Volkswagen : On the United Nation’s international biodiversity day, Volkswagen is launching a call to all of its employees, with the goal of bringing awareness to the topic of biological diversity...

'The promotion of biodiversity at our production sites and bringing awareness to our employees are equally important to us,' says Dr. Tobias Bahr, environmental management officer at the Volkswagen Group. In 2007, the company was the founding member of the 'Biodiversity in Good Company' initiative, and, together with other companies, has since been committed to the protection and sustainable use of biodiversity. 'Volkswagen supports the UN-convention for the preservation of biological diversity, because we are obligated to it legally, but also ethically and morally,' says Bahr. 'Particularly due to our responsibility toward future generations.' After all, the protection of the ecosystems is part of Volkswagen's environmental management policy.

In recent years, this has led to numerous environmental protection projects, including large-scale activities, as in the Izta-Popo national park near the Mexican production site in Puebla. Due to illegal fire clearing, the soil had dried up to such an extent that it wasn't able to retain water, even after rain. On an area of 300 hectares, Volkswagen planted a total of 300,000 trees as part of the 'Out of Love for the Planet' program. This reforestation effort also stopped the decline of the water table, and since has returned the soils ability to retain water. The project also includes employee training sessions, environmental education for children and the employment of people with disabilities.