Dow Jones names BMW the greenest automaker - for the fifth year in a row
by Sebastian Blanco on Sep 7th 2009 at 5:27PM 
BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery
There's a lot of competition to be seen as the world's greenest automaker – just look at the branding efforts surrounding the Toyota Prius or the Chevrolet Volt for examples – but if you look at the way an automaker designs, builds and recycles its products, then BMW is the top dog.
At least that's the case if you're consulting the Dow Jones Sustainability Index World, which has declared BMW Group to be the "most sustainable automobile company worldwide." If this sounds familiar to you, well, perhaps you were reading the site last year – or perhaps it's because BMW has won the title for five years in a row now. In fact, BMW reminds us it is the only automaker that has been listed on the Index since it was created in 1999. Guess the DJSI likes BMW's responsibility – the Germans call it Verantwortung – a lot. You can check out the official press release after the jump, or sample BMW's soon-to-debut Vision Efficient Dynamics Concept by checking out our high-res gallery below.
Gallery: BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept
[Source: BMW]
PRESS RELEASE:
BMW Group named most sustainable automobile company worldwide for fifth consecutive year.
The latest Dow Jones Sustainability Index World once again ranks the BMW Group as super sector leader.
* 04.09.2009
Munich. The SAM Group today published its latest evaluation for the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSI). For the fifth consecutive year, it rated the BMW Group as the leader in its industry, making it the world's most sustainable automobile manufacturer. The BMW Group is the only company in the automobile industry to have been listed in this important sustainability index family every year since it was established in 1999.
"We are delighted that the BMW Group is super sector leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index World for the fifth consecutive year.This proves once again that we are well on our way to establishing sustainability as the guiding principle for all our processes. We refined our sustainability strategy in the first half of 2009 – this was the next logical step and another important milestone," said Dr. Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG.
The Board of Management of the BMW Group declared sustainability one of the company's core strategic principles back in 2000. At the BMW Group corporate sustainability is firmly entrenched throughout the entire value chain: from the development of fuel-saving and alternative vehicle concepts through clean production processes to green recycling practices. The BMW Group also accepts responsibility for its roughly 100,000 employees and is involved in social projects outside of its plants.
In recent months the BMW Group has taken further important steps towards further improving sustainability. Each and every proposal today is measured against the corporate goal of sustainability. At the highest management level a Sustainability Board was established in summer 2009. This board, which comprises the entire Board of Management, determines the strategic alignment for sustainability issues. Twice a year it meets to discuss and adopt the strategies and activities proposed at operational level.
Further information on BMW Group's sustainability activities are available at: www.bmwgroup.com/responsibility
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The SAM Group analyses the economic, environmental and social performance of approximately 2,500 companies and selects the best in each industry for the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes. General sustainability criteria are considered as well as industry-specific challenges such as climate change. The Dow Jones Sustainability Index was the first global sustainability index to be created, in 1999, and has since been published each year by the SAM Group, based in Zurich, in cooperation with Dow Jones Indexes and STOXX Limited. More information is available at www.sustainability-indexes.com
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
AC0 5:38PM (9/07/2009)
I've always believed the life-cycle contributions BMW makes to car design and development is a lot more worthwhile than the likes of Toyota's hybrid initiative. Glad to see them getting this recognition for the effort they put into genuine solutions, rather than marketing misdirection. I hope this inspires the other germans, namely Audi and Mercedes, to do some original thinking for once. I don't like BMW cars any more than their Audi or Mercedes counterparts, but from an originality point of view, it is always BMW leading the way in areas of significance. Mercedes don't bring ground-breaking luxury like they used to, and Audi is only good at the superfluous - flashy LEDs and more pointless power.
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gerrrg 6:17PM (9/07/2009)
Yeah, this is why all of the European automakers pay the annual fine for not meeting US CAFE standards, every year, right?
AC0 6:34PM (9/07/2009)
Correct me if i'm wrong, but i believe the US is missing a large part of BMW's small capacity and diesel engine options? I wouldn't know, I don't live there, but i'm aware of the diesel stigma, and I've no doubt it's holding them back in that particular region.
Flea 6:41PM (9/07/2009)
by "all the European automakers" you seem to mean the big german luxury brands, plus italian sportscars. Which amounts to how much market share exactly...?
Granted, american consumers are always hungry for big cars with big engines (which is evident since the fines are proportional to the amount of offending cars sold), but just because the manufacturers get fined it doesn't mean they're lacking technology. It's quite obvious that a V10 Touareg is going to leave CAFE standards gasping for air.
But take ANY mass-produced american engine, and you'll find an european counterpart which offers the same, if not higher, power figures for less fuel consumption.
kimosen 10:56PM (9/07/2009)
Does ANY engine include the 2.4 gdi engine that gets 32 mpg in the 2010 chevy equinox?
Show me a euro-spec gasoline engine that tops THAT.
Flea 2:48AM (9/08/2009)
er, Alfa Romeo's 1750 TBI engine... 200 hp, 300 NM, and, after google's conversions, 39 MPG highway.
Steve 3:35AM (9/09/2009)
Agreed. Unlike Toyota, BMW's 'green' initiative is about substance, not marketing. A majority of the steps taken by BMW to protect the environment are rarely advertised and largely unknown.
In the field of automobile sustainability, Toyota is dishonest, big-mouthed salesman, while BMW is the unsung, unappreciated hero.
kimosen 5:44PM (9/07/2009)
BMW: Sustainably building cars that destroy the environment.
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Harrison 11:55PM (9/07/2009)
...which is what everyone has doing and will continue to do as long as there is life on this planet.
Harrison 11:55PM (9/07/2009)
Whoops, I meant is, not has!
Weaksauce 12:55AM (9/08/2009)
No one wants a Chevy Equinox. Noone cares that the 2WD version gets good fuel economy.
( It's the engine no one wants when they're shopping for this vehicle. )
People buy SUV/CUV's because they want a minivan without being called a minivan driver.
If you want to argue fuel efficiency, I think you need to look beyond the obvious "Tall final gear and or final drive."
Porsche, for example, with their PDK, gears such that the top speed is achieved in 5th gear instead of 6th. 6th is used for highway driving.
At this point, we're arguing fuel economy and not fuel efficiency. I think you need to redefine your statement. It makes no sense.
Slizzo 10:08AM (9/08/2009)
@Weaksauce:
Point being? My $30,000 G8 GT hits top speed in 5th and cruises in 6th. 6th is purely there for the highway....
Most manufacturers set their cars up this way, no different than anyone else. Especially with GM using a 6speed auto of some sort in all their vehicles now (old w-body carryovers not withstanding).
Z Monster 5:56PM (9/07/2009)
Ya. Dow Jones is the second place (after DownloadSquad.com) I check for car news. Then I check Martha Stewart Living and the FDA websites for automotive rankings. And to finalize my car-buying decision, I consult Major League Baseball.
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Farmboy 6:11PM (9/07/2009)
I recommend Dr. Laura for car care and Hershey for product testing.
nuggetsmcduggets 8:04AM (9/08/2009)
Hilarious all time, crazypants! =(
Flea 6:00PM (9/07/2009)
most sustainable is great, but it doesn't equal greenest, at least not with the meaning that is commonly used in the automotive industry. The latter title belongs to Fiat.
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DJ 9:49AM (9/08/2009)
x2
eric 7:16PM (9/07/2009)
You must be kidding. My neighbors X5 gets 12'ish around town. My 08 M3 gets 13.9.
Porsche's 997 gets 19/26. Who is green?
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Purpleslyrpee 8:36PM (9/07/2009)
right, my McLaren only gets 8 mpg and my lambo murci only gets 7mpg, I should totally bitch about it and forget that I'm driving a performance car with a v8 and my neighbor drives a truck!
same goes for the said Porsche they might be listed at 20 mpg (just like the bimmer) but you're not going to get that unless you actually practise driving like a hyper-miler.
with that said DOW Jones is a mag for those working at wall street it isn't any different than Forbes, it doesn't mean anything to most car enthusiasts because they already know what they want, they're only for thos who "want to do something for the environment."
the cars "mentioned" in his article are mostly those referring to new technologies like the efficient dynamics concept
Steve 5:11AM (9/09/2009)
The average American consumer is so blinded by MPG numbers that they don't realize a cars biggest impact on the environment is during production and disposal.
Toyota has capitalized on this ignorance and sold a generation of scientifically uneducated morons cars which trash the environment for 3 extra MPG.
When the truth finally gets it's pants on, and brands like BMW are recognized for what they do, the same MPG morons crawl out of the woodwork and beat the idiot drum in support of dishonest Toyota propaganda. Absolutely pathetic.