Volkswagen Group to Receive 2014 World Environment Center Gold Medal Award for Sustainable Development

May 13, 2014 /3BL Media/ - The World Environment Center (WEC) is pleased to announce that its 30th Annual Gold Medal for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development will be awarded to the Volkswagen Group on Thursday, May 15, 2014 at the Gold Medal Presentation Ceremony in Washington, D.C. The company is being recognized for its commitments to environmental sustainability operations, most notably through its holistic approach to sustainability leadership.

WEC’s independent Gold Medal Jury determined that Volkswagen earned the award on the merits of its long-term dedication to integrating sustainability into its business products and operations. Volkswagen’s Gold Medal submission was evaluated as part of an open, international competition of global corporations in multiple business sectors by Jury chaired by Dr. Joel Abrams, Professor Emeritus at the University of Pittsburgh. The Gold Medal Jury is independent of WEC and its programs, and is composed of international leaders from industry (retired), academia, government and non-governmental organizations.

Volkswagen has a vision toward attaining sustainability throughout the company’s global operations and consumer relations and, to date, focuses on a range of fuel efficient technologies and powertrains including clean diesel vehicles, hybrid-electric powertrains, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles, while continually improving vehicle fuel efficiency through the use of lightweight materials. Volkswagen also extends its commitments by creating sustainability contracts with suppliers, providing efficiency training throughout Volkswagen’s global workforce, and adopting LEED certification for its facilities. As part of the Volkswagen Group Strategy, the company has a specific goal of becoming the world’s most sustainable automobile manufacturer by 2018.

Mr. Christian Klingler, member of Volkswagen AG’s Board of Management for Sales & Marketing, will accept the award on behalf of the company. Said Mr. Klingler, “The Volkswagen Group is honored to receive the Gold Medal Award for Sustainable Development in 2014. Sustainability is the foundation of corporate policy at Volkswagen Group; together we work to find solutions for the substantial challenges of the future –resources are becoming scarcer, emissions regulations are tightening all over the world, and booming cities call for new and intelligent traffic and mobility concepts. We consider it part of our responsibility to find the right answers to these trends.”

The World Environment Center’s Gold Medal for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development was established in 1985 to recognize significant industry initiatives in global environmental excellence and sustainable development.  Recent recipients of the WEC Gold Medal Award are: Unilever (2013), IBM (2012), Nestlé (2011), Walmart (2010), The Coca-Cola Company (2009), and Marks & Spencer (2008).

About Volkswagen
The Volkswagen Group, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany, is one of the world’s leading automobile manufacturers and the largest carmaker in Europe. The Group’s goal is to offer attractive, safe and environmentally sound vehicles which can compete in an increasingly tough market and set world standards in their respective class. Volkswagen’s twelve brands provide solutions in all vehicle segments from sub-compact cars to heavy-duty trucks and buses.

Sustainability is the foundation of corporate policy at Volkswagen Group. This means that sustainability is integrated along the entire value chain of the Company. Corporate responsibility means always considering the impact on society and the environment. Sustainability also safeguards the Company’s long-term future. In order to make an effective contribution to sustainable mobility and as a company with global responsibility, Volkswagen is working hard to develop technologies for the cleanest, most fuel-efficient cars and efficient mobility concepts.

For more information about the Volkswagen Group and its brands, please visit www.volkswagenag.com

About the World Environment Center
The World Environment Center, headquartered in Washington, DC, with offices and operations in emerging and developed markets, is unique in its direct application of sustainable development strategies and practices to the business operations of global companies. WEC creates sustainable business solutions through individual projects in emerging markets; convenes leadership roundtables to shape strategic thinking across a range of sustainability topics with a specific focus on the preparation of business leaders to implement sustainability; and honors industry excellence through its annual   Gold Medal Award. An independent non-profit organization, WEC conducts no advocacy activities. 

For more information, please visit www.wec.org.