Its been over a year since Greenpeace first asked VW to leave the Dark Side and stop lobbying against strong climate laws. Since then we’ve heard rumours that there is good in the company, that they are wrestling with their conscience and looking to improve their green credentials. Yet last night the company finally launched their new Golf7, and sadly it seems the Dark Emperor inside VW is clinging on.
Fifty Greenpeace activists were there at the launch in Berlin, calling for more climate responsibility at Volkswagen. “Green my Golf!” was their message - but It seemed that Volkswagen managed to restrict the already agreed space allowed for these protests.
The Golf is VW’s best-selling model. It is expected the company will sell around 10 million of the new series, which over their lifetime will emit around 150 million tons of CO2. If they’d applied the technology that already exists to the new Golf they would help save over 0,4 million tons of CO2 per year. That is more than four million tons over the car’s average usage time, or, the emissions of approximately one coal fired power plant a year.
But they didn’t. Instead VW has produced a car which stands in direct contradiction to their commitment to become “the most eco-friendly automaker in the world”.
Until VW changes their ways, and their cars, Greenpeace will be staying on their case. Last week, in the run up to the real Golf launch, Greenpeace ran a series of spoof PR films launching the Golf Jedi, the best car that VW never produced, including all the efficiency features VW did not add to their latest Golf. At a glitzy London launch party last Friday the Golf Jedi was finally revealed – to not exist!
Just to make it really easy for VW, we’ve also released a report on what a truly green Golf would look like which shows it could save 360 Euros a year in fuel costs for the average motorist.
We always suspected the power of the Dark Side was involved, and so the campaign continues. The next step is to bring the The Rebellion face to face with VW themselves. That’s why we are asking you to add your picture to this photo petition. We'll make sure VW, and all their car company friends, see it in the most awkward of places. We’re calling on VW to stop being ‘Das Problem’, stop lobbying against strong climate laws and start producing better cars. The Rebellion will not stop until VW move away from the Dark Side.
