Constructive dialogue

The stakeholder dialogue on the Audi human rights strategy, which took place in Berlin on October 10, 2023, was the kick-off for a regular exchange between AUDI AG and relevant stakeholders on the topic of human rights. External and internal stakeholders from academic communities, business and consulting, NGOs as well as representatives of relevant company departments actively participated in this first discussion.

The aim of the event was to present the newly devised Audi human rights strategy, to reflect on it openly together and to identify focus topics and next steps for implementing the strategy.

The human rights strategy incorporates three key premises: honesty, change of perspective and effectiveness. It also takes account of the high complexity of the value chain at Audi. At the same time, it is clear that entrepreneurial action not only creates values, but also always involves risks and consequently errors as well as potential violations. It is therefore the goal of the Four Rings to make sure that human rights and environmental protection are respected and complied with. In the interest of those affected, measures should be taken that are tangible and effective. The dialogue consequently focused on the pillars of “effectiveness” and “honesty.” As a result of the trustful, constructive exchange, the stakeholders formulated clear expectations for the implementation of the Audi human rights strategy as well as concrete proposals for action and prioritized the next steps for Audi. A further dialogue event on the Audi human rights strategy is planned for 2024.

AUDI AG and Audi of America partnered with transportation researchers at the University of Washington, Sustainable Transportation Lab, to convene Mobility Thought leaders from across the greater Seattle region on June 27, 2023. Seattle has been known for many decades as the home of innovation, technology, and progressive governmental policies birthing companies like Microsoft, Amazon, Boeing, Starbucks and many others. The city also happens to be a very strong market for Audi, accounting for 7.4% (2022) of premium vehicle sales in the Western Region.

The overall theme for this roundtable conversation was focused on whether and how the city and state might meet its ambitious climate and mobility goals in the coming years. Representatives from local and state government, civil society, electricity providers, the sea port, and private sector mobility providers all discussed and debated the various challenges and opportunities around the guiding question: “What does a net zero transportation system look like in 2050 in the Puget Sound region?”

There was broad consensus among the stakeholders that decarbonization in the region hinges on essentially a seamless full transition to electric mobility. Electrifying transportation will drive a substantial increase in demand for electricity (an estimated doubling by 2050), making additional generation, transmission, and distribution of CO₂-free electricity an absolute necessity over the next years. On the demand side, mass adoption of electric vehicles is contingent upon the public charging experience, which continues to present challenges to BEV drivers (e.g., station vandalism and reliability problems). Last but not least, to secure a full transition to electric mobility, market instruments such as purchase incentives and other price signals to move consumers from ICE vehicles to BEVs will likely be required.

After a two-year break, an in-person stakeholder dialogue on topics of strategic sustainability took place again in 2022. The dialogue enabled Audi to receive feedback from external stakeholders and experts on Audi’s new “Vorsprung 2030” strategy with regard to (e-)mobility and the circular economy.

During the 1.5 hours, the participants discussed the necessity of dealing with mobility and infrastructure issues in urban areas and adapting business models to include mobility-as-a-service concepts. In addition, the importance of a comprehensive approach that begins in the concept development phase was highlighted as part of the ideas on the circular economy.

At the Audi Act4Impact Summit in 2022 with more than 100 partner companies, Audi encouraged a mutual exchange of ideas about the path toward a more sustainable supply chain. In three workshops on the topics of collaboration, supplier diversity & inclusion and the circular economy – in line with the focus topics of people, environment and innovation – Audi discussed the guiding questions and expectations together with suppliers and generated impetus for the development of the responsible supply chain strategy. During the exchange with the participants, transparency, measurability and standardization were identified as important levers for diversity & inclusion in the supply chain.

In 2022, Audi – as one of the founding partners – made its third appearance at the GREENTECH FESTIVAL. The goal is for the GREENTECH FESTIVAL to become a world-renowned platform for the most pressing issues of the day.

In June 2022, the GREENTECH FESTIVAL in Berlin, was an opportunity for the company to demonstrate that its products, processes and materials are geared toward climate protection and sustainability – thanks to a combination of innovation, technology and digitalization. At the Audi booth, Audi experts welcomed visitors for discussions on all aspects of sustainable mobility.

In mid-September, the important sustainability topics at the GREENTECH FESTIVAL in New York were the Audi Production Mission:Zero environmental program as well as glass recycling and batteries.

The GREENTECH FESTIVAL in London took place in mid-October. In London, the program centered mainly on the topics of Mission:Zero, closed loops for water and CO2, the partnership with photographer and environmental activist Sebastian Copeland and the new Audi Urban Purifier.

The last Greentech event of 2022 took place in Singapore in November. The focus of communication and the dialogue with stakeholders was on the responsible handling of water.

Audi regularly hosts Neighborhood Dialogue events at its sites in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm. This year, dialogues also took place at the Münchsmünster and Neuburg sites. At these residents’ events, representatives of Audi report on the development of the sites and the company’s involvement in the region.

The Audi representatives got together with neighbors from surrounding residential areas and representatives of the cities, local companies and scientific institutions working closely with Audi to discuss how the plants and surrounding properties might become even more sustainable. These Neighborhood Dialogue events are part of the internal environmental management program that Audi has consistently pursued for many years.

The “International Diversity & Inclusion Days 2022” took place in May 2022 under the theme of We.Together. More colleagues and experts from the entire Audi Group took part in the event than ever before. Over the five days, the digital keynotes, workshops, discussions and interviews surrounding the topic of Diversity & Inclusion were held in nine languages for around 60,000 employees.

The conclusion is that inclusion, equal opportunities and anti-discrimination are topics that the Audi Group should address more heavily going forward – especially in international exchange in light of the wide range of perspectives. Audi is planning to continue the rollout of global D&I activities and to promote local activities under the umbrella of the Brand Group Progressive.

Audi aims to become a leader in sustainability, social responsibility and technology by 2030. In our search for sustainable solutions, we also draw on the innovative ideas of young stakeholders,¹ who have been meeting regularly since 2020 as part of the Next Generation dialogue series to discuss a wide range of sustainability topics. The goal of the Audi Next Generation dialogue series is to engage in conversation with motivated young people from inside and outside the company, develop innovative ideas, identify opportunities for improvement and challenge established ways of thinking. The results of this constructive dialogue are then incorporated into the company’s activities as strategic impulses.
 

More information on the "Next Generation" dialogue series

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, exchanges with stakeholders largely took place via smaller digital formats in 2021. While developing the “Vorsprung 2030” strategy, for example, Audi conducted more than 160 interviews with internal and external stakeholders around the world to discuss key trends, challenges, opportunities and risks facing the company. Plus more than 500 Audi employees took part in various digital interaction formats over a period of several months to reflect on what Audi should stand for in the future. Conclusion: Sustainability is firmly anchored in the minds of both the workforce and the Board of Management, and will become an even more integral part of our activities along the entire value chain going forward.

More information on the “Vorsprung 2030” strategy

From October to December 2021, the Four Rings hosted the “Green Neighbour Weeks” – a new series of events at the Audi Forum in Ingolstadt focused on our social commitment to environmental protection at the location. The themed weeks gave visitors the opportunity to delve deeply into the topic of sustainability, for example by attending live talks, viewing a series of films or visiting the event’s opening highlight, the Green Market.

Among other things, visitors to the Green Market were able to find out about current environmental protection projects at Audi. They learned, for example, what Audi is doing to protect and preserve biodiversity as part of the Mission:Zero environmental program, and what measures we are taking to make our sites more compatible with nature. The market also provided an insight into some of our collaborations with local partner companies, which help improve sustainability through short transport routes and regional value creation.