Having a greater impact together

Audi is a member of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI). ASI’s mission is to foster responsible production, sourcing and stewardship of aluminum. Since the initiative was founded, Audi has been able to help develop a global standard for more sustainable aluminum and successfully support its establishment. This standard requires, for instance, that mining companies specifically address ecological, social and governance criteria when mining bauxite aluminum ore, thus acknowledging and considering the concerns of local residents. For this reason as well, representatives of indigenous peoples are an integral part of the organizational structure of ASI. Currently, the Ingolstadt, Neckarsulm and Györ sites are certified according to both the ASI Performance Standard and the ASI Chain of Custody Standard. Audi was the first car manufacturer to be awarded the “ASI Performance Standard” certificate and the “ASI Chain of Custody” certificate by the initiative. In addition, Audi requires the supply of ASI Chain of Custody-certified materials in selected material groups and is continuously working on a further rollout of these requirements for other relevant material groups.

The Volkswagen Group is involved in the The Copper Mark, an industry initiative that promotes sustainable processes and transparency along copper value chains and aims to bring responsibly sourced copper to the market. On behalf of the Volkswagen Group, AUDI AG (since 2023) and MAN Truck & Bus SE (since 2022) are partners of The Copper Mark, with AUDI AG holding a seat on the advisory board.

The Drive Sustainability Initiative (DRIVE) is a partnership of 16 leading automotive companies under the umbrella of CSR Europe. The aim of the initiative is to promote a sustainable and circular automotive value chain. The Volkswagen Group is a founding member of the industry initiative. At DRIVE, Audi is actively working within the Group on the further development of the Raw Material Outlook for risk analysis in raw material supply chains and the Sustainability Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ), which is part of the Volkswagen Group’s S-Rating process. In addition, the Group is active in the initiative through workshops and events and supports several on-site projects of DRIVE and CSR Europe.

In 2023, Audi became the first premium car manufacturer to become a member of the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS). This global network of companies, NGOs and public sector bodies is committed to the responsible use of water resources along the value chain. Audi works closely with partners along the supply chain as part of the Audi Water Stewardship Program to identify and gain a better understanding of risks related to water scarcity, consumption and pollution. Joint solutions are developed on this basis to reduce environmental effects and make a positive contribution to fulfilling the global goal of “access to clean water and sanitation.”

The Audi CO₂ program in the supply chain was initiated in 2018 with the goal of systematically reducing the CO₂ footprint before the vehicle production stage. The emphasis here is on partnerships with suppliers to effectively reduce emissions along the upstream value chain. Increased reliance on green electricity, use of secondary materials and CO₂‑reduced materials, including steel and aluminum, are key levers of the program. Together with its suppliers, Audi is working to gradually scale these measures and transfer them to series production. The goal is to measurably reduce CO₂ emissions in the supply chain.

Through the Aluminium Closed Loop, Audi is enhancing the recycling of a key lightweight material in the supply chain. Production residues from vehicle production are systematically returned to the material cycle, remanufactured and reused for producing aluminum components. Thanks to close collaboration with suppliers, Audi is reducing the use of primary aluminum and therefore significantly lowering the carbon footprint. The Aluminium Closed Loop therefore makes an important contribution to resource conservation and the advanced development of a circular value chain.

Since the beginning of 2025, AUDI AG has been a member of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the circular economy. The goal of the Foundation is to establish an economic system that avoids waste and environmental pollution, focuses on recyclable products and materials and contributes to regeneration of nature. Through the collaboration, Audi aims to consider the circular economy consistently from the outset. Together with partners along the supply chain and external stakeholders, Audi anchors the principles of Design for Circularity early on in development and design processes. This leads to the creation of circular solutions along the entire value chain.

Audi is aware of its responsibility to the environment and society, and uses a variety of instruments to actively shape sustainability in the supply chain in the areas of people, environment and innovation. For example, the Act4Impact program in the supply chain with an accompanying Sustainability Playbook represents a toolbox that is offering various instruments to help create a common understanding. The aim is continual learning, an exchange of ideas and teamwork in order to inspire change and get started. To this end, Act4Impact bundles all collaborative activities, for instance through training and workshops.

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