Audi is consistently reducing CO₂ emissions and energy consumption along its value chain to reduce the ecological footprint of its vehicles. All Audi production sites¹ worldwide are slated to be net carbon neutral² by as early as 2025, while the entire company is aiming to achieve net carbon neutrality² by 2050 at the latest.

Two primary activities within the value creation process provide the starting point for achieving these goals: production and logistics. All initiatives for reducing the ecological footprint in these areas are bundled at Audi in the Mission:Zero environmental program. Comprising experts from all Audi production sites,¹ the Mission:Zero team members are in close contact throughout the company. Progressive techniques are developed and applied in close collaboration with partner companies. In addition, they identify where there is a particular need for action, which sites will serve as the benchmark in individual areas and which solutions can be applied at other sites. Pilot projects allow the team to test the effectiveness and feasibility of the solutions and to transfer the findings.

The environmental program focuses on four action areas: decarbonization, resource efficiency, sustainable water usage and protection and preservation of biodiversity. 

The decarbonization action area within production and logistics aims to achieve net carbon-neutral² production at all Audi production sites¹ by 2025. This includes CO₂ emissions generated directly at the site (Scope 1³) and indirect CO₂ emissions from energy purchased through external utilities (Scope 2⁴).

Audi intends to achieve net carbon neutrality² at its production sites¹ with the following four steps:

1. Increase energy efficiency
2. Produce own renewable energy
3. Purchase renewable energy
4. Compensate for currently unavoidable emissions through the purchase of certificates

The results are inspected and certified by external auditing firms. A comprehensive certification process is carried out in which independent experts not only examine the effectiveness of measures to reduce CO₂ emissions (step 1 to 3), but also whether the amount of currently unavoidable CO₂ emissions corresponds to the amount offset from step 4. The goal is to increase energy efficiency each year, to grow the share of own renewable energy produced and to reduce the amount of energy purchased externally.

Meanwhile, the efforts Audi is making to advance the decarbonization of the company are starting to bear fruit. Audi Brussels (Belgium) was the first production site to achieve net carbon neutrality² in 2018; Audi Hungaria (Hungary) and the Böllinger Höfe (Germany) sports car production facility followed suit in 2020. Audi has been producing under net carbon-neutral² conditions at its main plant in Ingolstadt in Germany since 2024. By 2025, the company will have taken the final steps in Neckarsulm (Germany) and San José Chiapa (Mexico) to make all Audi sites worldwide net carbon neutral.²

The responsible handling of raw materials is a key aspect of the Mission:Zero strategy. The main focus in this respect is on the principles of rethink, reduce, reuse and recycle. The goal is to use resources efficiently in the production of its vehicles.

As an example from Audi Logistics, the company avoids packaging whenever possible. If packaging material has to be used, preference is given to the use of recyclable and/or renewable resources. From 2030, the goal is to increase the proportion of recyclable packaging materials in new vehicle projects to more than 90 percent. With this in mind, Audi is already focusing on sustainable packaging concepts in the early planning phase of new vehicle projects. To ensure these are optimized comprehensively, the company incorporates the requirements in the product specifications for suppliers. These approaches reduce the volume of plastics in packaging, for example. Since 2020, Audi has therefore conserved more than 650 metric tons of plastic annually, including over 120 metric tons of polystyrene and foam packaging.

Reducing the amount of water used is another focal point of the Audi Mission:Zero environmental program. Depending on the installed technology, it takes around two to three cubic meters of water (as of 2023) to produce a vehicle.

The company’s stated objective is to cut ecologically weighted water consumption⁵ at the five Audi production sites¹ by around half by 2035 compared with the baseline year 2019.

Audi relies on efficient processes, water loops that are as closed as possible, optimized use of rainwater and reduced pollution loads⁶ to use water consciously and sparingly.

Biological diversity is one of the foundations of human life on earth. People’s quality of life and health depend on it. As such, efforts to protect biodiversity are vital to safeguarding the long-term needs of present and future generations. Within the scope of the Mission:Zero environmental program, Audi is therefore committed to preserving biodiversity at its production sites.¹ This includes measures such as consistent soil and water conservation at all production sites,¹ the renaturation of open spaces and support for reforestation programs.

AUDI AG has been a member of the German Biodiversity in Good Company initiative since 2015 and promotes the preservation of biodiversity as part of its membership. The Audi Group has also committed itself to conserving nature within the framework of the UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP 15).

As an example of a successful biodiversity project, Audi México launched an ambitious reforestation project in 2023. In a wooded area near the Audi site in San José Chiapa, known as Santa Cruz del Bosque, the company plans to successively plant 42,900 trees over an area of 39 hectares. The forest had suffered considerable damage due to an infestation of bark beetles.

The natural open spaces at the production site in Münchsmünster constitute a further flagship project. Thanks to targeted ecological design, the site near Ingolstadt offers a particularly valuable habitat for numerous species of plants and animals. At the production site in Münchsmünster, Audi has transformed 17 hectares of land into natural habitats for animals and plants. So far, more than 160 plant species have flourished there, and around 100 species of wild bees have become established.