Audi 2011 Annual Report Download - page 173

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Examples of current environmental projects
AUDI AG is promoting a sustainable environmental policy through the charitable environmental
foundation Audi Stiftung für Umwelt GmbH. The foundation’s goal is to protect the natural live-
lihood of humans, animals and plants. It supports measures and research activities that promote
environmental education and the development of environmentally acceptable technologies out-
side the sphere of the car. The foundation’s initial projects include providing long-term research
backup for the “Oak Forest” research project launched in 2008, for which Audi is collaborating
with the Bavarian State Forestry and the Chair of Forest Yield Science at the Technical University
of Munich. In the first phase of the project, a total of around 60,000 English oaks were planted
close to the Company locations Ingolstadt, Győr (Hungary) and Neckarsulm. Two further test
sites were added in 2011 – one close to the Lamborghini location Sant’Agata Bolognese (Italy),
and one in Hungary – on which a further 10,000 oak seedlings were planted. The research project
seeks among other things to investigate the interaction between stand density on the one hand,
and the potential for capturing CO₂ and for biodiversity on the other.
The Audi Group is also implementing numerous measures to use renewables. For instance, it ships
its cars from the Company headquarters in Ingolstadt to Emden, the port of loading on the North
Sea coast, by trains running on power generated from renewables. Photovoltaic systems are also
in use at numerous locations throughout the Audi Group. In addition, AUDI AG has entered into a
partnership with the industrial initiative Dii GmbH, Munich, whose long-term goal is to transform
the DESERTEC vision into a reality. This vision describes the prospects for capturing solar and
wind power in desert regions to supply Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.
CURRENT ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS
Oak Forest project Rail freight on green power Solar power from the desert
Emissions trading
In introducing the trading of CO₂ emissions rights in 2005, the European Union took on a lead-
ing role in matters of climate protection. The second trading period in which the Ingolstadt,
Neckarsulm and Brussels manufacturing plants are participating runs from 2008 to 2012. As
matters stand, thanks to the wide range of measures to improve energy efficiency and the re-
duced emissions that are the result, the position remains that the Audi Group does not expect to
incur any major costs from emissions trading.
PRODUCT-BASED ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS
Future mobility
From pioneering engine concepts such as TDI, FSI and TFSI to lightweight construction in the
shape of the Audi Space Frame, the Audi brand has repeatedly contributed to efficiency stan-
dards in automotive manufacturing over the past decades. To influence the future shape of mo-
bility through “Vorsprung durch Technik,” the Company regards it as a major priority to strike a
fitting balance between fuel efficiency, comfort and driving enjoyment. AUDI AG advocates a
diversified concept involving a variety of energy sources and technologies, so that customers
can choose the option that best meets their individual requirements from a wide range of drive
technology versions.
The combustion engine will remain the principal power source for the foreseeable future. The
Audi brand therefore intends to broaden its successful TDI, FSI and TFSI engine range and fur-
ther reduce fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions by implementing the technologies from its
modular efficiency platform.