NEWS

[November 15, 2019, Beijing]. Volkswagen Group China has welcomed UN Messenger of Peace, world renowned ethologist and conservationist, founder of the Roots and Shoots Dr. Jane Goodall, to an internal Environment Forum held in its new headquarter V-Space in Beijing for a keynote speech titled “Make a Difference for Generations to Come”. The Forum demonstrates Volkswagen Group China’s dedication to environmental responsibility as well as its commitment to strengthening China’s sustainable social development. Dr. Stephan Wöllenstein, CEO of Volkswagen Group China, attended the forum, along with 150 employee representatives.

“We are honored to have Dr. Jane Goodall as the keynote speaker at V-Space,” said Dr. Stephan Wöllenstein. “Dr. Goodall is recognized by the world for her pioneering behavioral study into the lives of chimpanzees in Gombe and her tireless commitment to conservation and environmental protection, serving as a fantastic role model for us all. Together, we share one big common goal - bringing sustainability forward. A crucial part of our group essentials is to take responsibility for the environment and society, and that also drives our company’s goal to become a net carbon neutral by 2050 over entire product lifecycle.”

Famous for her groundbreaking work studying chimpanzees at the Gombe National Park, Dr. Goodall has been at the forefront of environmental protection efforts for the past 60 years. “The future of the Earth is in your hands,” Dr. Goodall said at the event. “All it takes is small actions – changing daily habits and how we think about our impact on the Earth. We must be the Earth’s advocates and make big changes, and that starts with small actions.” Dr. Goodall also thanked the Group for its commitment to youth environmental education and appreciated its ambitious carbon neutral goals. “With V-Space as an environmental education base for the public, I am looking forward to seeing Volkswagen Group China’s prominent role in educating Chinese communities on environmental protection,” she added.

Apart from integrating environmental protection into the Group’s core values and corporate strategy, Volkswagen Group China's promise to take responsibility for the environment and society also lies in its CSR practices, such as the Environmental Education Program, which has trained nearly 7,000 Chinese public school teachers as multipliers since 2016 to equip them with environmental knowledge. The Green Factory Tour kicked off in Tianjin plant is to educate employees and the public on how it works towards its goTOzero mission. Another new initiative is VGC Environmental Education Base in partnership with Roots & Shoots, an environmental NGO founded by Dr. Goodall, to regularly hold environmental classes on weekends at V-Space for the local community, especially for youth aged 8-12 and volunteer college students, starting from January next year.

As a trustworthy corporate partner in China, Volkswagen Group China is demonstrating its resolute promise to take responsibility for the environment and society. This is embedded in its daily operations, long-term core business strategies, corporate culture and CSR efforts.

“Make a Difference for Generations to Come” - Volkswagen Group China Hosts Environment Forum In Beijing With Dr. Jane Goodall

Dr. Stephan Wöllenstein，CEO of Volkswagen Group China, delivers a speech

Volkswagen Group China has welcomed UN Messenger of Peace, worldrenowned ethologist and conservationist, founder of the Roots and Shoots Dr.Jane Goodall for a keynote speech

Representatives of Volkswagen Group China's employees' childrenpresent a painting to Dr. Jane Goodall as a souvenir