BMW seeks to lead 'green' car manufacturing

The conference, held at the impressive Moses Mabhida Stadium, took a closer look at what the BMW Group has already achieved in terms of sustainability and climate mitigation strategies globally and how the company's future local initiatives will further assist South Africa in meeting its environmental responsibilities.

Sustainability is an integral part of the BMW Group's corporate strategy, Rainer Feurer - BMW Group VP corporate strategy and planning, environment - said. According to iafrica.com, BMW South Africa MD, Bodo Donauer announced three major initiatives aimed to reinforce the BMW Group's position as "the world's most sustainable automaker by becoming the first manufacturer to bring e-mobility to South African roads," Donauer said, adding "[w]e will give our customers the opportunity to experience the MINI E at a series of countrywide road shows in the first half of 2012."

The BMW Group has accomplished a great deal by implementing sustainable measures throughout the value chain, and the MINI E road shows will also highlight some of the infrastructural hurdles South Africa needs to overcome to adopt e-mobility as a viable means of reducing CO2 emissions. In South Africa, the company has almost halved energy usage and emissions at BMW Plant Rosslyn in Pretoria, saving more than R50-million in energy costs since 2006. "I'm proud to say that we will take further steps in this regard by partnering with the City of Tshwane on a waste-to-energy project next year," Donauer said.

Read the full article on http://motoring.iafrica.com.