Audi Sustainability Program
Operations and Integrity
| Goal | Measure | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 9 to 11 percent operating return on sales by no later than 2025 | Implementation of the Audi Transformation Plan and the Audi Strategy | Continuous development |
| 21 percent return on investment (ROI) by no later than 2025 | Implementation of the Audi Transformation Plan and the Audi Strategy | Continuous development |
|
6.0 to 7.0 percent research and development ratio by no later than 2025 [1] |
Implementation of the Audi Transformation Plan and the Audi Strategy | Continuous development |
|
4.0 to 5.0 percent ratio of capex by no later than 2025 [2] |
Implementation of the Audi Transformation Plan and the Audi Strategy | Continuous development |
| Self-finance the transformation to provider of sustainable, individual premium mobility | Implementation of the Audi Transformation Plan and the Audi Strategy | Continuous development |
| EUR 15 billion measure potential through the Audi Transformation Plan on the cost and revenue side 2018–2022 | Programs already set up with Project Management Office (PMO) and work packages from the Board of Management. Flanked by ongoing monitoring and control. |
2022 [3] |
| Reinforce Group-wide compliance and integrity | Implementation of the Group-wide compliance and integrity program Together4Integrity in all companies through 2025 | 2025 |
| Accompanying communication campaign Together4Integrity | 2025 | |
|
Global protection and responsible handling of personal data |
Definition of data processing principles applicable worldwide | 2020 (completed) |
| Establishment of a data protection organization within the Audi brand group | 2020 [4] | |
| Binding measures in the Audi brand group, e.g. maintaining a procedure directory, internal reporting processes for data protection violations, ensuring the rights of parties concerned or establishing an appropriate risk management system | Continuous development |
[1] 5.0 to 6.0 percent adjusted to 6.0 to 7.0 percent; in light of the sweeping transformation of the automotive industry, the Audi Group is stepping up its upfront expenditure for products and technologies of the future.
[2] 5.0 to 6.0 percent adjusted to 4.0 to 5.0 percent; this is based on continued investment discipline and a reduction in structural investments.
[3] The pandemic-induced drop in volumes may result in a slight delay.
[4] A data protection organization has been set up at the European subsidiaries.
Products and Services
| Goal | Measure | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Reduce CO₂ emissions from the Audi EU new car fleet by 27 percent (base year 2012) | Reduce consumption by using new technologies from the modular efficiency platform | 2020[5] |
| Reduce environmental impact across the entire lifecycle compared with the predecessor model | Prepare product-based life cycle assessments for new vehicle models; validate and certify life cycle assessments; publish the data | Continuous development |
| Significantly reduce fuel consumption for every new vehicle compared with the predecessor model | Switch 70 percent of new vehicles sold with combustion engines to mild hybridization or plug-in hybridization | 2022 |
| Expand the range of electric drive concepts | Expand the range of plug-in hybrids to seven models | 2020 (completed)[6] |
| Availability of at least one plug-in hybrid in every core segment from compact class or higher (Audi A3) | 2023 | |
| 40 percent of new Audi vehicles feature an electric drive (availability of at least one battery electric vehicle for each core segment) | 2025 | |
| Extension of the product portfolio to a total of five electric cars | 2020 (completed)[7] | |
| Ensure availability of charging systems for domestic charging to coincide with the market introduction of the first fully electric series-production model from Audi |
Provide competitive charging lineup for electrified Audi models for domestic charging, including: – Charging equipment – smart charging functions, e.g. photovoltaic-optimized charging – Joint projects on home energy management systems (HEMS) – Innovative technologies |
2020 [8] |
| Further development of the charging lineup for electrifed Audi models in relation to the smart integration of electric vehicles into power grids to promote the compatibility between electric vehicles and the grid, including piloting of services to network the vehicle with the power grids | 2020 (completed)[9] | |
| Ensure the availability of fast-charging infrastructure along the long-distance transport axes in Europe and the USA to promote long-distance capability of electric vehicles | Infrastructure expansion in cooperation with partners, e.g. IONITY joint venture in Europe and Electrify America in the USA, as an incentive for electric vehicles | 2022 |
| Extend the charging infrastructure at the Audi sites | Set up and operate cross-site charging infrastructure at Audi sites for the start of production (SOP) of the Audi e-tron [10] additional needs-based expansion for processes in the plant as well as providing 10 percent electrified parking lots for company cars and employee leasing vehicles by the middle of 2022 | 2022 |
| Global protection and responsible handling of personal data | Fine-tune the organizational processes to validate privacy by design, privacy by default | Continuous development |
| Expand the range to include fuel cell drive concepts [11] | Continue to develop fuel cell technology | 2022 |
| Tiered implementation and roll out of fuel cell technology across the Group brands with the focus on commercial vehicles for initial market entry | 2026 | |
| Provide carbon-neutral energy sources from renewable energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions [12] | Promote the development of synthetic liquid fuels together with suitable partners. Additional focus on the technology readiness of products within AUDI AG | Continuous development |
| Extend strategic partnerships and cooperation agreements regarding research and development of renewable energies | Continuous development | |
|
Integrate a CO₂ capturing plant (capturing CO₂ from the air) in a power-to-gas or power-to-liquid plant |
2021[13] |
|
| Responsibility for the safety of customers and other road user | Portfolio of predictive assistance and safety systems | Continuous development |
| Enhance road safety | Further development of technologies toward assisted/automated driving | 2025 |
| Develop an attractive mobility portfolio | Develop new business models | 2022 |
[5] As things stand at present, this goal was narrowly missed in 2020 and is expected to be achieved in 2021. The successful launch of the e-tron and the plug-in hybrids in 2020 could not fully compensate for the opposing effects brought about by supply- and demand-driven shifts in the model portfolio. Nonetheless, the statutory targets have been exceeded.
[6] Following the successful launch of the Q8 and A3 successor as plug-in hybrids, seven Audi models featuring this tech-nology were available in 2020.
[7] With the start of production of the e-tron GT, Audi had five electric models in its portfolio in 2020.
[8] The compact charging system is now available in the main target markets affected. Goal achieved. The connect charging system was launched in calendar week 48/2020 with a starting configuration of smart charging functions. Our cooperation partners’ interoperable range of home energy management systems was launched at the same time. An extended range of functions is planned for the end of 2021.
[9] A joint research project with external partners on grid-compatible charging with smart communication between the grid operator and the Audi e-tron was successfully completed in 2020.
[10] Audi e-tron: combined electric power consumption in kWh/100 km, 28.8–21.4 (NEDC); combined CO₂ emissions in g/km: 0
[11] Goal and measures with considerable change compared with the previous year. Small-series stop and realignment of strategy/initial implementation in the direction of commercial vehicles.
[12] Strategic shift to carbon-neutral energy sources currently under review.
[13] The plan is to evaluate potential technologies and possibly undertake basic engineering in 2021. Installation of the technology in 2022.
Value Creation and Production
| Goal | Measure | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Integrate sustainability into supplier relationships | Training for all procurement employees to raise awareness of sustainability standards in supplier relationships | Continuous development |
| Training for all suppliers to raise awareness of sustainability standards in the supply chain | Continuous development | |
| Sustainability rating (S-Rating) as a mandatory criterion for awarding contracts | Continuous development | |
| Involvment in industry standards and Group tools to ensure complicance with environment-related and social standards in the supply chain | Continuous development | |
|
Further development of our supply chain grievance mechanism |
Continuous development |
|
| Integrate sustainability into the supply of raw materials | Development of circular economy concepts for the supply chain | 2020 [14] |
| Adaptation of existing processes through successive implementation of human rights duty of care for critical raw materials in the supply chain | Continuous development | |
| Integrate environmental measures into the supply chain [15] | Performance of CO₂ workshops with selected hotspot suppliers to identify measures with potential to reduce CO₂ emissions | Continuous development |
| Rollout of the Aluminum Closed Loop in other plants | 2025 | |
| Anchoring the use of green electricity in the supply chain | Continuous development | |
|
Development of a responsible water stewardship program for the supply chain |
Continuous development |
|
| Act4Imact |
Development and establishment of an Audi Act4Impact program to make a positive impact together with our partners |
Continuous development |
| For the German sites Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm, we have set ourselves a reduction target of 40 percent for CO₂ per reference unit through 2020 as part of energy supply (base year 2010) | Detailed planning and implementation of site-specifc packages of measures for achieving Group-wide reduction targets |
2020 (completed) [16] |
| Achievement of the target figure for the environmental impact reduction production per unit (UEP) of 35 percent. The environmental impact reduction production is a vehicle-specific variable. From 2010 through 2025, the development of the five key figures is analyzed, CO₂ emissions, overall energy consumption, disposable waste, fresh water consumption and VOC emissions. | Detailed planning and implementation of site-specific packages of measures for achieving Group-wide reduction targets | 2025 |
| Systematic reduction in energy consumption | Reduction in overall energy consumption through targets derived from prior-year consumption and the corresponding concrete, implemented and documented individual measures in the operator and planning areas | Continuous development |
|
All plants net carbonneutral [17] |
Detailed planning and implementation of site-specifc packages of measures for achieving targets | 2025 |
| Implementation of the performance standard/chain of custody of the Aluminum Stewardship Initiative (ASI) | Verification of the ASI performance criteria and implementation of the necessary audit to renew the ASI certification of the aluminum components in the Audi e-tron [18] high-voltage storage device | 2021 |
| Extension of the ASI performance standard/chain of custody to include other aluminum components and production sites of AUDI AG | Continuous development | |
| Integration of sustainability in the supplier chain and own added value of high-voltage storage devices at Audi | Development of sustainability principles and support of the establishment of standards for high-voltage batteries in the working groups “Circular Economy” and “Innovation” of the Global Battery Alliance, hosted by the World Economic Forum | Continuous development |
[14] The action “Development of circular economy concepts for the supply chain” with a focus on aluminum and HV batteries was successfully completed in the year under review. Since the Procurement Strategy is still working on innovative circular economy concepts, the action – minus the above focal topics – will remain in place.
[15] The action “Successive decarbonization of the supply chain together with suppliers” has been changed due to the expansion of its scope. Successive decarbonization of the supply chain remains one of the strategic focus areas of the Responsible Supply Chain Strategy.
[16] 100 percent green power sourced in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm.
[17] Győr and Brussels already carbon-neutral; Audi regards net carbon neutrality as a state in which, following the exhaustion of other possible measures aimed at reducing the still remaining CO₂ emissions caused by the products or activities of Audi and/or currently unavoidable CO₂ emissions within the scope of the supply chain, manufacturing and recycling of Audi vehicles, at least quantitative compensation is provided through voluntary and globally conducted compensation projects. Throughout the utilization phase of a vehicle, meaning from when a vehicle is delivered to a customer, CO₂ emissions produced are not taken into account.
[18] Audi e-tron: combined electric power consumption in kWh/100 km, 28.8–21.4 (NEDC); combined CO₂ emissions in g/km: 0
Employees and Society
| Goal | Measure | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Make working hours and place of work more flexible | Establishment of mobile working | Continuous development |
| Update methodology and content of vocational and advanced training | Extension of digital learning methods | 2025 |
| Modification of content of vocational and advanced training in relation to strategic future-oriented topics | 2025 | |
| Maintaining vocational training figures and advanced training days at a high level (three-year forecast) | 2020 (completed) | |
|
Promote employee health |
Further development of occupational health and safety at international sites | 2020 (completed) |
| Setup of digital offerings as part of company health promotion | 2022 | |
| Promote equal opportunity | Increase in the proportion of women in the first management tier below the Board of Management to 8 percent and to 16 percent in the second management tier | 2021 |
| Strengthen cultural diversity | Expansion of the proportion of international managers within AUDI AG, global employee rotation, international young talent programs, intercultural awareness and training | 2025 |
| Promote work-life balance | Expansion of childcare | Continuous development |
| Focus on the issue of care as part of employee information events | Continuous development | |
| Expansion and development of urban services, offerings and services for daily requirements at the interface between home and work at the Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm sites | Continuous development | |
| Promotion of employee mobility by strengthening the provision of job tickets and promoting carpooling | Continuous development | |
| Further develop voluntary programs | Needs survey through annual events/formats at the Audi sites | Continuous development |
| Promote a corporate culture along the lines of the Volkswagen Group Essentials, the Audi corporate values and the Audi leadership principles | Group-wide execution of the role model program for managers and supervisors | Continuous development |
| Establishment of the Essentials Indicator to sustainably anchor the VW Group Essentials and to measure the progress in terms of culture | Continuous development | |
|
Support of the change of culture through initiatives, formats and events under the “KulturZeit” umbrella |
Continuous development | |
| Increase employer attractiveness | Initiation and promotion of future-oriented events with the focus on corporate citizenship/innovation (e.g. MQ! Innovation Summit) | Continuous development |
| Provide access to education for the public | Public “Wissenschaft im Dialog” (Academia in Dialogue) events at the Ingolstadt & Neckarsulm sites | Continuous development |
| Further develop research and teaching in future-oriented fields at universities | Support of universities through endowed professorships | Continuous development |
| Promote mental health | Stages II & III, Expansion of support services and establishment of a physical and mental health network and holistic care structures | 2023 |
| Promote flexible cooperation within the company | Creation and establishment of new cooperation formats, such as, agile process workshop, think tank in Berlin | Continuous development |
| Digitalize HR processes |
Launch and establishment of an HR app to make it even easier for employees to access personal data (e.g., working hours, calendar, wages, etc.) |
2020 (completed) |
| Extend attractive working conditions |
Implementation of the extended wage agreement (T-ZUG) with a choice between having the additional wages paid out or converted to paid leave |
2020 (completed) |
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