Commitment is an act

Audi is a member of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI). ASI’s mission is to recognize and collaboratively foster responsible production, sourcing and stewardship of aluminum. Since the initiative was founded, Audi has been able to help develop and successfully implement a global standard for more sustainable aluminum. 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 the 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 the process. 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.

Audi has been an active member of the Global Battery Alliance since 2017. This initiative, initiated by the World Economic Forum, brings together public and private actors across the entire battery supply chain in order to initiate action to improve social and environmental conditions along the battery supply chain.

The Volkswagen Group is involved in The Copper Mark, an industry initiative that promotes sustainable processes and transparency along the 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 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, the members are 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 Sustainability and CSR Europe.

The electrification of the product portfolio means that the CO₂ equivalents{ft_co-2-equivalents-co-2-e-ar-24} emissions produced by a car are transferred from its use phase to the supply chain. As part of its Audi CO₂ program, Audi and its suppliers have committed themselves to reducing CO₂e along the entire supply chain.

Clean water is one of the most important prerequisites for people and the environment. The Audi-Water Stewardship Program thus aims for a more sustainable use of water resources along our supply chain. In this context, Audi works with its partners to identify and understand possible risks in conjunction with water consumption, water scarcity and water pollution. In a second step, the company searches for joint solutions along the supply chain, for instance to reduce environmental effects and make a positive contribution to fulfilling the goal of “access to clean water and sanitation.”

Yet at Audi, efforts to be sustainable in the supply chain are not confined to reducing CO₂ emissions; they also aim to use natural resources sparingly and carefully. For example, in the case of the aluminum closed loop (return of single-origin press plant wastes), glass recycling (GlassLoop Audi Q4 e-tron), plastics recycling (PlasticLoop Audi Q8 e-tron as well as the pilot project “Physical Recycling”: recovery of technical plastics from end-of-life vehicles) and steel recycling (SteelLoop Audi Q6 e-tron). These activities are bundled in the so-called Audi MaterialLoop program. These closed material cycles save valuable resources and energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

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.More information