Case study Volkswagen 1/4
Volkswagen
Why being green means thinking blue for Volkswagen
Waterless technology, rainwater
harvesting, Platinum LEED certification
and the largest solar PV array of any
car manufacturer in the US, Rob
Bell finds out what's driving VW's
'Think Blue.Factory' strategy at its
Chattanooga facility stateside
The cars we drive are a major source
of carbon dioxide emissions, with CO2
– and other pollutants – delivered via
exhaust pipes directly to the streets of
the towns and cities where we live.
As a result vehicle manufacturers face
a great deal of scrutiny (and regulatory
action) related to the environmental performance of their products. Volkswagen
is one of a number of car makers that sees
greening their automobiles as a commercial opportunity, and the firm aggressively markets its Golf BlueMotion's fuel
efficiency and low carbon emissions.
However, VW's commitment to reducing its environmental impacts goes
Blue-sky thinking: VW's Chattanooga facility has the largest solar array of any car maker in the US
beyond the on-road performance of its
vehicles. Its strategy, Think Blue. Factory,
focuses on energy, water and waste at
its manufacturing sites, with a target of
reducing environmental impacts at every
Volkswagen plant by 25% by 2018.
