- Brand saves more than 100,000 tonnes of CO2 at plants in 2025
- Savings of more than 65 per cent compared with 2018
- Strategic goal: carbon-neutral production from 2040
The brand looks back on a year with key sustainability milestones at its production sites. In recent months, far-reaching projects have been implemented at the plants: from the complete switch to green electricity through self-sufficient operation with solar energy in Września to the commissioning of a biomass CHP plant (municipal energy company enercity) in Hanover. This brings the goal of balance sheet climate-neutral production by 2040 tangibly closer.
Last year, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles made decisive progress in CO₂ reduction, the use of renewable energies and the circular economy. Steffen Reiche, Member of the Brand Board of Management responsible for Production and Logistics at VWCV:
“Sustainability is not a short-term goal for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, but a permanent commitment. With the switch to green electricity, the expansion of renewable energies and innovative partner projects such as the biomass CHP plant in Hanover, we are consistently focusing on sustainable solutions – and will thus save more than 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide this year. We are boosting regional value creation, securing jobs and making an active contribution to climate protection. Our goal is clear: by 2040, we want the production processes at all locations to be climate-neutral and thus assume responsibility for the environment and society.”
Renewable energy for the plants: electricity, solar and sustainable heat
VWCV places a consistent focus on sustainability in the energy supply of its production sites. Since January 2025, the Hanover plant has been operating exclusively with electricity from renewable sources. The Polish sites in Poznań and Września have been fully converted to green electricity since 2019. Climate-friendly power supply is therefore a key area of leverage for reducing CO₂ emissions and conserving resources.
A particular success was achieved in Września: the in-house photovoltaic system with 31,000 modules and 18.3 megawatts of output supplied solar energy to all of the plant’s production facilities for the first time in September 2024. On average, the system covers around 25 per cent of the electricity demand each year, and further projects for the use of renewable energies are already being planned.
Heating savings of 40 per cent in Hanover: VWCV is also working with regional partners on sustainable solutions for heat supply. With the commissioning of the biomass combined heat and power plant by the regional energy company enercity, the share of climate-neutral district heating in Hanover will increase significantly. The innovative plant uses only non-recyclable waste wood from the region and combines waste wood incineration with a large heat pump and modern flue gas cleaning. This means that fuels are almost completely recycled and emissions are significantly reduced. For VWCV, this means a more than 40-per-cent reduction in CO₂ emissions for thermal energy compared with 2024.
Sustainability as a corporate strategy
“Sustainability is far more than a corporate goal for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles – it is our compass for responsible action and long-term success,”
says Petra Schreiber, Head of Public Affairs and Sustainability at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.
“We combine ecological responsibility with economic strength and social commitment.”
The brand pursues the goal of advancing climate protection and producing balance sheet climate-neutral at all production sites by 2040 at the latest.
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles
Space for Needs and Dreams: Creating the Future since 1950.
For over 75 years, the VW Bus has stood for reliability and versatility – initially in commercial use and today also in everyday family life and camping. Now in its seventh generation, the concept continues to impress: as reliable Transporter, versatile Multivan, adventurous California, or fully electric ID. Buzz. Whether as a mobile workshop, trusted service vehicle, or utility-driven everyday hero – the vehicles by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles offer space for needs and dreams and are in use worldwide for people on a mission.
At the sites in Hanover (Germany), Poznań (Poland), and Września (Poland), more than 21,000 employees produce vehicles for both commercial and private customers. Transporter, Caravelle, Multivan, Caddy, Crafter, California, Amarok, and the ID. Buzz delight and inspire customers every day. With the ID. Buzz AD, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is producing the first fully autonomous production vehicle in Europe and shaping the future of mobility as a manufacturer. Headquartered in Hanover, the brand is shaping the mobility of today and tomorrow – meeting all the demands for clean, intelligent, and sustainable mobility. This is what Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles stands for with its brand promise: success, freedom, future.
About the VW Bus
Since 1950, the iconic VW Bus from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has been moving people and goods worldwide. Over 12.5 million vehicles across seven generations have been built, most of them at the brand's main plant in Hanover, Germany. The success of the VW Bus is unique in automotive history: it was a symbol of the ‘economic miracle’ and the hippie movement, and to this day stands for reliability, freedom and adventure. Whether fully electric as the ID. Buzz, versatile as the Multivan, adventure-ready as the California, or as a reliable New Transporter – the current models continually set benchmarks in technology and functionality, while consistently continuing the design tradition. Today, the ID. Buzz AD drives autonomously, marking the next milestone in the Bus’s history: with sustainable mobility and transport solutions for people and goods worldwide.
