Dear readers, This report describes what Daimler means by ...

Daimler 360 GRAD - FAKTEN zur Nachhaltigkeit 2008
Daimler Nachhaltigkeitsbericht 2008 / Environmental protection, innovation, and safety / External statement
External statement
Daimler at the “Tipping Point”: The Group’s Future Success Hinges on Effective Climate Protection. When used in
connection with the global climate, the term tipping point refers to the point in time when indicators of climate
change suddenly give way to drastic negative events. From the perspective of the Institute for Applied Ecology
(Öko-Institut) in Germany, Daimler’s executive management team has also reached a tipping point, as the priority
assigned to climate protection in the transportation sector by both governments and businesses in the near
future will have a decisive impact on the Group’s success over the long term.
The following report details Daimler’s climate protection achievements and outlines the challenges that remain.
The report marks the fourth time that Daimler has asked the Institute for Applied Ecology to comment on the
company’s progress in this area and identify the strategic changes that still need to be made. I Our institute has
been pointing out for quite some time that sustainable mobility and climate protection are issues that need to be
more closely monitored and coordinated by executive management bodies. We therefore expressly welcome
Daimler’s establishment of a Sustainability Board. We also recognize that by restructuring its procurement
system through a strategy committee, Daimler is seeking to enhance its systematic sustainability management
and promote environmental protection in its relationships with its suppliers. Outfitting the Sustainability Board
with all the necessary authority and incorporating social stakeholder groups into the process will also play a role
in determining how successful the cooperation with established bodies will be for the achievement of ambitious
goals, such as climate protection targets for production, logistics, and the supply chain, which we unfortunately
once again find lacking this year.
Nevertheless, the “Roadmap” Daimler has presented for its product range, which includes the introduction of 19
new models for its high-volume series by 2011, does create the impression that the Group now realizes just how
important climate protection is. The associated positive message being sent that many technologies – up to and
including diesel hybrid drives – will be ready for market launch in the near future underscores Daimler’s
determination to be a technology leader in this area as well. Whether or not the planned technology packages
can actually enable Daimler to achieve its “best-in-class” objective remains questionable. The models presented
to date still do not live up to this claim.
The current controversy regarding the proper strategy for increasing the share of biofuels in the fuel mix is
putting additional pressure on the company to further enhance the fuel efficiency of its vehicles as its primary
objective. The nature of this debate does, however, confirm that Daimler is on the right track with its activities
involving second-generation biofuels, such as its cooperation with CHOREN and its joint efforts with the WWF to
establish sustainability standards for both domestic and, above all, imported biofuels.