Volkswagen and the German Society for Nature Conservation NABU joined up for the first time at the International Auto Show (IAA) in Frankfurt.
Protecting the climate and the environment is a key issue at this year’s auto show, the world’s largest. So it was only logical to present the long-standing successful partnership between Europe’s largest automaker and Germany’s largest environmental organization to a public interested in automobiles and the environment.
“Protecting the environment has become a global challenge. Wherever we look - design, climate technology or packaging, sensor technology and architecture, material development, micro- and nano-technology – researchers and developers take their lead from nature, just as we do in the automotive industry. In this sense, biodiversity also has an economic value. That is one reason why our cooperation with NABU is so important for Volkswagen, ” said Stephan Grühsem, Head of Group Communications, commenting on Volkswagen’s commitment.
Volkswagen and NABU were, for example, already organizing free fuel saving training sessions throughout Germany well before the present climate protection debate got underway; at these sessions, a team of professional trainers teach driving license holders how to drive their vehicles the modern and efficient way. It is possible to save up to 25 percent fuel without slowing down drive times, good news for the climate and the household budget. Moreover, the mobility dialog discussion platform has become a firm feature of the political events calendar.
For some time now, it is not only wolves that are crossing borders to re-migrate to Germany – the NABU “Willkommen Wolf! ” information campaign is also attracting international attention. NABU Director Leif Miller commented: “Our aim is to rectify the stereotype image of the big bad wolf, and to show that wolves and humans can coexist peacefully. Volkswagen has given valuable support to this information initiative. “
The BlueMotion series, which now includes nine models, is one focus of Volkswagen’s presence at the IAA. The Polo BlueMotion with CO2 emissions of a mere 99 grammes per kilometer launched the series a year ago. According to Miller: “Not all that glitters at auto shows is worth its weight in environmental gold, but we believe that Volkswagen’s high-efficiency models are a big step in the right direction. They demonstrate that climate-friendly cars can be found in almost every vehicle class without considerable additional cost. ”
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