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The Dark Sideof Volkswagen
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CONTENTS
Key acts 1
Summary 2
Driving climate change 4
Volkswagen Group: The big player 8
1. Slow progress on emissions 10
2. Greenwashing the feet 12
3. Lobbying against progress 14
Conclusion: Capable o better 20
Reerences 22
C o v e r : © C o b b i n
g / G r e e n p e a c e C o n t e n t s : © L a n g r o c k / Z e n i t / G r e e n p e a c e
June 2011
Published by Greenpeace International
Ottho Heldringstraat 5
1066 AZ Amsterdam
The Netherlands
www.greenpeace.org
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1. Te Vokswagen Gou is te agest ca make in Euoe. One in ve
new cas sod in Euoe is a Vokswagen and, and 2018, te coman
aims to e te iggest ca make in te wod.
2. Vokswagen caims it aso wants to e ‘te most eco-iend automake in te
wod’, et te coman as dagged its eet in educing te ue consumtion
o its veice feet, and wist it as deveoed te tecnoogies to oduce
ig ue-ecient veices, it as not made tem wide avaiae.
3. As te iggest ca coman in Euoe, te Vokswagen Gou as te iggestcimate ootint o an ca manuactue in Euoe.
4. Vokswagen enaises consumes wanting smate, ceane veices
aticia infating tei ice and making tem magina to its feet.
5. Just 6% o te Vokswagen Gou’s goa saes in 2010 wee o its most
ecient modes.
6. Vokswagen as a isto o diveting attention om its oo ovea
envionmenta eomance deveoing sue-ecient otote cadesigns wic neve come to mass oduction.
7. Vokswagen wee one o te diving oces in te oing camaign against
te intoduction o veice ecienc standads in Euoe. It as aso een at
o eots to oose te intoduction o stong US standads.
8. Te Vokswagen Gou as moe ositions on te oad o ACEA (te ca
manuactues’ association and one o te most oweu o oces in
Euoe) tan an ote coman. ACEA as een eading te cage against
stong ue ecienc standads in Euoe.
9. Desite its geen etoic, Vokswagen is oosing two vita cimate oicies
in Euoe wic ae needed to dive innovation and ceane tecnoog in
te ca secto, save dives mone, and e Euoe educe its damaging
deendence on oi.
10. Te coman as te caacit to do so muc ette. I Vokswagen made te
most ue-ecient cas it oduces as standad, ate tan oeing ecienc
tecnoog as an exensive add-on, it woud e ae to educe its feet
emissions and oi consumtion damatica. I it oed out its est tecnoogacoss te feet it woud e tansomationa, not just to its own eomance
ut to te Euoean veice feet as a woe.
KEY FACTS
Commercial Vehicles
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2 THE DARK SIDE OF VOLKSWAGEN
The Volkswagen Group is the largest car maker in
Europe. It has repeatedly claimed that it wants to be a‘green’ company, but has so ar ailed to live up to its
green ambitions. It has been slow to make its eet more
efcient, despite having developed the technology
to do so, and has actively worked to impede strong
European climate policies. The company must change.
Volkswagen’s signifcance in the car market should not be
underestimated. By 2018, the company aims to take the
number one spot rom Toyota1 to become the biggest car
maker in the world.2 The Group comprises nine well-known
brands3 and also owns a controlling stake in Porsche. One in
fve new cars sold in Europe is a Volkswagen brand and the
company hopes to attain global dominance by expanding sales
in the US market and the emerging markets o China and India.
SUMMARYThE bUlK oF ThE VolKSwAgEn
gRoUp’S CARS ConTinUETo bE AMongST ThE MoSTpollUTing in EURopE.
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3SUMMARY
are needed to drive innovation in Europe and cleaner
technology in the car sector, save drivers money, andhelp Europe reduce its damaging dependence on oil.
I the Volkswagen Group is to live up to its promises, the
company must rapidly improve the uel efciency o its
products, and put its weight behind strong climate change
policies in Europe. In particular, public support rom the
Volkswagen Group or an European greenhouse gas
(GHG) emission reduction target o 30% by the year
2020 would be a powerul sign that the company wants
to be a genuine leader on green issues, whilst support
or stringent car efciency legislation would show it was
serious about improving the efciency o its vehicles
and driving down pollution rom the car industry.
Volkswagen speaks o being ‘determined to become the
world’s leading automaker in terms o both economyand ecology’,4 and some o its models regularly eature
in top ten ‘green car’ lists.5 The company emphasises its
commitment to environmental protection within much
o its public advertising.6 Yet the bulk o the Volkswagen
Group’s cars continue to be amongst the most polluting
in Europe compared to other volume brands.7
The company has dragged its eet in reducing the
uel consumption o its vehicle eet, and whilst it
has developed the technologies to produce highly
uel-efcient vehicles, it has not made them widely
available or aordable. And despite its green rhetoric,
Volkswagen is opposing two vital climate policies which
o n E i n
F i V E n
E w C A
R S S o
l d i n E
U R o p
E i S A V o l K
S w A g
E n b R A
n d.
© L a n g r o c k / Z e n i t / G r e e n p e a c e
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4 THE DARK SIDE OF VOLKSWAGEN
The burning o oil in vehicle engines creates signifcant
amounts o GHG emissions. While the overall emissions
in Europe are alling, decreasing 11% between 1990 and
2008, those rom transport increased by 24% in the same
period13, and are still rising.14 The European Environment
Agency estimates that cars are the single largest source o
transport emissions, representing around hal o the total.
Currently, the EU imports around 85% o the oil it consumes.
As its ew domestic reserves are declining, this dependence
on imports may increase to at least 90% by 2030.15 I this
happens, risky and dangerous unconventional oil extractionmethods like deep water drilling and tar sands production are
likely to make up a greater proportion o EU oil consumption.
Globally, it has been estimated that up to 13% o oil production
currently comes rom unconventional sources – with
probably more than 75% o this coming rom deep water
oil, while the second largest contributor is tar sands.16 With
oil companies now eyeing up potential reserves in the Arctic
(which is thought to contain less than three years’ worth o
oil based on current global consumption17), it could only be a
matter o time beore cars on Europe’s roads are uelled by
oil coming rom dangerous drilling in pristine Arctic waters.
iT CoUld onlY bE A MATTERoF TiME bEFoRE CARSon EURopE’S RoAdS AREFUEllEd bY oil CoMing FRoMdAngERoUS dRilling inpRiSTinE ARCTiC wATERS.
Climate change is undamentally reshaping our lives.
Greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere now exceed
by ar their natural range over the last 650,000 years,
due primarily to ossil uel use.8 Despite repeated debate
at international summits and ongoing haggling over global
agreements, the international community has so ar made
only tentative progress toward reducing global emissions.
Europe is currently committed to unilateral action to reduce
its GHG emissions by 20% below 1990 levels by the year
2020. Yet this target is now hopelessly out o date. It is not
ambitious enough to drive much needed investments in Europe’sgreen economy. It does not reect the scale and speed o the
growing clean technology sector in other major economies
(particularly China, now the world’s largest single investor in
renewable energy). It is also insufcient to ensure the continued
unctioning o Europe’s agship climate policy, the Emissions
Trading Scheme; or to ensure that Europe is on target to meet
its own long term goal o an 80–95% emissions cut by 2050.
This year, European governments are discussing the need to
strengthen the 2020 target, to a 30% cut below 1990 levels.
A study commissioned by the German government concluded
that such a target could boost investment in Europe’s greeneconomy and increase European GDP by ¤620 billion by 2020. 9
Agreeing a 30% target or domestic emissions reductions
by 2020 is also a critical step in rebuilding confdence in the
international negotiations on climate change, where this
commitment would give new weight to Europe’s eorts to
build a broad coalition o nations committed to action.
The EU currently consumes around 670 million tonnes o oil
a year10 (equivalent to around 13.68 millions o barrels o oil
per day11), with the EU’s transport sector using around 60% o
that, a proportion that is projected to grow to 65% by 2030
without additional policy changes. Over hal o the oil consumed
by the EU’s transport sector is used by cars and vans.12
dRiVing
CliMATE ChAngE © A r t h u r J D / G r e e n p e a c e
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5DRIVING CLIMATE CHANGE
© C o b b i n g / G r e e n p e
a c e
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6 THE DARK SIDE OF VOLKSWAGEN
These marginal barrels are expensive to extract, commanding a
high oil price to be proftable. High oil prices in turn contribute
to economic and geopolitical instability, both by driving up
transport costs or businesses, and by contributing to higherood prices and increased military tensions in producer
regions. At the same time, high oil prices increase the risk o
a return to recession during a ragile economic recovery.
Regardless o their price, burning through the world’s
remaining ossil uel reserves also exposes us to the risks
o catastrophic climate change. In the most recent World
Energy Outlook published by the IEA, the ‘business as usual’
scenario (including ‘business as usual oil consumption’) is
shown to be consistent with a six degree increase in global
average temperatures.18
The potentially devastating impactso higher atmospheric CO
2levels, combined with higher global
temperatures, are likely to be ar reaching and could lead to the
extinction o many species, reduced diversity o ecosystems,19
and adversely aect hundreds o millions o people.20
The alternative is clear – the world needs to go beyond oil
by putting in place policies which will dramatically reduce
consumption o oil. The IEA World Energy Outlook suggests that
global oil consumption must peak in 2018 and drop below today’s
levels by 2030 (alongside cuts in emissions rom other sectors)
i we want to prevent the worst impacts o climate change.21
One important step, along with other policies, is to improve
the uel efciency o vehicles and shit to smaller vehicles.
EU legislation passed in 2009 requires an ongoing improvement
in the uel efciency o new cars sold in Europe. Despite strongly
opposing the introduction o the legislation, the car sector has
since shown that uel consumption can be dramatically reduced,simply through the deployment o existing technologies. Several
car makers are now on track to meet their mandatory 2015
targets ahead o time, with Toyota having already almost met
its target six years early – yet Volkswagen has consistently
lagged behind.22 Car makers have also shown they are capable
o producing electric vehicles that produce no emissions at
all, i they are powered rom renewable energy sources.
Tough but achievable vehicle efciency standards o 50g CO2/km
or cars and 88g CO2/km or vans by 2030 could reduce the oil
consumption o the EU’s transport sector by around 13%, or1.1 million barrels a day, compared to business as usual. 23 This is
equivalent to approximately the total petroleum consumption o
Austria, Denmark, Portugal, Norway and Finland combined24 and
would represent an economy-wide reduction o 8% in the EU.25
Above: Greenpeace scientists research depletion o
Arctic sea ice. ©Cobbing/Greenpeace
Right: As the ‘easy to reach oil’ is running out, oil
companies are turning to tar sands – the dirtiest o
all oil – to meet the demand. ©Rezac/Greenpeace
Far right: BP’s Deepwater Horizon explosion caused
the worst oil spill in US history, killing 11 workers
and leaking millions o barrels o oil into the Gul o
Mexico. ©The United States coastguards
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7DRIVING CLIMATE CHANGE
SEVERAL CAR MAKERS ARE NOW ON TRACK TO MEET THEIR
MANDATORY 2015 TARGETS AHEAD OF TIME, WITH TOYOTA
HAVING ALREADY ALMOST MET ITS TARGET SIX YEARS EARLY
WHILST VOLKSWAGEN HAS CONSISTENTLY LAGGED BEHIND.
MEASURING EMISSIONS: WHAT THE NUMBERS MEAN
About 70% of the world’s transportation GHG emissions are
now under regulation by national governments. The United
States, European Union, Japan, China, Australia, Canada and
South Korea have all adopted vehicle efficiency standards.
In some cases these standards began as voluntary guidelines;
all but Australia’s are now mandatory. Mexico plans to announce
fuel efficiency standards soon, and India, Indonesia, and Thailand
are drawing up regulations.26
Around the world, the fuel efficiency of vehicles is measured in
different ways.
In Europe, vehicles are rated by how many grams of CO2 theyemit for every kilometre they are driven. This is described as
XXg CO2/km. Measurements are mandatory for all models and
carried out according to an EU procedure.
In Germany, it is also common to describe a car’s efficiency by
how many litres of fuel it consumes for every 100km travelled,
shortened to X L/100km.
The two values can be converted using a simple calculation since
one litre of gasoline produces, when burned, approximately
2.3kg of CO2 (petrol) or 2.6kg of CO2(diesel) respectively.
For example, the usual way of describing the fuel consumption
of the ‘Golf 1.4 with 59kW’ is to say it emits 149g CO2/km,
or consumes 6.4 litres of gasoline.
In the US, vehicles are rated by how many miles they will go
for every gallon of fuel, described as XXmpg. Measurement
procedures differ so numbers cannot easily be converted
and compared with European values. However, these are the
approximate comparisons to help the reader:
95g CO2/km 4.1 L/100km (petrol) 62mpg
130g CO2/km 5.6 L/100km (petrol) 52mpg
EU Germany US
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8 THE DARK SIDE OF VOLKSWAGEN
Transport Authority (KBA), a share o nearly 28% o thetotal market.31 In this segment in Germany, every third car
is a Volkswagen.32 The Volkswagen Gol is so popular that
the whole class is oten reerred to as the ‘Gol class’. 33
The Volkswagen Group’s size, power and inuence all make it
a major player in global car markets, and the dominant player
in Europe. That in turn means that its inuence can be used
or good or ill when the need arises or car manuacturers
to shoulder their environmental responsibilities.
In recent years, despite claims to the contrary, Volkswagen
has used that inuence to stand frmly against action onclimate change. It has done so in three key ways.
Part owned by state-owned oil company, Qatar Petroleum,
27
and the German state o Lower Saxony, the Volkswagen
Group operates 62 production plants in 15 European
countries and in the Americas, Asia and Arica.28 In 2010,
the Group increased the number o vehicles produced to
7.2 million, giving it an 11.4% share o the world passenger
car market.29 The Volkswagen Group sold nearly three
million passenger cars in Europe in 2010, meaning that
one in fve new cars (21%) was a Volkswagen brand.30
This dominance is even more pronounced in particular
segments o the car market. Across Europe, the ‘compact’ or
small amily car is now the most popular size o car in termso sales. In Germany, the biggest car market in Europe, the
compact class has, according to the German Federal Motor
VolKSwAgEn gRoUp:
ThE bIG plAyEr
VEHICLE EFFICIENCY LEGISLATION
In 2009, a continental car eciency standard was put in place
by the EU. It required that by 2015 the average emissions rom
all cars sold in Europe must not exceed 130g o CO2per km
driven. Under the legislation, each manuacturer was allocated
a dierent target, refecting the dierences in average weight
and CO2 perormance o vehicles at the time o the introductiono the law. The targets were based on the average weight o the
cars produced by each manuacturer. So, or example, BMW‘s
target is 138g CO2/km as they make big, heavy cars, whilst Fiat
has a target o 116g CO2/km, refecting the act that they make
small vehicles. Overall, the system is designed so that across the
whole European feet, the average emissions o new vehicles
should be 130g CO2/km by 2015.
Volkswagen were one o the driving orces in the lobbying
campaign against the introduction o these vehicle eciency
standards.
On 26 January 2007, Volkswagen joined other German car
companies to send a letter to European Commissioners asking
them to reconsider proposals to impose a mandatory target o no
more than 120g CO2/km or new cars sold in Europe by 2012.
The companies claimed that this target was ‘technically not
accomplishable’ and would constitute ‘a massive industrial
political intervention at the expense o the entire European,
and especially the German, automobile industry’. They did not
hesitate to evoke the spectre o massive industrial destabilisation.
‘The direct consequence would be the migration o a largenumber o jobs rom European production plants o automobile
manuacturers and the supplier industry’.34 From a huge employer
such as Volkswagen, this statement could be construed as a
serious threat, particularly as it came only two months ater the
company had announced restructuring plans that could result in
the loss o up to 4,000 jobs in the Brussels region.35
In reality, these threats were unounded. Several car makers are
now on track to meet their 2015 targets ahead o time, with
Toyota having already almost met its target six years early.36
When the vehicle eciency legislation was set, a more ambitious
medium term target o 95g CO2/km was also included or 2020.
The details o how that target must be achieved will be decided
in a review in the next couple o years. A new target also needs to
be set or 2025.
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9VOLKSWAGEN GROUP: THE BIG PLAYER
VolKSwAgEn hAS USEd iTS inFlUEnCE To STAndFiRMlY AgAinST ACTion on CliMATE ChAngE.
© L a n g r o c k / Z e n i t / G r e e n p e a c e
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10 THE DARK SIDE OF VOLKSWAGEN
Between 2006 and 2009, Volkswagen managed to reduce
its eet’s average per-kilometre emissions by 7.8%, whereas
rivals BMW and Toyota achieved reductions o 18% and
14% respectively. Preliminary fgures or 2010 show that
Volkswagen slightly accelerated progress during 2010, loweringthe CO
2emissions o its European eet by about 5%, but the
company still lags behind most o the other volume brands.39
Whilst this progress should be recognised, it is important to
remember that the company has reacted late and only moved
1. Slow pRogRESS on EMiSSionSThe Volkswagen Group has the biggest climate ootprint o any
car manuacturer in Europe. Figure 1 estimates that the new
cars sold by the company in 2009 emitted over fve million
tonnes o CO2
per year,37 representing an estimated 23% o the
total oil use and related CO2 emissions o new European cars.38
The sheer scale o Volkswagen’s carbon ootprint means
that any changes it makes have a big impact on European
vehicle emissions as a whole. Yet despite the company’s
claims to leadership, its perormance to date has been poor.
FigURE 1: ESTIMATED EMISSIONS OF NEW CARDS SOLD IN EUROPE IN 2009
Greenpeace calculation based on T&E data.
Fiat
Toyota
PSA Peugot-Citroen
Renault
Hyundai
Suzuki
Ford
Honda
General Motors
Mazda
BMW
VW Group
Nissan
Daimler
23%
© L a n g r o c k / Z e n i t / G r e e n p e a c e
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11VOLKSWAGEN GROUP: THE BIG PLAYER
to do the absolute minimum necessary to comply with EU
legislation, o which the company was a powerul opponent
beore it was agreed.40 Volkswagen only stepped up its
game on CO2
reductions once a legal ramework was put in
place that orced all companies to make cleaner cars. Whencompelled to improve its technology, Volkswagen proved that
its own objections to current standards were unounded.
VolKSwAgEn onlY STEppEdUp To REdUCE Co
2REdUCTionS
onCE A lEgAl FRAMEwoRKwAS pUT in plACE ThAT FoRCEdCoMpAniES To do So.
FigURE 2: CAR MANFACTURERS’ PROGRESS IN REDUCING AVERAGE FLEET EMISSIONS
Volkswagen’s position in gure 2 shows it is both urther away rom its 2015 emissions target and has made less progress in reducing emissions than other volume brands
Source T&E.
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
Daimler
NissanVW Group
Honda
Ford
Suzuki
RenaultPSA Peugot-Citroen
Toyota
Fiat
Hyundai
General Motors
BMW
Mazda
R
e d u c t i o n i n C O 2
e m i s s i o n s b e t w e e n 2 0 0
6 – 2 0 0 9 ( % )
Distance rom 2015 emissions target in 2009 (g CO2/km)
© L a n g r o c k / Z e n i t / G r e e n p e a c e
© L a n g r o c k / Z e n i t / G r e e n p e a c e
Bubble size reers to amount o annual sales.
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12 THE DARK SIDE OF VOLKSWAGEN
For example, the most efcient Škoda models are badged as
‘greenline’ models, whilst particular models o Volkswagen cars
can be bought with added ‘BlueMotion’ technologies which make
them more uel-efcient. There are nearly 70 dierent variations
o the Volkswagen Gol. Its most efcient ‘BlueMotion’ model
has an efciency rating o 99g CO2/km (3.8 L/100km, diesel).
But the majority o the Gol models without BlueMotion emit
more than 130g CO2/km (petrol) and 120g CO2/km (diesel),with some variations emitting as much as 199g CO
2/km
(8.5 L/100km, petrol). The cheapest and most basic model o
the Gol emits 149g CO2/km – emitting 50 grams more CO
2per
km than the most efcient BlueMotion version on the market.48
Volkswagen’s ‘efciency’ versions o their cars are also sold at
a much higher price than the standard models. In Germany, the
Gol BlueMotion 1.6 TDI 77 kW is sold at ¤21,850, whereas
the comparable Gol 1.6 TDI 77 kW without BlueMotion costs
¤20,825, a discrepancy o nearly ¤1,000. Comparing costs
or the Volkswagen Polo, this discrepancy is even bigger.The Polo 1.2 TDI (99g/km) is sold at ¤15,050 where as the
1.2 TDI BlueMotion version (87g/km) is sold at ¤16,675 – a
dierence o ¤1,625.49 The actual cost o the technology
package, according to leading technology consultants PA
Consulting, would only be ¤260, suggesting that Volkswagen
is adding a considerable mark-up or the BlueMotion brand.50
2. gREEnwAShing ThE FlEETVolkswagen may have been slow at reducing its eet’s
emissions, but it’s not slow to boast about its supposed
green credentials. The company claims it wants to be ‘the
world’s leading automaker in terms o both economy and
ecology’,41 and its 2009 Sustainability Report went so ar
as to say: ‘We aim to be the most eco-riendly automaker
in the world!’ 42 According to the same report, this will be
achieved by ‘setting new ecological standards in automobilemanuacturing in order to put the cleanest, most economical
and at the same time most ascinating cars on the road.’43
Yet these words are not matched by actions. Ofcial EU
Commission fgures or 2009 show that 88% o their vehicles
emitted over 120g CO2/km, and that the company sold over
twice as many cars emitting over 160g CO2/km than they
did o cars emitting under 120g CO2/km (see fgure 3).
The Volkswagen Group’s models which regularly eature
in top ten ‘green car’ lists,44
and are used in companyadvertising to emphasise its commitment to environmental
protection45 are limited versions o standard models –
not representative o the bulk o its actual sales.
In its 2010 Sustainability Report, the company itsel admits
that ‘(b)etween 2007 and 2010, worldwide sales o efciency
models o the Group’s Audi, Volkswagen, Volkswagen Commercial
Vehicles, SEAT and Škoda brands rose by a actor o 12, rom
32,500 to 402,400 units’. 46 These brands make up 99% o the
company’s global sales, which means that even with this increase,
only 5.6% o the total sales or these fve brands (and 6% o its
total global sales) were o models incorporating its most efcient
technology and standards.47 Currently, the Volkswagen Group
does not apply its most efcient technology and standards to
all its vehicle models. Only particular models are available as
‘efciency models’, and these are sold under additional brands.
FigURE 3: VOLKSWAGEN GROUP EUROPEAN CAR SALES IN 2009 BY EFFICIENCY RATING
JUST 6% oF ThE VolKSwAgEn
gRoUp’S globAl SAlES in2010 wERE oF iTS MoSTEFFiCiEnT ModElS.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
UnknownMore than 121g/kmLess than 121g/km
P e r c e n t a g e o f c a r s a l e s
CO2
emissions
11%
26%>160g/km
62%>121–160g/km
EU commission, 2009, Monitoring o CO2
emissions, http://ec.europa.eu/clima/documentation/transport/vehicles/cars_en.htm Source EU Commission.
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13VOLKSWAGEN GROUP: THE BIG PLAYER
VOLKSWAGEN: A HISTORY OF GREENWASH
Volkswagen has a history o diverting attention rom its poor
overall environmental perormance by developing super-ecient
prototype car designs that result in the production o more
headlines than actual vehicles.
The most prominent o these was the 3-litre Lupo, launched in
1998. With uel consumption o 2.99 litres o diesel per 100 km
and emissions o 81g CO2/km, it was a genuinely ecient car.
Two years earlier Greenpeace had helped to demonstrate that
aordable, ecient cars were possible by developing the SmILE
(Small, Intelligent, Light, Ecient) concept car, which emitted only75g CO
2/km. The SmILE project showed that the then existing
technology could be used to halve the uel consumption o a
car without any loss o power, perormance and comort, and
importantly, without additional cost.54
Yet Volkswagen marketed its ecient vehicle at such a high price
that it simply didn’t sell. Today the ailure o the Lupo is oten
cited by Volkswagen to argue that customers don’t want to buy
uel-ecient vehicles, but it is reasonable to argue that they
set it up to ail.
In 2005 at the Frankurt International Motorshow, Volkswagen
then presented its version o the SmILE concept. But instead o
halving consumption, the new vehicle maintained the same uel
consumption, using the eciency savings o the new technology
to double the car’s perormance in terms o horsepower,
acceleration, and speed. Thus the Volkswagen TSI, mass produced
rom 2006, used cutting-edge eciency technology to make no
carbon savings whatsoever.
In 2002 Volkswagen had presented the 1-litre CCO which needed
1 litre o uel per 100km driven. Company chairman Ferdinand
Piech arrived at that year ’s AGM in one o the concept vehicles.
It never entered into mass production.
At the 2009 Frankurt motorshow Volkswagen exhibited the
1-litre CCO’s successor, the L1. Piech claimed that it was this car,with a consumption according to Volkswagen o 1.38 litres o
diesel per 100km that was intended to be the basis or a mass
production vehicle in 2010. Again, the car never made it to the
mass market.
At the Qatar motorshow in January 2011, yet another new
version o the car was unveiled: a plug in diesel hybrid rated at
0.9 L/100 km or 24g CO2/km. This time the concept was called
‘near to series’ and Volkswagen claimed that this model would
enter mass production in 2013. According to reports however,
this is not the case and only a limited number will be produced.55�
It remains to be seen whether Volkswagen will ever become
serious about bringing genuinely high eciency cars to the mass
market, and rolling out its BlueMotion standards across its feet,
instead o only at the margins.
VolKSwAgEn pEnAliSESConSUMERS wAnTingSMARTER ClEAnER VEhiClES
And MAKES ThEM MARginAlTo iTS FlEET.
Rolling out BlueMotion standards across all the models o these
brands would considerably decrease oil consumption and CO2
emissions. According to Volkswagen’s own numbers the ull
implementation o the existing BlueMotion package in the Gol
saves almost one litre o uel per 100km or 20g CO2/km.51 This is
a dramatic dierence in oil consumption, and would save drivers
signifcant amounts o money on the cost o uel, particularly at
a time when uel prices are high, and expected to get higher.
I Volkswagen incorporated the efciency technology and
specifcations o its current greenest cars ‘as standard’
rather than oering it only as an add-on and charging a
premium or it, the company could dramatically reduce
the carbon ootprint o its vehicles, help consumers to
reduce their motoring costs and the oil dependence o
the economy. Continued innovation and investment in the
development o cleaner car technology and new hybrid and
electric engines can cut oil use and reduce emissions much
urther. Other car companies are already demonstrating this.
Instead Volkswagen penalises consumers wanting smarter,cleaner vehicles and makes them marginal to its eet.
In comparison, Ford has said that one o its principles is
to provide ‘near-term solutions that are aordable or
our customers and available in high volumes.’52 Ford’s
new Focus model, the main competitor to Volkswagen’s
Gol, will come at less than 95g CO2/km in 2012.53
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14 THE DARK SIDE OF VOLKSWAGEN
3. lobbYing AgAinST pRogRESSThe EU is committed to reducing its GHG emissions by
20% below 1990 levels by 2020. This year, European
governments will consider whether to strengthen
this by moving to a 30% reduction target.
A growing movement o leading European businesses, the
European Parliament and Environment Ministers rom Denmark,
UK, Portugal, Sweden, Greece, Germany and Spain, have called
or a move to a 30% domestic emissions reduction target
or Europe, arguing that it will boost the European economy,
keeping it competitive, drive investment in new technologyand help improve global eorts to prevent dangerous and
damaging climate change. Over 90 major companies such as
Google, Ikea, Sony, Unilever and Philips support a 30% target,
many o whom have signed public statements in support o this
more ambitious target.56 Companies, politicians and academics
say the targets can set the right incentives or businesses
to spur innovation and investment and create millions o
new jobs in a low carbon economy. Many o the businesses
have described a stronger target as a ‘win-win-win’.57
A 30% doMESTiC EMiSSionSREdUCTion TARgET FoREURopE CoUld booSTThE EURopEAn EConoMY,dRiVE inVESTMEnT in nEwTEChnologY And hElpiMpRoVE globAl EFFoRTS TopREVEnT dAngERoUS AnddAMAging CliMATE ChAngE.
These companies are acting with the support o their
customers. According to the latest Eurobarometer opinion
poll, a majority o Europeans consider that not enough is being
done to fght climate change and almost two-thirds think that
fghting climate change can have a positive impact on the
European economy.58 Several studies, including the European
Commission’s own analysis, demonstrate that Europe’s unilateral
commitment to reducing emissions by 30% by 2020 is not
only possible and aordable, it is necessary to create new
green jobs, guarantee Europe’s energy security, improve air
quality and ‘avoid stranded costs and very steep reductions to
be needed later on’59 which would be much more costly.60
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15VOLKSWAGEN GROUP: THE BIG PLAYER
Renault meanwhile has said it ‘brings its support to the European
Commission, in order to evaluate the possibilities, the benefts
and the dierent impacts on the competitiveness o an EU
30% emission cut’.64 The Renault-Nissan alliance is a member
o the Prince o Wales EU Corporate Leaders Group on Climate
Change (EU CLG) whose mission is to ‘communicate the support
o business or the European Union to move to a low carbon
society and low climate risk economy and to work in partnership
with the institutions o the EU to secure the policy interventions
that are needed to make this a practical reality’.65 Renault have
signed a joint statement in support o a higher 2020 target,66
but haven’t yet openly supported a 30% reduction target.
Even BMW (a high end premium brand) says it is making the
changes to its eet so that it will ‘contribute substantially
to the European Union’s existing 20% CO2
reduction target.’
It also says that ‘the 30% target under discussion or Europe
... might be attainable, but only as long as other industry
sectors pull their weight in equal measure and provided that
the policymakers o the individual member states strengthen
their eorts to work together in a more integrated way.’67
Cama aast cae
Yet despite this clear popular and business demand, Volkswagen
has been actively lobbying against this crucial policy through
the European Automobile Manuacturer’s Association
(ACEA).61 In another letter dated 1 February 2011, replying
to a Greenpeace request to explain Volkswagen’s stance on
the 30% proposal, the company described it as a policy which
‘puts jobs at risk and results in de-industrialisation in Europe’,
reminiscent o language it used when lobbying against the
current vehicle efciency standards. The company were
wrong about efciency standards then, and their position
now on a uture 30% target contradicts the fndings o manyo the most respected bodies that have conducted extensive
analysis into the impacts o the target. The mainstream view
makes the case that benefts o the target could include new
jobs, increased investment, as well as increased GDP.62
Volkswagen seems increasingly isolated in its stance, however,
as other car companies appear to take a dierent view. For
example, General Motors (GM), despite stating that they
were ‘not in a position to speak or other industries and
as a consequence has no position on the 30% reduction
ambition level as such’, say that they, ‘agree with the need
to urther reduce GHG emissions in road transport and are
involved in EU policies and legislation aimed to develop a
strategy to decarbonizes [sic] transport by 2050’.63
oVER 90 MAJoR CoMpAniESSUCh AS googlE, iKEA,SonY, UnilEVER And philipSSUppoRT A 30% EMiSSionSREdUCTion TARgET.
Let: Clean grati by the European
Parliament demands more ecient cars.
©Reynaers/Greenpeace
Above: Greenpeace activists accuse car
companies o driving climate change.
©Beentjes/Greenpeace
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16 THE DARK SIDE OF VOLKSWAGEN
The European Commission or Industry and Enterprise, in a reportabout European industries post-recession, recently reported that
the car sector is structurally unprepared or the uture. They
said, ‘demand is increasingly shiting towards more uel efcient
vehicles and vehicles with alternative power trains […] The issue
o urther restructuring in avour o more uel efcient vehicles
and vehicles with alternative power trains still needs to be aced.
Existing capacities thus eature signifcant structural weaknesses.
[…] Growing competition rom third countries producing cheaper
cars and limited access to emerging markets are key issues
as well. The need to continually improve the environmental,
energy and (active) saety perormance o vehicles leads toboth new challenges and new opportunities or the sector.’ 72�
The truth is that the Volkswagen Group has lagged behind
its competitors or years. It only stepped up progress on CO2
reductions once a legal ramework was put in place that orced
it to do so. It has shown no ability or willingness to voluntarily
deliver the innovation or technology changes required. Now
Volkswagen is openly opposed to the agreed 2020 standard that
would beneft motorists, the economy and the environment.
In taking this stand, the company not only betrays the act
that it would rather keep its own vehicles’ emissions high, but
also threatens to undermine the ramework which will help
the whole car manuacturing sector to clean up its act.
But Volkswagen is not only opposed to the 30% emissionsreduction target – the company also argues that the EU’s existing
CO2
reduction target or new cars sold by 2020, set at 95g
CO2/km, is too challenging. This target was adopted in 2009
as part o Europe’s climate and energy legislation. Again, two
o Volkswagen’s major competitors, BMW and GM, appear to
accept this target as a legal obligation that should stay in place.68
But the Volkswagen Group describes the target as ‘not based
on sound impact assessment nor on a realistic appreciation o
the costs and technical progress necessary to meet the goal
within the timescale.’69 It is not inconceivable, given its past
record, that Volkswagen is lobbying, or will lobby, to get thistarget weakened in the upcoming review o its implementation.
Yet research shows that the shit to tighter uel economy
standards can create jobs, drive innovation and oster
high-tech industries supplying additional manuactured
components, as well as reducing consumption o expensive
and polluting oil. As chairman and CEO o Cummins, the US
diesel engine manuacturer explains, ‘tighter regulations are a
act o lie. Back in the ‘90s we saw this as burdensome, but
we now see this as an advantage. I we have the advantage,
either in uel economy or emissions or both, we’re going
to gain market share, we’re going to be able to enter new
markets. As a result, we secure employment and grow the
business.’70 Former Vice-Chairman o General Motors, Bob
Lutz, argues that part o the reason why GM ailed in the
US was because o poor US uel economy standards.71
Right: Former chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and
VW Board Chair Ferdinand Piech admiring the VW Phaeton
at a production actory in Dresden.
VolKSwAgEn iS opEnlY oppoSEd To An ExiSTingdEMoCRATiCAllY ESTAbliShEd STAndARd ThAT bEnEFiTSMoToRiSTS, ThE EConoMY And ThE EnViRonMEnT.
©Langrock/Zenit/Greenpeace
© L a n g r o c k / Z e n i t / G r e e n
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17VOLKSWAGEN GROUP: THE BIG PLAYER
THE 30% TARGET: POWERING INVESTMENTS
By 2050, Europe has committed to reduce its climate
emissions to close to zero, by cutting them by between
80 and 95% below 1990 levels. Currently, it has a legally
binding mid-term target o a 20% reduction by 2020. EU
leaders are now discussing whether this should be tightened,
to drive investment into the vital clean technology sector,
and ensure that Europe is on the most cost eective
and secure pathway to achieve its long term goals.
This discussion is taking place against the backdrop o an
economic and energy crisis. Spiking uel prices, energy
risks, climate change, resource constraints and increasing
competition with emerging economies should mean that
‘business as usual’ is not an option or the European economy.
To secure our uture energy security, and build a prosperous
and resilient European economy, we need policies that willdrive investment into green technologies, goods and services,
including renewable energy and ecient, and ultimately zero
carbon, transport. Europe’s current climate target is not strong
enough to deliver that investment. Instead, the mountain o
unused emission allowances in the EU’s Emissions Trading
Scheme, the result o a weak target and too many ree
allocations to polluters, means that at present there is little
reward or eciency, action and innovation. Only a tougher
climate target – a minimum 30% domestic emissions reduction
by 2020 – can restore condence in Europe’s clean technology
sector, and create the industries and jobs o the uture.
Findings rom a study73 in March 2011 commissioned by the
German environment ministry and conducted by researchers
rom across Europe ound that a climate target o 30%, i
accompanied with adequate and consistent policies, could:
PBoost European investments rom 18% up to 22%
o Gross Domestic Product (GDP);
PCreate up to six million additional jobs;
PBy 2020 increase European GDP by ¤620 billion
or by 0.6% above business as usual trends;
PHelp European industry to maintain and enhance
its competitiveness.
These gains would come irrespective o an international climate
agreement, and show that the green economy is more than
another ashionable phrase. In act, in 2010 the clean energy
sector grew globally by 30% and delivered a record ¤168 billion
in investments.74 In addition, the EU Commission has calculated
that stepping up to a 30% target would save the EU about ¤40billion in oil and gas imports by 2020, and this is assuming a
very conservative oil price projection o 88 USD by 2020.75
On the international stage, it is also vital that Europe is seen
to be implementing and beneting rom the climate policies
it advocates globally. Demonstrating commitment to a
green economy, and showing leadership in supporting low
carbon technologies, is the surest way to restore trust and
condence in negotiations on climate change. Ultimately,
the success o these negotiations remains vital i we are to
ensure that action keeps pace with the risks posed by rising
temperatures, and that this action is transparent, eective
and just. In the run up to the next round o climate talks in
Durban in South Arica in December 2011, a new European
target would be a signicant step towards a unctioning
and constructive global dialogue on climate change.
© D o t t / G r e e n p e a c e
© P i c t u r e A l l i a n c e
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20 THE DARK SIDE OF VOLKSWAGEN
Volkswagen likes to boast o operating ‘binding global
environmental principles’ by which each model o car produced
must outperorm its predecessor in all environmental
areas, including uel consumption and CO2 emissions.Moreover, the company’s stated aim is to ‘lead the feld in
terms o uel consumption in every class o vehicle’.91 Yet
despite these claims the company has been slow o the
mark to make necessary changes to drastically reduce its
uel consumption and CO2
emissions. It has developed the
technologies to produce more uel-efcient vehicles, but
it has not yet made these widely available at an aordable
price. And it has lobbied hard against necessary change.
But it has the capacity to do so much better. I Volkswagen
made the most uel-efcient cars it produces as standard
rather than oering efciency technology as an expensiveadd-on it would be able to reduce its eet emissions dramatically.
I it rolled out its best technology across the eet it would
be transormational, not just to its own perormance but to
the European vehicle eet as a whole. As the single biggest
car player in Europe, what Volkswagen chooses to do has a
signifcant impact across the whole European economy.
The European climate ootprint o new cars being produced
should be zero beore 2040. This would ensure that by 2050,
GHG emissions rom car use will be almost zero, as new cars
powered by renewable energy replace existing oil-poweredones on the roads. To achieve this, car companies must
ast-track efciency increases on conventional vehicles, and
turn to alternative propulsion technologies that will permit
the use o sustainable renewable energy in the long term.
Large companies like Volkswagen can and should exploit
economies o scale to improve aster than others. While
the company has begun to develop and make marketing
or their frst serial electric car, the e-up! which they say
will enter the market in 2013, this cannot be a substitute
or drastically reducing the oil consumption across the ar
larger segment o its conventional eet in the short term. I
the Volkswagen Group really is aspiring to be the leader in
environmental perormance that it claims it wants to be, the
company must push the EU to establish the most ambitious
climate change policies in the world, to stimulate the market
in efcient and low carbon technology. It must also support
tougher car standards to ensure that all car manuacturers
have to improve their eets together to the highest shared
goal rather than staying at the lowest common denominator.
Greenpeace is calling on Volkswagen to live up to its stated
ambition and become a genuine leader in both policy and
practice – supporting policymakers who want to move
the wider economy orward with higher standards, and
changing its own technology to meet those standards.
In doing so it will bring innovation and competitiveness
back into the European economy, help reduce European
oil dependency, cut the cost o motoring and play a huge
role in reducing Europe’s climate changing emissions.
Secica Geeneace is caing on te Vokswagen Gou to:
P Stop lobbying to oppose key European energy laws designed
to reduce our dependence on oil and:
.Publicly support the EU target o 30% emissions
reductions by 2020.
.Publicly support the agreed vehicle efciency eet
average target or new cars o 95g CO2/km by 2020,
and go urther to support even stronger targets or cars
o 80g CO2/km by 2020 and no more than 60g CO
2/km
by 2025.
P In line with this stronger target, commit to making signifcant
year-on-year reductions so that its average eet emissions
are no more than 80g CO2/km by 2020.
P Roll out ull BlueMotion across its Volkswagen eet and ft
its best efciency technologies as standard across all other
brands, without increasing weight or power o the vehicles.
P Ensure the next best-selling Gol (VII) consumes less than
78g CO2/km (3 litre/100km, diesel).
P Set out its plan to make its entire eet oil-ree beore 2040.
Volkswagen has the ability and the size to make a dierence.
It has the responsibility to do better. It has the responsibility
to help lead Europe and the world away rom oil.
ConClUSion:
CApAblE OF bETTEr
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AS ThE SinglE biggEST CAR plAYER in EURopE,whAT VolKSwAgEn ChooSES To do hAS A SigniFiCAnTiMpACT ACRoSS ThE wholE EURopEAn EConoMY.
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22 THE DARK SIDE OF VOLKSWAGEN
1 www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/jan/24/toyota-world-number-one-carmaker
2 Statement by Martin Winterkorn, CEO, October 2010. http://timesnewsworld.com/072119/volkswagen-car-maker-plans-to-be-number-one-in-the-world-by-2018
3 Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, Skoda, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Bentley, Bugatti,Lamborghini and Scania.
4 VW report, Looking back to the uture, p26. www.volkswagenag.com/vwag/vwcorp/ino_center/en/publications/2011/04/looking_back_to_the.-bin.acq/
qual-BinaryStorageItem.Single.File/110421_VW_TE_engl_BRO_DINA4_lowres.pd
5 For example, The Green Car Website currently lists the VW POLO DIESELHATCHBACK 1.2 TDI BlueMotion 3dr within the top 10 green cars.www.thegreencarwebsite.co.uk/top-10-green-cars.asp
6 www.volkswagenag.com/vwag/vwcorp/ino_center/en/themes/2010/02/think_Blue.html
7 In terms o CO2
averages only Nissan, which has much lower sales, perormedworse out o the non-premium volume brands in 2009. ‘How Clean are Europe’scars? An analysis o carmaker progress towards EU CO
2targets in 2009’. Transport
& Environment, November 2010. www.transportenvironment.org/Publications/prep_hand_out/lid/610 Figures or 2010 suggest VW is still lagging behind othervolume brands despite modest progress. ‘Rich nations alling behind Europe on carCO
2emissions’. JATO. March 2011. It is important to note that JATO fgures do not
include fgures or the entire VW Group. www.jato.com/PressReleases/Rich%20
Nations%20Falling%20Behind%20Europe%20on%20Car%20CO2%20Emissions.pd
8 IPCC, ‘Key fndings and uncertainties contained in the Working Group contributionsto the Fourth Assessment Report’, 2007, p5. www.ipcc.ch/pd/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr_spm.pd
9 Jaeger, Carlo C. et. al. A New Growth Path or Europe – Generating Growthand Jobs in the Low-Carbon Economy. Synthesis report. March 2011.www.newgrowthpath.eu/
10 DG TREN, 2008, European Energy and Transport: Trends to 2030 – Update 2007.This anticipates that in 2010 the EU would consume 674 million tonnes o oil.This is consistent with recent actual fgures rom BP which estimated the EU’s oilconsumption in 2009 to be 670.8 million tonnes. BP 2010a. BP Statistical Reviewo World Energy, June 2010. www.bp.com/statisticalreview
11 2010 fgures, CIA actbook. www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-actbook/felds/2174.html
12 DG TREN, 2008, European Energy and Transport: Trends to 2030 – Update 2007.
13 European Commission www.vwec2010.be/notulen/VWEC2010_sessie_3_Tom_Van_Ierland.pd ; European Environment Agency (EEA) www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/indicators/transport-emissions-o-greenhouse-gases/transport-emissions-o-greenhouse-gases-7
14 EEA, 2010, Annual European Union greenhouse gas inventory 1990–2008and inventory report 2010. www.eea.europa.eu/publications/european-union-greenhouse-gas-inventory-2010
15 IEA, 2009 World Energy Outlook, 2009; DG TREN, 2008. (IEA 2009 says 91% by2030, and DG TREN 2008 says 95% by 2030).
16 Skinner, I., 2010, Steering clear o oil disasters. www.greenpeace.org/raw/content/eu-unit/press-centre/reports/steering-clear-o-oil-disaster.pd
17 The United States Geological Survey estimates that there are 90 billion barrelso technically recoverable oil in oshore reservoirs in the Arctic. Gautier, D.L. etal. 2009. Assessment o Undiscovered Oil and Gas in the Arctic. Science 29 May2009 324: 1175-1179. Global oil consumption is approximately 85 million barrelsa day.
18 IEA 2010 World Energy Outlook 2010. Paris.
19 IPCC, Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contributiono Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report o the IntergovernmentalPanel on Climate Change (M.L. Parry, O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutiko, P.J. van der Lindenand C.E. Hanson, Eds.), ‘Ecosystems and biodiversity, Assessing Key Vulnerabilitiesand the Risk rom Climate Change’ Schneider, S.H., S. Semenov, A. Patwardhan, I.Burton, C.H.D. Magadza, M. Oppenheimer, A.B. Pittock, A. Rahman, J.B. Smith, A.Suarez and F. Yamin.
20 Nature 470, 316. 2011. Increased ood risk linked to global warming, February2011, doi:10.1038/470316a ; IPCC (2007). ‘5.2 Key vulnerabilities, impactsand risks – long-term perspectives’. In Core Writing Team, Pachauri, R.K andReisinger, A. (eds.). Synthesis report . Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report.Contribution o Working Groups I, II and III to the Fourth Assessment Report o theIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
21 IEA 2010 World Energy Outlook 2010. Paris. 450 Scenario.
22 Transport & Environment press release, ‘Carmakers exaggerated time needed orCO
2cuts’, 4 November 2010. www.transportenvironment.org/news/2010/11/
carmakers-exaggerated-time-needed-or-co2-cuts
23 Skinner. Op Cit. This assumes that no additional policy interventions areimplemented in the EU to reduce CO
2emissions or the consumption o oil.
24 US Energy Inormation Administration. www.eia.gov/countries/index.cm?view=consumption#countrylist In 2009 Austria consumed 0.27 million barrels o oil perday, Denmark 0.17, Portugal 0.27, Norway 0.22 and Finland 0.20, which in total
was 1.13 million barrels.
25 Skinner. Op Cit. This assumes that no additional policy interventions areimplemented in the EU to reduce CO
2emissions or the consumption o oil.
26 ICCT, The Regulatory Engine: How Smart Policy Drives Vehicle Innovation, January2011. www.theicct.org/2011/01/the-regulatory-engine/
27 Qatar Holding owns 12.3 % o the Volkswagen AG and has 17% o voting rightsin the board. The company is a ‘ully owned afliate o Qatar Petroleum’. QatarIntermediate Industries Holding Co. Ltd., ‘Qatar Intermediate Industries Holding- Welcome page,’ 2011, www.qh.com.qa/qh/index.aspx (accessed February 10,2011). Their vision is ‘to become the Middle East’s leading manuacturer andmarketer o intermediate petrochemical and non-hydrocarbon products.’ QatarIntermediate Industries Holding Co. Ltd., ‘Qatar Holding - Vision And Mission,’2011, www.qh.com.qa/qh/content.aspx?secid=5&parentid=1 (accessed February10, 2011). Qatar Holding said ‘the state is set to take a seat on its supervisory
board, underlining the more active role Gul states are playing in the German autoindustry.’ ArabianBusiness.com, ‘Qatar becomes major shareholder in Volkswagen -Energy,’ December 19, 2010, www.arabianbusiness.com/qatar-becomes-major-shareholder-in-volkswagen-9923.html (accessed February 9, 2011).
28 www.volkswagenag.com/vwag/vwcorp/content/en/the_group.html
29 www.volkswagenag.com/vwag/vwcorp/content/en/the_group.html
30 ACEA, ‘New Vehicle Registrations by Manuacturer’, passenger cars. www.acea.be/images/uploads/fles/20110221_07_2010_vo_By_Manuacturer_Enlarged_Europe.xls
31 www.kba.de/cln_015/nn_124384/DE/Statistik/Fahrzeuge/Bestand/Segmente/2010__b__segmente__kompakt.html
32 www.kba.de/cln_015/nn_124384/DE/Statistik/Fahrzeuge/Bestand/
Segmente/2010__b__segmente__kompakt.htmlKBA Mit 3,8 Millionen Einheitenträgt jeder 3. Wagen in dem Segment das Wolsburger Emblem.
33 www.kba.de/cln_015/nn_124384/DE/Statistik/Fahrzeuge/Bestand/Segmente/2010__b__segmente__kompakt.htmlKBA Die Kompaktklasse wird auchgern als ‘Golklasse’ bezeichnet.
34 German carmakers’ letter to the European Commission, 26 January 2007.
35 This restructuring had nothing to do with environmental measures and came at atime where Volkswagen’s profts continued to rise.
36 Transport & Environment press release, ‘Carmakers exaggerated time needed orCO
2cuts’, 4 November 2010. www.transportenvironment.org/news/2010/11/
carmakers-exaggerated-time-needed-or-co2-cuts
37 For simplicity, this notion o ‘climate ootprint’ is based solely on the CO2
emissionsthat are caused by the use o the companies’ products. It excludes emissions romthe production and disposal o cars, and rom the production o the uel used, whichtypically adds another 30% to the emissions rom the ‘use phase’ (EEA 2010).
38 Greenpeace calculation based on T&E data, ‘How Clean are Europe‘s cars? Ananalysis o carmaker progress towards EU CO
2targets in 2009.’ Transport &
Environment, November 2010. www.transportenvironment.org/Publications/prep_hand_out/lid/610
39 Ibid. Figures or 2010 suggest VW is still lagging behind other volume brands despitemodest progress, JATO, ‘Rich nations alling behind Europe on car CO
2emissions’,
March 2011. It is important to note that JATO fgures do not include fgures or theentire VW Group. www.jato.com/PressReleases/Rich%20Nations%20Falling%20Behind%20Europe%20on%20Car%20CO2%20Emissions.pd
40 German carmakers’ letter to the European Commission, 26 January 2007.
41 Volkswagen report, Looking back to the uture. Op Cit.
42 Volkswagen, Sustainability Report 2009, p9 www.volkswagenag.com/.../sustainability_report0.../VW_Sustainability_Report_2009.pd
43 Ibid, p10
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23REFERENCES
44 For example, The Green Car Website currently lists the VW POLO DIESELHATCHBACK 1.2 TDI BlueMotion 3dr as within the top 10 green cars.www.thegreencarwebsite.co.uk/top-10-green-cars.asp
45 www.volkswagenag.com/vwag/vwcorp/ino_center/en/themes/2010/02/think_Blue.html
46 Sustainability Report 2010, p47. www.volkswagenag.com/vwag/vwcorp/ino_center/en/publications/2011/05/Report_2010.-bin.acq/qual-BinaryStorageItem.Single.File/VWAG_Nachhaltigkeitsbericht_online_e.pd
47 VW Annual Report 2010, p154. www.volkswagenag.com/vwag/vwcorp/ino_
center/en/publications/2011/03/Volkswagen_AG_Geschaetsbericht_2010.-bin.acq/qual-BinaryStorageItem.Single.File/GB_2010_e.pd The total sales o thosefve brands in 2010 were 7.134 million whilst the company’s total global saleswere 7.203 million.
48 www.volkswagen.de/konfgurator
49 VW Konfgurator. www.volkswagen.de/de/CC5.html
50 PA Consulting group, cited according: E.Wimmer/M.Schneider/P.Blum, ‘Antrieb uerdie Zukunt’, 2010, Schaeer-Poeschel- Verlag. They have estimated that addingBlueMotion would cost the company 260 EUR per car, on the basis o the Gol 1,4TSI.
51 Volkswagen Konfgurator. www.volkswagen.de/de/CC5.html The Gol 1,6 TDI 77kW (Blue Motion Technology or ull Blue Motion) = 119 grams; Gol 1.6 TDI 77kW ‘Blue Motion Technology’ = 107 grams; Gol 1,6 TDI 77 kW ‘Blue Motion’ =
99 grams. (As a comparison: The basic Gol 1.4 Gasoline 59 kW needs 6,4 Litersgasoline and emits 149 grams o CO
2).
52 ICCT, The Regulatory Engine: How Smart Policy Drives Vehicle Innovation, January2011. www.theicct.org/2011/01/the-regulatory-engine/
53 www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/8432669/80mpg-Ford-Focus-or-2012.html
54 www.greenpeace.de/themen/verkehr/smile/
55 www.independent.co.uk/lie-style/motoring/volkswagen-to-power-up-new-hybrids-rom-2013-2281799.html
56 See or example, Joint Declaration o 3 business leaders’ groups:www.theclimategroup.org/_assets/fles/JointBusinessDeclaration-June-3.pd (Greenpeace has no association with The Climate Group and does not endorseall o its policy positions). Also: FT: Business backs higher emissions goals. 20 July
2010.
57 The Climate Group, EU 30 per cent initiative, statement by businesses,‘Increasing Europe’s climate ambition will be good or the EU economy and jobs’.www.theclimategroup.org/EU-30-per-cent-initiative
58 Eurobarometer: Climate change the second most serious problem aced by theworld today. http://tinyurl.com/33gacpp majorities rom 55% to 72% think thatnot enough is done to fght climate change.
59 Communication o the European Commission (2010): Unlocking Europe’s potentialin clean innovation and growth: Analysis o options to move beyond 20%.(‘Stranded Costs’ describes existing investments which may become redundant ina competitive environment).
60 The International Energy Agency estimates that in the energy sector each year o delay will cost an extra ¤336 billion globally. International Energy Agency, WorldEnergy Outlook 2009.
61 ACEI (The Alliance or a Competitive European Industry) letter, 21 January 2010.The letter called on the Council, Parliament and Commission to stick to a 20%target. ACEA is a member o ACEI, and ACEI lobbies on their behal.
62 Jaeger, Carlo C. et. al. Op Cit.
63 Letter to Greenpeace, 21 December 2010.
64 Letter to Greenpeace, 26 January 2011.
65 www.cpsl.cam.ac.uk/Leaders-Groups/The-Prince-o-Wales-Corporate-Leaders-Group-on-Climate-Change/EU-CLG.aspx
66 www.cpsl.cam.ac.uk/Leaders-Groups/The-Prince-o-Wales-Corporate-Leaders-
Group-on-Climate-Change/~/media/Files/Resources/Press_Releases/8th_March_EU_CLG_Press_Release.ashx
67 Letter to Greenpeace, 3 May 2011.
70 ICCT, Op Cit.
71 www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110523/OEM02/305239961/1432#ixzz1NBkqyFJV
72 DG Industry & Enterprise, ‘EU Manuacturing Industry: What are the Challengesand Opportunities or the Coming Years?’, April 2010. http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/industrial-competitiveness/economic-crisis/fles/eu_manuacturing_challenges_and_opportunities_en.pd
73 Jaeger, Carlo C. et. al. Op Cit.
74 The PEW Charitable Trust. Who’s Winning the Clean Energy Race? 2010 Edition.www.pewenvironment.org/uploadedFiles/PEG/Publications/Report/G-20Report-LOWRes-FINAL.pd
75 CEC, 2010, Analysis o options to move beyond 20% GHG emission reductionsand assessing the risk o carbon leakage. COM (2010) 265. Brussels, 26.5.2010.
76 This fgure is the estimated VW Group spend on ACEA (ACEA’s yearly income is¤10,112,343, divided by 15 members – there are now 16 members, but Volvoonly joined in October 2010 - plus their declared spend on lobby interests, whichor 2009 was ¤200,000– ¤250,000 or VW itsel, excluding contributionsto groups like ACEA. https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/transparency/regrin/consultation/displaylobbyist.do?id=6504541970-40. This does not includeany internal fgures, or ees to Weber Shandwick, the lobby company they use inBrussels. According to an industry insider, it is highly likely that contributions weremuch more than this, but ACEA reuse to give Greenpeace actual fgures. ACEAthemselves reused to tell Greenpeace the exact spend o each company, but said
each member pays ‘a standard ee’.
77 See above.
78 Committed to reducing CO2, ACEA website, accessed 15 March 2007.
79 ACEA stated: ‘Reducing urther CO2
emissions through vehicle technology only isthe most expensive and least cost-eective option or society. (…) More can bedone or the environment, at lower costs’. ACEA press release, ‘Car industry wantsact-based policy on CO
2reductions’, Brussels, 26 January 2007.
80 Ibid.
81 European Commission. http://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/transport/vehicles/vans_en.htm
82 ACEA press release, ‘Auto industry pushes hard to reduce CO2
emissions and needs
supportive, realistic legislative ramework to succeed’, 28 October 2009.www.acea.be/index.php/news/news_detail/auto_industry_pushes_hard_to_reduce_co2_emissions_and_needs_supportive_real
83 ACEA press release, CO2
proposal or light commercial vehicles must be modifed,Hanover, 21 September 2010. www.acea.be/index.php/news/news_detail/co2_proposal_or_light_commercial_vehicles_must_be_modifed
84 European Commission, 2010, Monitoring the CO2
emissions rom new passengercars in the EU: data or 2009.
85 JATO Consult, Rich Nations Falling behind Europe on Car CO2
Emissions. Op Cit.
86 www.volkswagen.co.nz/media/country/nz/x/company.Par.0054.File.pd/vwmr0909_new_generation.pd
87 ACEI letter. Op Cit. www.euroer.org/index.php/eng/content/download/8541/44459/fle/2010-01-21ACEIOpenLetter.PDF
88 See http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2011/04/caliornia-auto-clean-car-standards.html and www.ed.org/article.cm?contentID=4192
89 www.autospies.com/news/Toyota-s-Jim-Colon-praises-US-government-s-proposal-on-uel-economy-standards-61281/
90 EPA/NHTSA Notice o Upcoming Joint Rulemaking to Establish 2017 and LaterModel Year Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions and CAFE Standards.www.epa.gov/oms/climate/regulations/42010051.htm
91 VW sustainability report 2010, Op Cit.