayenne Plug-In Hybrid
Audi Q7 Plug-In Hybrid
Audi A8 Plug-In Hybrid
2011–
2013
2012
2011–
2014
2012
2015
2017
2013
2013
from 2014
from 2014
from 2014
from 2014
from 2014
from 2014
11!
111
11!
111
1!!
1!!
11!
11!
1!!
1!!
1!!
1!!
1!!
1!!
Reduce fuel consumption by cutting vehicle 
weight while taking account of design and 
customer requirements
New SEAT Exeo and ST estate with output of  
88 kW or 105 kW – emissions of 117 g CO₂/km 
(saloon) and 119 g CO₂/km (estate). Average fuel 
consumption for both variants: 4.5 l/100 km
New SEAT Leon 1.6 TDI Ecomotive with output  
of 77 kW/105; 3.8 l/100 km – 99 g CO₂/km
from 2013
from 2013
111
111

K ey i n di cato r s & goals 		
	
	
	
	
	
	

153 
Frame of Reference
Indicator / Document 
Frame of reference
Notes 
Cross-refe-
rence (p./>)
Environmental indicators
Volkswagen Group,
deviations marked
142-147
Social indicators
Volkswagen Group
Volkswagen Group in Germany
Volkswagen AG
Report on respective scope of 
validity can be found on 
pages 138 ff.
138-141
Financial indicators
Volkswagen Group
136-137
Model of Sustainable 
Development
Volkswagen Group
Introduced in 2002
  9
Code of Conduct
Volkswagen Group
Introduced in 2010
42 f., 80, 
 15
Volkswagen Group requirements 
for sustainable development with 
regard to relationships with 
business partners
Volkswagen Group,
all tier 1 suppliers
Introduced in 2006
34 f.
Mission Statement on Biodiversity
Volkswagen AG
Introduced in 2008
125
Environmental Policy
Volkswagen Group
Introduced in 1995
94 ff.
Environmental Principles, Product
Volkswagen Group
Introduced in 2008
94 ff.
Environmental Principles, 
Production
Volkswagen Group
Introduced in 2007
94 ff.
Factory Agreement on Environ-
mental Protection
Volkswagen AG
Introduced in 1995
96
Declaration on Social Rights and 
Industrial Relations at Volkswagen 
(Social Charter)
Countries and regions represented
in the Volkswagen Group Global
Works Council
Introduced in 2002,
updated in 2012
19, 
 18
Charter on Labour Relations
Volkswagen Group
Introduced in 2009
19, 
 17
Occupational Safety Policy
Volkswagen Group
Introduced in 2004
76, 
 66

Background.

Anyone seeking to accurately appraise a company’s commitment does well not to just 
skim the surface. It takes a careful look behind the scenes to see how things are really 
connected. 
Background.
Highlights and lowlights // Consumption and emission data // GRI index //  
GRI statement // Indices, ratings, rankings and awards // Independent assurance 
report // List of links // Credits
6

156	
	
	
	
	
	
	

Highlights  		
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
Volkswagen opens up perspectives for specialists from 
Southern Europe
The Volkswagen Group is now offering a new programme 
for young people from Southern Europe, offering them an 
opportunity to kick-start a career with Europe’s largest  
automaker. The “StartUp Europe” trainee programme is  
tailor-made for engineers wanting to gain international 
experience after obtaining their degree.
Volkswagen Group adopts Charter on Temporary Work
The Group Board of Management, the European Group 
Works Council and the Global Group Works Council of 
Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft have adopted a “Charter 
on Temporary Work for the Volkswagen Group”. The char-
ter lays down the principles for the use of temporary work 
throughout the Volkswagen Group. The points covered in-
clude ensuring appropriate employment and remunera-
tion conditions for temporary external personnel.
Stiftung Warentest gives Quicar top rating 
Volkswagen’s Quicar car-sharing service has been awarded 
a top rating of 1.8 by consumer organisation Stiftung 
Warentest. Nine car-sharing firms from Germany and the 
Netherlands were assessed, with test winner Quicar pre-
senting a compelling case to the experts in categories in-
cluding booking, driving and online presence.
 
Sustainovation Award
The environmental programme “Think Blue. Factory.” has 
been presented with the “Sustainovation Award 2012 by 
German business magazine WirtschaftsWoche and the Al-
tran Foundation for Innovation. Volkswagen has a clear ob-
jective with this international initiative: to improve key envi-
ronmental performance figures. The aim is to achieve a 25 
percent reduction in levels of energy consumption, waste, 
water consumption, CO₂ and solvent emissions by 2018.
Presentation of the new Golf
Volkswagen celebrated the world premiere of the new Golf 
in Berlin on September 4. The seventh generation of the 
VW model is the best Golf ever built. Across the entire en-
gine range, Volkswagen has managed to reduce CO₂ emis-
sions from the new Golf by an average of around 14 per-
cent.
Gelber Engel
Volkswagen won the 2013 Gelber Engel (“Yellow Angel”) 
award from German automobile club ADAC in the “Inno-
vation and Environment” category in recognition of its ef-
ficient three-cylinder natural gas engine. 
Winning support for “A chance to play” project 
Volkswagen is donating €2 million to support disadvan-
taged children and young people in Brazil. “A chance to 
play”, launched to coincide with the football World Cup 
2010 in South Africa by Volkswagen Group Works Council 
and children’s rights organisation “terre des hommes”, 
strives to improve the lives of impoverished children at 
Volkswagen locations around the world. In the run-up to 
the 2014 World Cup, the initiative will now be supporting 14 
projects targeting child poverty in host country Brazil, 
reaching out to 60,000 children.

B ackg ro u n d	
	
	
	
	
	
	

157 
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
Lowlights
Poor performance in CSR Online Awards
The CSR Online Awards presented by Lundquist reflect 
the Milan-based communications consultancy’s analysis 
of sustainability reporting by large companies on the In-
ternet. In 2012 the lion’s share of companies failed to do 
justice to the possibilities offered by the medium with 
their static communications approaches. Volkswagen was 
among those who slipped down the rankings – from 51st 
(2011) to 93rd (2012).  
Greenpeace protest
Environmental organisation Greenpeace staged various 
protests during the reporting year – e.g. at the Annual Gen-
eral Meeting in Hamburg, the presentation of the new Golf 
in Berlin’s Nationalgalerie and the Paris Motor Show. 
Greenpeace accuses Volkswagen of bringing vehicles onto 
the market with excessive fuel consumption and thus CO₂ 
emissions – and therefore failing to meet its responsibili-
ties with regard to environmental protection.*
Weak start for home power plants
The “home power plant” is a Volkswagen EcoBlue natural 
gas-powered cogeneration plant produced by the Group ex-
clusively for LichtBlick. It produces combined heat and 
power for private homes. In 2011 Volkswagen and LichtBlick 
set themselves a goal of installing around 100,000 such fa-
cilities within Germany. In 2012 it became clear that this 
aim was far too ambitious. 
“auto motor und sport” reports negative trend in “eco-
compatible cars” category
Since 2010 the Volkswagen brand has seen its image suffer 
in the “makes eco-compatible cars“ category of “auto mo-
tor und sport” magazine’s annual appraisal – despite its 
use of innovative, fuel economy-enhancing and low-emis-
sion technologies. Volkswagen currently ranks only third, 
behind Toyota and BMW.
Transparency International criticises sustainability report-
ing of German companies 
The anti-corruption organisation Transparency Interna-
tional Deutschland (TI) has criticised the sustainability re-
ports issued by German companies for failing to deliver on 
their promises in the fight against corruption. According 
to Transparency International, the information given in 
the sustainability reports of many German car makers did 
not fully satisfy the requirements of the GRI indicator pro-
tocols for the four GRI core indicators examined by TI. 
Volkswagen was one of the companies cited.  
 162
 * Following the Geneva Motor Show, Volkswagen and Greenpeace signed a joint statement on the 95 g/km goal adopted by Volkswagen. 
In this statement, Volkswagen and the independent environmental protection organisation agree to maintain an ongoing process of 
constructive dialogue.  
 165

158	
	
	
	
	
	
	

Consumption and emission data
Model
Output kW (hp)
urban
extra-urban
combined
combined
Audi A3 Sportback 1.6 TDI 
77 (105)
4.6
3.3
3.8
99
Bentley Mulsanne 6.75-litre twin-turbo V8
377 (512)
25.3
11.8
16.9
393
Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermès
736 (1,001)
41.9
15.6
24.9
596
SEAT IBIZA SC CUPRA 1.4 TSI DSG
132 (180)
7.5
5.1
5.9
139
ŠKODA Citigo CNG Green tec (CNG)
50 (68)
5.5 m3 (3.6 kg)
3.8 m3 (2.5 kg)
4.4 m3 (2.9 kg)
79
ŠKODA Octavia 1.4 TSI Green tec
103 (140)
6.5
4.6
5.3
121
Porsche Boxster manual
195 (265)
11.4
6.3
8.2
192
Volkswagen eco up! 1.0 EcoFuel (CNG)
50 (68)
5.5 m3 (3.6 kg)
3.8 m3 (2.5 kg)
4.4 m3 (2.9 kg)
79
Volkswagen Golf 1.6 TDI BlueMotion, 
5-speed manual
77 (105)
4.6
3.3
3.8
99
Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid 1.4 TSI
110 (150)
4.4
3.9
4.1
95
Volkswagen Passat 1.4 TSI EcoFuel (petrol)
110 (150)
9.0
5.4
6.8
157
Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid 3.0 V6 TSI
279 (380)
8.7
7.9
8.2
193
Volkswagen Touran 1.4 TSI EcoFuel (CNG)
110 (150)
9.5 m3 (6.2 kg)
5.8 m3 (3.8 kg)
7.2 m3 (4.7 kg)
128
Fuel Consumption (l/100 km)
CO2
Emissions
(g/km)
CO2 
Emissions
(g/km)
Model
combined
combined
Audi A1 
5.9 – 3.8
139 – 99
Audi A3
6.6 – 3.8
152 – 99
Audi A6
9.7 – 4.9
226 – 129
Audi Q7
10.7 – 7.2
249 – 189
Audi A8
10.1 – 6.0
 235 – 147
Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder
13.8 – 13.6
330 – 327
SEAT Exeo
7.7 – 4.5
179 – 117
SEAT Exeo ST Kombi
7.4 – 4.5
172 – 119
SEAT Leon
5.2 – 3.8
120 – 99
SEAT Mii
4.7 – 4.1
108 – 95
ŠKODA Octavia
7.8 – 3.8
182 – 99
ŠKODA Rapid
6.1 – 3.9
137 – 104
Volkswagen Caddy EcoFuel
8.7 m3 (5.7 kg) – 8.8 m3 (5.8 kg)
157 – 156
Volkswagen Golf
5.2 – 3.8
122 – 99
Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion
5.5 – 3.8
129 – 99
Volkswagen Golf Variant
6.4 – 4.2
149 – 109
Volkswagen Jetta
7.7 – 4.1
178 – 95
Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion
3.4 – 3.3
89 – 87
Volkswagen XL1
0.9
21
Fuel Consumption (l/100 km)

B ackg ro u n d	
	
	
	
	
	
	

159 
GRI Content Index
The present Sustainability Report takes full account of the reporting guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative 
(GRI). Selected indicators and the degree to which they are reported are set out on this page. A full overview with  
supplementary indicators and corresponding answers is available on the internet. 
 163
GRI Standard Disclosure	
Reference	
Status	
UNGC	
GSC 
Strategy and Analysis
1.1	
Statement from the most senior decisionmaker	
8, AR 22, 23	
l 
	
1
1.2 	
Key impacts, risks 	
8, 26, 27, 98, 99	
l 
 
2
	
	
	
Organizational Profile
2.1	
Name of the organization	
10	
l
2.2 	
Brands, products and/or services	
10, 11, AR 104-128	
l
2.3	
Operational structure 	
10, 11, AR 143-146	
l 
2.4	
Headquarter location	
10	
l
2.5	
Countries in operation	
10, 11, 12, 13	
l
2.6	
Nature of ownership 	
10, AR 143-146	
l
2.7	
Markets served	
10, 11, 50, 51, AR 104-128, 153-157	
l
2.8	
Scale of the organization	
10, 11, AR 104-128	
l
2.9	
Significant changes regarding size, structure 
	
or ownership	
10, 11, AR 144, 153, 165	
l
2.10	
Awards received	
128, 129, 156, 163 	
l
Reporting Parameters
3.1	
Reporting period	
2	
l
3.2	
Date of most recent previous report	
2	
l
3.3	
Reporting cycle	
2	
l
3.4	
Contact point for questions	
169	
l
3.5	
Process for defining report content	
26, 27	
l
3.6	
Boundary of the report	
2, 12-13, 50-55	
l
3.7	
Limitations on the scope or boundary 
	
of the report	
2, 136-147, 155	
l
3.8	
Joint ventures, subsidiaries, and outsourced 
	
operations	
2, 136-147, 155	
l
3.9	
Data measurement techniques	
136-147 	
l
3.10	
Effects of re-statement or information provided 
	
in earlier reports	
2, 10, 26-29, 136-147	
l
3.11	
Significant changes in the scope, boundary 
	
or measurement methods	
2, 10, 136-147	
l
3.12	
GRI Content Index	
160, 161, OSR 163	
l
3.13	
External assurance  	
166, 167	
l
Status:	 l fully reported    
	
l partly reported   
	
l not reported
AR	
= Annual Report
GP	
= Group Portal www.volkswagenag.com 
BP	
= Brand Portal www.volkswagen.com
OSR	
= Online Sustainability Report
UNGC	 = United Nations Global Compact
GSC	
= German Sustainability Code
D	
= Direct Answer (online-index)

160	
	
	
	
	
	
	

GRI Standard Disclosure	
Reference	
Status	
UNGC	
GSC 
Governance, Commitments, and Engagement
4.1	
Governance structure 	
17,  AR 133, 145-150	
l 
1-10
4.2	
Indication whether chairperson is also 
	
excecutive officer	
17, AR 133-150	
l 
1-10
4.3	
Independent members at the board	
AR 147-150	
l 
1-10
4.4	
Mechanisms for shareholders and employees 
	
to provide recommendations to the board 	
8, 42, 43, AR 136,  
	
	
GP	
l 
1-10
4.5	
Linkage between executive compensation and 
	
organization’s performance	
66-68, AR 133, 137-142	
l 
1-10	
8
4.6	
Processes to avoid conflicts of interest at the board	
17-21, AR 131-140	
l 
1-10
4.7	
Expertise of board members on sustainability topics	
16, 17,  26-27, AR 131-140	
l 
1-10
4.8	
Statements of mission, codes of conduct, 
	
and principles	
8, 9, 18-20	
l 
1-10	
5
4.9	
Procedures of board governance on management 
	
of sustainability performance	
8, 16-21, AR 192, 193	
l 
1-10	
6
4.10	
Processes for evaluation of the board’s sustainability 
	
performance	
16, 17, AR 131-136	
l 
 
7, 8
4.11	
Precautionary approach	
10-19, 23-29	
l 
7	
4.12	
External charters, principles, or other initiatives 	
8, 18-21, AR 192-195	
l 
1-10	
3
4.13	
Memberships in associations 	
18-27, OSR 11	
l 
 
1-10 
4.14	
Stakeholder groups 	
24, 25, OSR 11	
l 
 
9
4.15	
Stakeholder identification and selection	
22, 23	
l 
 
9
4.16	
Approaches to stakeholder engagement  	
18-27	
l 
 
9
4.17	
Topics and concerns raised by stakeholders	
2, 8, 12-27, 15, 28, 56, 91	
l 
 
9	
Economic Performance Indicators
	
Disclosure on management approach	
10, 11, 20-47	
l 
1, 4, 6, 7	
EC1	
Direct economic value generated and distributed	
84-85, 136-137	
l 
 
18
EC2	
Financial implications due to climate change	
97-103, AR 231-233	
l 
7 
EC3	
Coverage of the organization’s defined 
	
benefit plan	
136, AR 189, 216-217	
l
EC4 	
Financial government assistance 	
AR 279, 285	
l
EC6	
Locally-based suppliers  	
34-39, 48-49, 69-70, OSR 17	
l
EC7 	
Local hiring 	
48-49, 60-66, 69-70, OSR 17, D	
l 
6
EC8	
Infrastructure investment and services for 
	
public benefit	
48-49, 81-89, 137	
l
Environmental Performance Indicators
	
Disclosure on management approach	
8, 16-20, 94-117, 120, 121, 124-127, 
	
	
OSR 15, 24, 25, 83, 88 	
l 
7, 8, 9
EN1	
Volume of materials used	
35, 101, 102,120, OSR 124, AR 222	
l 
8	
11
EN2	
Recycled materials 	
121, 122, OSR 127, 128, 129, 131, D	
l 
8, 9	
12
EN3 	
Direct primary energy consumption	
16, 92, 98, 110-112, 142, OSR 85, 86, 160	
l 
8	
12
EN4	
Indirect primary energy consumption	
98, 111, 142, OSR 120, 160	
l 
8	
12
EN8	
Total water withdrawal	
122-124, 146, OSR 78, 91, 132, BP 	
l	
8 	
12
EN11	 Land assets in or adjacent to protected areas 	
124-127, 147, OSR 78, 151, 152, 153, 
	
	
154, 155, AR 225 	
l 
8
EN12	 Impacts on biodiversity 	
124-127, OSR 23, 78, 151, 152, 153, 
	
	
154, 155, AR 225	
l 
8
EN16	 Greenhouse gas emissions 	
142-143, AR 221	
l 
8	
13
EN17	 Other greenhouse gas emissions  	
98, OSR 86, D	
l 
8	
13
EN19	 Emissions of ozone-depleting substances 	
D	
l 
8
EN20	 NOx, SOx, and other air emissions 	
144	
l 
8
EN21	 Water discharge 	
146, OSR 85, BP	
l 
8
EN22	 Waste by type and disposal method 	
112, 145, OSR 24, D	
l 
8	
12
EN23	 Significant spills 	
D	
l 
8
EN26	 Initiatives to mitigate environmental impacts	
97-117, OSR 87, 88, 94, 99,  
	
	
100, 102, 108, 109 	
l 
7, 8, 9	
10

B ackg ro u n d	
	
	
	
	
	
	

161 
Status:	 l fully reported    
	
l partly reported   
	
l not reported
AR	
= Annual Report
GP	
= Group Portal www.volkswagenag.com 
BP	
= Brand Portal www.volkswagen.com
OSR	
= Online Sustainability Report
UNGC	 = United Nations Global Compact
GSC	
= German Sustainability Code
D	
= Direct Answer (online-index)
EN27	 Packaging materials 	
118, 131, OSR 131	
l 
8, 9
EN28	 Sanctions for non-compliance with 
	
environmental regulations 	
D	
l 
8
Social Performance Indicators: Labor Practices and Decent Work
	
Disclosure on management approach	
8, 9, 14-21, 58-66, 69-72, 74-80, OSR 66	
l 
1, 3, 6
LA1	
Workforce by employment type and region	
60, 138-139 	
l
LA2	
Employee turnover	
141	
l 
6
LA4	
Employees with collective bargaining agreements	
18-20, 42, 66, 69	
l 
1,3
LA5 	
Minimum notice period(s) regarding operational changes	
69, OSR 17	
l 
3
LA7	
Occupational diseases, lost days, and number of fatalities	
77, 141, OSR 66	
l 
1	
15
LA8	
Training on serious diseases	
74-76, OSR 66	
l 
1	
16
LA10	
Training per employee	
65	
l 
 
16
LA13	
Composition of governance bodies	
73, 77-78, 139-140, AR 214-215, 133, 
	
	
147-150	
l 
1, 6	
16
LA14	
Gender pay disparity 	
66, OSR 17, 18	
l 
1, 6
Social Performance Indicators: Human Rights
	
Disclosure on management approach	
18-20, 34-46, AR 201, OSR 15, 17, 18, 66 	
l 
1-6
HR1	
Investment agreements  	
18, 34, 36, 39, 151, OSR 15, 17, 18	
l 
1-6	
17
HR2	
Supplier screening on human rights 	
34-39, 151	
l 
1-6	
17
HR4	
Incidents of discrimination	
18-20, 45-46, OSR 15 	
l 
1, 2, 6	 16, 17
HR5	
Freedom of association and collective bargaining 	
18-20, 36, 42-46, 69-70, OSR 17, 18	
l 
1-3
HR6	
Child labor	
18-20, 36, 42-46, AR 193, OSR 17, 18	
l 
1, 2, 5	
17
HR7 	
Forced labor 	
18-20, 36, 42-46, AR 193, OSR 17, 18	
l 
1, 2, 4	
17
	
	
Social Performance Indicators: Society
	
	
Disclosure on management approach	
16-27, 42-46, 81-89, OSR 15, 18 	
l 
10
SO1	
Impacts on communities  	
18, 42-47, 86-89, 98, 126, 151	
l 
	
18 
SO2	
Corruption risks  	
42-46, AR 134-136	
l 
10	
SO3	
Anti-corruption training	
44, AR 134-136	
l 
10
SO4	
Actions taken in response to incidents of corruption	
45, 46, AR 134-136	
l 
10	
20
SO5	
Lobbying	
17, 19-20, 42, 45, 100-101, AR 131	
l 
1-10
SO8	
Sanctions for non-compliance with laws and regulations 	
AR 233-234	
l 
 
20
Social Performance indicators: Product Responsibility
	
	
Disclosure on management approach	
8, 16, 18, 32, 33, 42-46, 103-110 AR 208-210, 
	
	
222, 223	
l 
1, 8
PR1	
Health and safety impacts along product life cycle	
32-33, 102-105, OSR 90	
l 
1
PR3	
Product information 	
103-111, 158, 159, OSR 2	
l 
8
PR6	
Marketing communication standards 	
16-21, 32-33, 107, OSR 15, 114, 137, BP	
l
PR9	
Sanctions for non-compliance with product and service 
	
related regulations	
AR 233-234	
l
GRI Standard Disclosure	
Reference	
Status	
UNGC	
GSC

162	
	
	
	
	
	
	

dŚĞ'ůŽďĂůZĞƉŽƌƟŶŐ/ŶŝƟĂƟǀĞ;'Z/ͿŝƐĂŶĞƚǁŽƌŬͲďĂƐĞĚŽƌŐĂŶŝǌĂƟŽŶƚŚĂƚŚĂƐƉŝŽŶĞĞƌĞĚƚŚĞĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚŽĨƚŚĞǁŽƌůĚ͛ƐŵŽƐƚǁŝĚĞůǇƵƐĞĚ
ƐƵƐƚĂŝŶĂďŝůŝƚǇƌĞƉŽƌƟŶŐĨƌĂŵĞǁŽƌŬĂŶĚŝƐĐŽŵŵŝƩĞĚƚŽŝƚƐĐŽŶƟŶƵŽƵƐŝŵƉƌŽǀĞŵĞŶƚĂŶĚĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶǁŽƌůĚǁŝĚĞ͘dŚĞ'Z/'ƵŝĚĞůŝŶĞƐƐĞƚŽƵƚ
ƚŚĞƉƌŝŶĐŝƉůĞƐĂŶĚŝŶĚŝĐĂƚŽƌƐƚŚĂƚŽƌŐĂŶŝǌĂƟŽŶƐĐĂŶƵƐĞƚŽŵĞĂƐƵƌĞĂŶĚƌĞƉŽƌƚƚŚĞŝƌĞĐŽŶŽŵŝĐ͕ĞŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚĂů͕ĂŶĚƐŽĐŝĂůƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ͘ 
ǁǁǁ͘ŐůŽďĂůƌĞƉŽƌƟŶŐ͘ŽƌŐ
Disclaimer:tŚĞƌĞƚŚĞƌĞůĞǀĂŶƚƐƵƐƚĂŝŶĂďŝůŝƚǇƌĞƉŽƌƟŶŐŝŶĐůƵĚĞƐĞǆƚĞƌŶĂůůŝŶŬƐ͕ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐƚŽĂƵĚŝŽǀŝƐƵĂůŵĂƚĞƌŝĂů͕ƚŚŝƐƐƚĂƚĞŵĞŶƚŽŶůǇ
ĐŽŶĐĞƌŶƐŵĂƚĞƌŝĂůƐƵďŵŝƩĞĚƚŽ'Z/ĂƚƚŚĞƟŵĞŽĨƚŚĞŚĞĐŬŽŶϭϵDĂƌĐŚϮϬϭϯ͘'Z/ĞǆƉůŝĐŝƚůǇĞǆĐůƵĚĞƐƚŚĞƐƚĂƚĞŵĞŶƚďĞŝŶŐĂƉƉůŝĞĚƚŽĂŶǇ
ůĂƚĞƌĐŚĂŶŐĞƐƚŽƐƵĐŚŵĂƚĞƌŝĂů͘
Statement
'Z/ƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶ>ĞǀĞůŚĞĐŬ 
GRI hereby states that sŽůŬƐǁĂŐĞŶ'ƌŽƵƉ has presented its report “Sustainability Report 2012” to GRI’s 
ZĞƉŽƌƚ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞƐǁŚŝĐŚŚĂǀĞĐŽŶĐůƵĚĞĚƚŚĂƚƚŚĞƌĞƉŽƌƚĨƵůĮůůƐƚŚĞƌĞƋƵŝƌĞŵĞŶƚŽĨƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶ>ĞǀĞůн͘
'Z/ƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶ>ĞǀĞůƐĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƚĞƚŚĞĞǆƚĞŶƚƚŽǁŚŝĐŚƚŚĞĐŽŶƚĞŶƚŽĨƚŚĞ'ϯ'ƵŝĚĞůŝŶĞƐŚĂƐďĞĞŶ
ƵƐĞĚŝŶƚŚĞƐƵďŵŝƩĞĚƐƵƐƚĂŝŶĂďŝůŝƚǇƌĞƉŽƌƟŶŐ͘dŚĞŚĞĐŬĐŽŶĮƌŵƐƚŚĂƚƚŚĞƌĞƋƵŝƌĞĚƐĞƚĂŶĚŶƵŵďĞƌŽĨ
ĚŝƐĐůŽƐƵƌĞƐĨŽƌƚŚĂƚƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶ>ĞǀĞůŚĂǀĞďĞĞŶĂĚĚƌĞƐƐĞĚŝŶƚŚĞƌĞƉŽƌƟŶŐĂŶĚƚŚĂƚƚŚĞ'Z/ 
ŽŶƚĞŶƚ/ŶĚĞǆĚĞŵŽŶƐƚƌĂƚĞƐĂǀĂůŝĚƌĞƉƌĞƐĞŶƚĂƟŽŶŽĨƚŚĞƌĞƋƵŝƌĞĚĚŝƐĐůŽƐƵƌĞƐ͕ĂƐĚĞƐĐƌŝďĞĚŝŶƚŚĞ
'Z/'ϯ'ƵŝĚĞůŝŶĞƐ͘&ŽƌŵĞƚŚŽĚŽůŽŐǇ͕ƐĞĞǁǁǁ͘ŐůŽďĂůƌĞƉŽƌƟŶŐ͘ŽƌŐͬ^ŝƚĞŽůůĞĐƟŽŶŽĐƵŵĞŶƚƐͬ>Ͳ
DĞƚŚŽĚŽůŽŐǇ͘ƉĚĨ
ƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶ>ĞǀĞůƐĚŽŶŽƚƉƌŽǀŝĚĞĂŶŽƉŝŶŝŽŶŽŶƚŚĞƐƵƐƚĂŝŶĂďŝůŝƚǇƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞŽĨƚŚĞƌĞƉŽƌƚĞƌŶŽƌƚŚĞ
ƋƵĂůŝƚǇŽĨƚŚĞŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶŝŶƚŚĞƌĞƉŽƌƚ͘
ŵƐƚĞƌĚĂŵ͕ϮϲDĂƌĐŚϮϬϭϯ
EĞůŵĂƌĂƌďĞǆ
ĞƉƵƚǇŚŝĞĨǆĞĐƵƟǀĞ
'ůŽďĂůZĞƉŽƌƟŶŐ/ŶŝƟĂƟǀĞ 
dŚĞ͞н͟ŚĂƐďĞĞŶĂĚĚĞĚƚŽƚŚŝƐƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶ>ĞǀĞůďĞĐĂƵƐĞsŽůŬƐǁĂŐĞŶ'ƌŽƵƉŚĂƐƐƵďŵŝƩĞĚ;ƉĂƌƚŽĨͿ
ƚŚŝƐƌĞƉŽƌƚĨŽƌĞǆƚĞƌŶĂůĂƐƐƵƌĂŶĐĞ͘'Z/ĂĐĐĞƉƚƐƚŚĞƌĞƉŽƌƚĞƌ͛ƐŽǁŶĐƌŝƚĞƌŝĂĨŽƌĐŚŽŽƐŝŶŐƚŚĞƌĞůĞǀĂŶƚ
ĂƐƐƵƌĂŶĐĞ
2013 2013 2013 2013 
2013 2013 2013 2013 
2013 2013 2013 2013 
2013 2013 2013 2013 
2013 2013 2013 2013 
2013 2013 2013 2013 
2013 2013 2013 2013 
2013 2013 2013 2013

B ackg ro u n d	
	
	
	
	
	
	

163 
This report was prepared in accordance with the internationally recognised G3 sustainability 
reporting standards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). This label documents the fact that 
the information in this report meets the requirements of the GRI. 
 163
Indexes 	
ASPI Advanced Sustainability Performance Index 	
listed	
Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) World 	
listed
ECPI Ethical Index Europe 	
listed
ECPI Ethical Index EMU 	
listed
ECPI Ethical Index Global 	
listed
ESI Excellence Euro 	
listed
ESI Excellence Europe 	
listed
ESI Excellence Global 	
listed
FTSE4Good 	
listed
STOXX® Global ESG Leaders indexes 	
listed
Storebrand Trippel Smart and SPP Global Topp 100*	
listed
Ratings & rankings 
Carbon Disclosure Project 	
93%; B**
Oekom Research	
Prime Status	
	
	
Sustainalytics – DAX 30	
ranked 3rd  		
	
VCD automobile manufacturer ranking  
“Environmental Management” 	
ranked 2nd
Reputation Institute – DAX 30	
ranked 2nd
Awards
Ethics in Business Award   
in the category “Outstanding Corporation”	
award-winner 2012     
Automotive Award – Media & Publications  
in the category “Digital Media” 	
award-winner 2012   
SAM Sustainability Awards 
 164          	
finalist 2012
Indexes, ratings, rankings and awards.
  *	This Norwegian pension fund ranks the world’s top 100 most sustainable companies 
but is, strictly speaking, not a classical stock market index.
**	93% = Disclosure Score; B = Performance Score

To be continued.

A 170-page Sustainability Report − packed with examples of corporate responsibility 
in action. Our commitment has nothing to do with following trends. It helps us build 
better cars. www.sustainability-report2012.volkswagenag.com

166	
	
	
	
	
	
	

Independent Assurance Report
To Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, Wolfsburg
We have been engaged by Volkswagen AG to perform an inde-
pendent assurance engagement to attain moderate assurance 
1 in respect of observing the AA1000 AccountAbility Principles 
and regarding individual quantitative sustainability data se-
lected by Volkswagen AG in the Sustainability Report 2012 of 
Volkswagen AG, Wolfsburg.
Responsibility of the legal representatives
It is the responsibility of the legal representatives of the Com-
pany
•	to comply with the principles of inclusivity, materiality and 
responsiveness as defined in the AccountAbility Principles 
Standard (2008) (the “AA1000 AccountAbility Principles”), 
and
•	to prepare the sustainability information in the Sustainabil-
ity Report 2012 in accordance with the criteria set out in the 
Sustainability Reporting Guidelines Vol. 3.0 (pages 7 to 17) of 
the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).
This responsibility includes the conception, implementa-
tion and maintenance of systems and processes for ensuring 
compliance with the AA1000 AccountAbility Principles and 
the preparation of the Sustainability Report 2012 using as-
sumptions and estimations that are appropriate under the 
given circumstances.
Responsibility of the auditor
Our responsibility is to form an opinion, based on our assur-
ance procedures, on whether facts have come to our attention 
which would lead us to assume that in all material respects
• 	the systems and processes installed by the Company are not 
appropriate for compliance with the AA1000 AccountAbility 
Principles of inclusivity, materiality and responsiveness; or
• 	the selected quantitative sustainability information set out 
in the Sustainability Report 2012 has not been prepared in 
compliance with the criteria set out in the Sustainability Re-
porting Guidelines Vol. 3.0 (p. 7 to p.17) of the Global Report-
ing Initiative (GRI).
The individual quantitative sustainability information select-
ed by Volkswagen AG for calendar year 2012, which is included 
in our engagement, can be found on pages 136 to 147 of the 
Sustainability Report 2012, excluding the Employee Opinion 
Survey in the Volkswagen Group, Scope, 3-Emissions Group, 
Particles Emission, Water Consumption according to Sources 
and Sites in the Proximity of Protection Areas. The indicators 
for calendar year 2012, which we audited, are marked sepa-
rately with the following symbol .
We were also engaged to provide recommendations for the fur-
ther development of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) 
Management and CSR Reporting on the basis of the results of 
our independent assurance engagement.
We conducted our independent assurance engagement in ac-
cordance with AA1000 Assurance Standard (AA1000AS) 2008 
and also in accordance with the International Standard on As-
surance Engagements (ISAE) 3000.
These standards require that we fulfill our professional duties 
and plan and conduct the engagement in accordance with the 
principle of materiality so that we can form an opinion with 
moderate assurance,1 which is the degree of assurance that was 
required by Volkswagen AG. We are independent, as defined by 
Section 3.2 of AA1000AS (2008).
Due to our expertise and experience in auditing non-financial 
information, sustainability management and social and eco-
logical issues, we have the competencies required to conduct 
this independent assurance engagement.
An independent assurance engagement performed to obtain 
moderate assurance1 is less substantial in scope than an inde-
pendent assurance engagement performed to obtain high as-
surance2, with the result that a corresponding lower level of as-
surance is obtained. The audit activities to be performed are 
selected by the auditor after a due assessment of the circum-
stances.
With regard to compliance with the AA1000 AccountAbility 
Principles, our examination procedures included the follow-
ing:
•	Discussions with management
•	Gaining an understanding of the relevant systems and pro-
cesses and comprehension of relevant documentation
•	Random sampling to obtain evidence of the implementation 
and appropriateness of the relevant systems and processes
With regard to the selected sustainability information in the 
Sustainability Report, our work included the following exami-
nations, inter alia:
•	Discussions with the employees responsible for the report-
ing of sustainability information
•	Examination of the systems and processes for the compila-
tion, calculation and reporting of sustainability information
•	Functional examination of the controls respecting the assur-
ance of data quality
•	Analytical assessment of selected sustainability data
Depending on the selected sustainability information, vari-
ous audit activities are performed at Group, brand and plant 
level:
 1“Moderate assurance” as specified by AA1000AS (2008) is equivalent to “limited assurance” as specified by ISAE 3000. 
 2“High assurance” as specified by AA1000AS (2008) is equivalent to “reasonable assurance” as specified by ISAE 3000.

Volkswagen
–		Volkswagen PKW, Wolfsburg
–		Volkswagen Poznán Sp.z.o.o
–		Volkswagen Autoeuropa, Lda., Setubal
–  	Volkswagen de México, S.A., Puebla
– 	Shanghai-Volkswagen Automotive Company Ltd., 
	 	Shanghai-Anting
– 	Volkswagen FAW Engine Co., Ltd. & Volkswagen 
	 	Automatic Transmission Co.,Ltd., Dalian
–  Volkswagen Kraftwerke GmbH, Wolfsburg
Audi AG, Ingolstadt
Seat SA, Martorell
Skoda Auto a.s., Mladá Boleslav
MAN SE, München
Material findings and judgments
Findings with regard to the AA1000 AccountAbility Principle 
of Inclusivity:
•	Internal documentation and publicly accessible informa-
tion provide evidence of the identification and analysis of 
significant internal and external stakeholder expectations.
•	Independent stakeholder management systems are devel-
oped by individual brands.
•	Involvement of management in the results of stakeholder 
processes at Group level is ensured.
•	Formal requirements for stakeholder management have not 
yet been defined at Group-wide level.
Findings with regard to the AA1000 AccountAbility Principle 
of materiality:
•	The process to determine the materiality of sustainability is-
sues is based on adequate criteria and has been established.
•	The identified relevant topics are prioritized within the 
scope of sustainability reporting.
•	The inclusion of brands and regions in the materiality pro-
cess is not uniform.
Findings with regard to the AA1000 AccountAbility Principle 
of responsiveness:
•	Volkswagen AG has established procedures for responding 
to sustainability issues that are important to stakeholders.
•	The brands and regions as well as individual companies of 
the Volkswagen Group sometimes do not have systematic 
procedures for standardized response to stakeholder in-
quiries.
On the basis of our moderate assurance engagement to obtain a 
moderate degree of assurance, nothing has come to our atten-
tion that causes us to believe that, in all material respects, the 
systems and processes implemented by the Company are not 
suitable for observing the AA1000 AccountAbility Principles of 
inclusivity, materiality and responsiveness.
Furthermore, nothing has come to our attention that causes us 
to believe that, in all material respects, the selected quantitative 
sustainability information of the Sustainability Report has not 
been prepared in accordance with the above-mentioned crite-
ria of the Sustainability Reporting Guidelines Vol. 3.0 (p. 7 to p. 
17) of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).
Recommendations
Without qualifying our audit opinions stated above, we make 
the following recommendations concerning further develop-
ment of stakeholder management, sustainability manage-
ment and sustainability reporting:
Recommendations regarding stakeholder management:
•	A higher-level framework (e.g. guideline) should be estab-
lished with the aim further developing the steering and 
monitoring of Group-wide stakeholder activities.
•	Ensuring consistent handling of stakeholder concerns 
Group-wide is just as necessary as the establishment of esca-
lation mechanisms regarding potentially critical issues.
•	Documentation requirements regarding stakeholder man-
agement should be standardized.
In addition, we recommend:
•	Company’s dynamic and globality should take into account 
the continuous further development of the Group-wide sus-
tainability management.
•	Systematization of significant aspects of sustainability man-
agement concerning all brands and regions should be pro-
moted Group-wide.
•	Systematic and continuous integration of sustainability as-
pects in the core processes of the Company.
•	Successive and Group-wide further development of the 
steering system as well as improvement of existing process 
and control mechanisms regarding internal reporting on 
sustainability data.
•	Further Group-wide automation of data consolidation, e.g. 
through use of a higher-level IT system for the reporting of 
sustainability data.
•	Continuous and systematic further development of the tar-
get and measures catalogue and systematic implementation 
of same.
Hanover, March 21, 2013
PricewaterhouseCoopers 
Aktiengesellschaft 
Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft 
Harald Kayser 	
	
Michael Werner
Wirtschaftsprüfer

List of Links
	
1: 	Online Annual Report
	
2: 	Consumption and emission data
	
3: 	Online brand portal
	
4: 	Chronicle 2012
	
5: 	Shareholdings
	
6: 	Silao plant opened (press release)
	
7:	 Overview of environmentally certified 	
	
	 plants
	
8: 	Group film on Responsibility
	
9: 	Model of Sustainable Development
	 10: 	Geneva Motor Show (press release)
	 11: 	List of stakeholder dialogues
	 12: 	Defining the materiality matrix
	 13: 	ViaVision: Modular transverse matrix 	
	
	 (MQB)
	 14: 	MQB feature in the Annual Report
	 15: 	Code of Conduct
	 16: 	Charter on Temporary Work 
	
	 (press release)
	
17: 	Charter on Labour Relations
	 18: 	Social Charter
	 19: 	Communication on Progress, UN Global 	
	
	 Compact
	 20: 	CSR Europe
	 21: 	World Business Council for Sustainable 
	
	 Development
	 22: 	NABU
	 23: 	Moorland renaturation
	 24: 	Group Environmental Principles, 
	
	 Production
	 25: 	Group Environmental Principles, Product
	 26: 	OECD Guidelines
	
27: 	ILO Declaration 
	 28: 	Global Compact
	 29: 	UN Declaration of Human Rights
	
30: 	Microsite: Volkswagen Sustainability 
	
	 Report 2012
	 31: 	Customer Satisfaction (Annual Report)
	 32: 	People’s Car Project
	 33: 	Audi City
	 34: 	Vehicle safety
	 35: 	Driver assistance systems / driving aids
	 36: 	Audi in the Aluminium Stewardship 
	
	 Initiative
	
37: 	Sustainability requirements (Suppliers)
	 38: 	Data protection article (“autogramm” 
	
	 magazine)
	 39: 	Position paper on Conflict Minerals 
	 40: 	Group Business Platform
	 41: 	German Automobile Industry Association 	
	
	 (VDA)
	 42: 	econsense 
	 43: 	Extractive Industries Transparency 
	
	 Initiative
	 44: 	Management Report (Annual Report)
	 45: 	Compliance (Annual Report)
	 46: 	Litigation (Annual Report)
	
47: 	Volkswagen in the Transparency 
	
	 Register
	 48: 	Article in “horizont” magazine
	 49: 	Risk Management (Annual Report)
	
50: 	Construction of Kaluga engine plant 
	
	 (press release)
	 51: 	Brands and Business Fields 
	
	 (Annual Report)
 	 52: 	Audi apprentices Work abroad 
	
	 (press release)
	 53: 	Work on memorial (press release)
	 54: 	StartUp Europe (press release)
	 55: 	Welcome Days (press release)
	 56: 	Charter on Labour Relations 
	
	 (press release)
	
57: 	Findings of employee opinion survey
	 58: 	Employee opinion survey (press release)
	 59: 	“Volkswagen Way” 5 years on 
	
	 (press release)
	 60: 	Lean Production Award (press release)
	 61: 	Idea Management (press release)
	 62: 	Seniority Programme (press release)
	 63: 	Health Convention (press release)
	 64: 	Health and wellness programme 
	
	 (press release)
	 65: 	Occupational safety training
	 66: 	Occupational safety policy
	
67: 	Occupational Safety Cup (press release)
	 68: 	Lower Saxony Technikum (press release)
	 69: 	Woman Driving Award
	 70: 	Woman Experience Day
	 71: 	Girls’ Day at Volkswagen (press release)
	 72: 	Boys’ Day / Girls’ Day at Audi 
	
	 (press release)
	 73: 	Traffic Task Force (press release)
	 74: 	Parque Polo
	 75: 	Playfulskoda
	 76: 	Alliance for Children (press release)
	
77: 	A chance to play
	 78: 	CSR worldwide
	
79: 	Brochure: “Responsibility knows no 	 	
	
	 boundaries”
	
80: 	Volkswagen boosts competitiveness and  
	
	 future viability (press release)
	 81: 	Environmental Goals of the Technical  
	
	 Development Department
	 82: 	Brochure: “15 years of certified environ- 
	
	 mental management at Volkswagen”
	 83: 	Volkswagen Environmental Policy
	 84: 	“Think Blue. Factory.” Award 
	
	 (press release)
	 85: 	Examples of best practice from 
	
	 the Group Environmental Conference
	 86: 	Scope 3 standard
	
87: 	Efficiency badges boost market 
	
	 penetration
	 88: 	Brochure: “Know more, consume less”
	 89: 	Life Cycle Assessments
	 90: 	Environmental Commendations
	 91: 	Sample projects: “Think Blue. Factory.”
	 92: 	Earth Hour (press release)
	 93: 	The German Emissions Trading 
	
	 Authority (DEHST)
	 94: 	Climate Strategy (MAN)
	 95: 	Environmental Commendation for 
	
	 the Golf
	 96: 	Brochure: “Environmental 
	
	 Commendations”
	
97: 	ViaVision: Recuperation
	 98: 	The new Golf
	 99: 	eco up! (press release)
	 100: 	Audi A3 (press release)
	 101: 	Green Truck Award (press release)
	 102: 	XL1 (press release)
	 103: 	Volkswagen and Electric Mobility
	 104: 	eco up! handover (press release)
	 105: 	Fleet test Volkswagen 2013 
	
	 (press release)
	 106: 	ŠKODA Octavia (press release)
	 107: 	Jetta hybrid (press release)
	 108: 	Volkswagen BlueMotion
	 109: 	Effizient technologies from Volkswagen  
	
	 Commercial Vehicles
	 110: 	SEAT fuel-saver calculator
	 111: 	ViaVision: Tyres
	 112: 	Audi dialogues
	 113: 	“Think Blue” Challenge
	 114: 	mythinkblue online portal
	 115: 	SEAT Leon (press release)
	 116: 	Sustainovation Award (press release)
	 117: 	Sample projects: “Think Blue.”
	 118: 	ŠKODA GreenFuture (press release)
	 119: 	Porsche Environmental Declaration
	 120: 	Electricity labelling
	 121: 	Environmental statements of the plants
	 122: 	LCA HotSpots
	 123: 	Lightweight design in the Golf 
	
	 (press release)
	 124: 	Materials distribution in other models
	 125: 	Brochure: “The Life Cycle of a Car”
	 126: 	Volkswagen SiCon process
	 127: 	TÜV certificate: use of secondary raw 
	
	 materials
	 128: 	Renewable materials in other models
	 129: 	Volkswagen original parts
	 130: 	Brochure: “The e-Mission”
	 131: 	Recycling at Volkswagen
	 132: 	Water Disclosure Project
	 133: 	Paintshop in Brazil (press release)
	 134: 	Hydroelectric plant in Brazil (press release)
	 135: 	Popular Water Pump (press release)
	 136: 	Green Train (press release)
	 137: 	youthinkgreen initiative (press release)
	 138: 	Open Hybrid Lab (press release)
	 139: 	Quicar website
	 140: 	Video “How to Quicar”
	 141: 	Quicar (press release)
	 142: 	MicroCity
	 143: 	Audi FutureLab
	 144: 	Audi e-gas (press release)
	 145: 	Audi e-fuels
	 146: 	Efficiency House Plus (press release)
	 147: 	EUCAR (press release)
	 148: 	EMBARQ
	 149: 	WBCSD
	 150: 	Audi Urban Future Award (press release)
	 151: 	NABU microsite
	 152: 	Business & Biodiversity Initiative
	 153: 	Biodiversity progress report
	 154: 	Lower Havel (press release)
	 155: 	River Aller (press release)
	 156: 	Overview of further awards
	 157: 	Volkswagen Passenger Cars 
	
	 Awards Gallery
	 158: 	Brochure: “Think Blue. Factory.”
	 159: 	Record level of participation in ideas  
	
	 management (press release)
	 160: 	Chattanooga SolarPark (press release)
	 161: 	Internal Environmental Award  
	
	 (press release)
	 162: 	Transparency International
	 163: 	GRI Index
	 164: 	SAM Sustainability Awards
	 165: 	CO2 limits for new cars (press release)

Credits
PUBLISHER
Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
Berliner Ring 2
38440 Wolfsburg, Germany
info@volkswagen-nachhaltigkeit.de
Group Research Environment
Strategy and Mobility
Dr. Hans-Jürgen Stauss
Group External and Governmental Relations
Coordination CSR and Sustainability
Prof. Dr. Gerhard Prätorius
EDITING
Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Dr. Daniel-Sascha Roth
Group Research Environment
Strategy and Mobility
CONCEPT AND DESIGN 
VOLKE Kommunikations-Design GmbH, Wolfsburg
Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
PHOTOS
Carbon Disclosure Project (p. 163), compamedia GmbH (p. 163),  
ECPI Group (p. 163), Forum Ethibel (p. 163), fotolia.com (p. 132), 
istockphoto.com (p. 44), FTSE Group (p. 163), Global Reporting  
Initiative (p. 162), oekom research AG (p. 163), RAL gGmbH (cover), 
Reputation Institute (p. 163), RobecoSAM AG (p. 163), Storebrand 
Group (p. 163), Stoxx ltd (p. 163), Sustainalytics (p. 163), Verkehrs-
club Deutschland (VCD) e. V. (p. 163), Vigeo (p. 163), Volkswagen 
Group and its brands.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Bauer-Boothroyd Übersetzungen, Schorndorf
PRINTED BY
Friedr. Schmücker GmbH, Löningen
PRINTED ON
EnviroTop matt, certified with the environmental Blue Angel
1st edition 04/2013  
Article No. 315.1245.01.18
© Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
Subject to misprints and errors.
ORDER A COPY
on the Internet at www.volkswagenag.com/sustainability
or from Volkswagen Distributionsservice,
Postfach 1450, 33762 Versmold, Germany
At Volkswagen AG, development work on all our models never 
ceases, so please allow for the fact that changes in design, 
equipment and technical specifications may be made at any 
time. Consequently, the data and descriptions in this report 
cannot give rise to claims of any kind.

sustainability
	 sostenibilidad
	sostenibilità
zrównoważony rozwój
udržitelnost
hållbarhet
fenntarthatóság
duurzaamheid
volhoubaarheid
संधारणीयता
ความยั่งยืน
Nachhaltigkeit
bæredygtighed
duurzaamheid
održivost 
устойчивое экологическое развитие