VW Sustainability Reports May Have Hinted at Problems

Bloomberg published an analysis by Andrea Vittorio according to which hints of the diesel emissions scandal at Volkswagen AG lay hidden in corporate sustainability reports.

„VW Goes Silent

The specific pollutants at issue in VW’s case are nitrogen oxides (NOx), which combine with other chemicals in the air to form the most common form of smog and can cause a burning sensation in the lungs and trigger respiratory disease. In the company’s past few sustainability reports, NOx emissions haven’t gotten nearly as much attention as carbon dioxide, the main heat-trapping gas blamed for our changing climate.

Volkswagen devoted less than 1 percent of its latest report to NOx and other non-carbon gases or particulates that affect air quality, compared to almost 14 percent on carbon and other greenhouse gases, according to an analysis by environmental, social and governance (ESG) data firm eRevalue.“

Bloomberg visualized the findings very convincingly:

Volkswagen Put Brakes on Air Quality Talk