After Dieselgate, it became quite trendy to rag on Volkswagen. When the scandal first broke, we almost felt guilty being Volkswagen mechanics. But now we can start feeling proud of the brand we specialize in again. The company is trying to make up for the damage is did to the earth — for lying to its consumers and letting down future generations. Not only is Volkswagen rapidly growing its mass market electric vehicles, but it’s putting pressure on the suppliers of these vehicles to also shrink their own carbon footprints.
“VW has made some very strong demands to its suppliers—that as plans for its new generation of fully electric cars come together, they’ll need to comply with new, tighter rules about carbon emissions from their operations,” explains Green Card Reports.
Ranking Sustainability
VW already issues annual sustainability reports to make sure all of its suppliers down the supply chain comply with environmental and social standards. They are closely monitoring the carbon emissions made in the production of every material and part that goes into a Volkswagen. Its 40,000 suppliers will soon be issued “S rankings” (for sustainability) which will determine whether they can continue to work for the European car company.
“This is a revolution,” Marco Philippi, the corporate director for procurement for the VW Group, told the Financial Times in an interview. “If there are violations, our partners will not be our partners.”
It’s a revolution that is having a global impact.
Green Car Reports states:
“VW already plans to make other significant green-manufacturing commitments around the world, including two more plants in Germany, two in China, and an $800 million expansion in Chattanooga, Tennessee that will bring that plant an additional 1,000 jobs with the company and many more at suppliers.”
We applaud Volkswagen’s latest green initiative. It’s good for the earth — it’s good business — and ultimately it means good jobs for Volkswagen technicians.
