•Volkswagen Group places special focus on sustainability in winter 2017/18, presenting Shift magazine and exhibition of same name at DRIVE. Volkswagen Group Forum

•Shift. The Sustainability Magazine available online at shift.volkswagenag.com

•Open and self-critical dialog on sustainable mobility with stakeholders

In 'TOGETHER – Strategy 2025' the Volkswagen Group set itself the ambitious goal of becoming a leading global provider of sustainable mobility. During the last 18 months Volkswagen has made good progress towards that goal. The second issue of sustainability magazine Shift takes an open, self-critical, dialog-driven look at where the Group now stands from the perspective of various stakeholder groups.

With Shift magazine, Volkswagen last year created an additional discussion platform to augment its sustainability communications as well as foster the culture of debate inside and outside the Group. Shift delivered a self-critical and combative take on expectations and arguments in the political and social arena. Now, the second issue of Shift once again provides a forum not only for critical appraisal but also for reviewing current issues and future needs surrounding sustainable mobility.

'Our goal with this project from the outset was to demonstrate a mindset of not shying away from openness and self-criticism in dialog with our stakeholders,' said Dr. Thomas Steg, the Volkswagen Group's General Representative for External Relations and Government Affairs. 'That earned us huge recognition – and we recognize the need to follow up that first step with a second, and then more. The follow-up issue of Shift once again has a wealth of surprises in store for the reader, including incisive essays, provocative ideas and personal observations from some of the people who follow our company's transformation from inside and out – our critics, advisers, partners and advocates alike.'

Shift 2017: Tracing the peaks and troughs of transformation

Over the 62 pages of the latest issue of its sustainability magazine, the Volkswagen Group provides a platform for debate on dealing with the diesel crisis and on the chosen strategic path of transformation. In critical commentary, reports and for-and-against interviews, in-house and outside authors highlight conflicts of interest, argue their positions and outline potential solutions. For the first time, readers get to look over Larry D. Thompson's shoulder for an understanding of how the U.S. Department of Justice-appointed monitor and his team are helping make the Volkswagen Group a better corporate citizen.

In the latest issue of Shift, Professor Gesine Schwan, President of the Humboldt-ViadrinaGovernance Platform, analyzes what can happen when an industry is deemed too big to fail. No less gripping is the debate on diesel between two leading lights from the environmental scene: Greenpeace transportation expert Tobias Austrup and Cradle to Cradle advocate Professor Michael Braungart. Two major features are dedicated to the future of mobility – an area where Volkswagen is forging ahead – including on the African continent in countries such as Rwanda and Kenya. There, new mobility services are being launched to help ease local and regional traffic. At the same time, readers are introduced to the members of the Group Sustainability Council and their respective focus areas.

'On our road to becoming a world-leading provider of sustainable mobility, we still have some way to go. Our goal with Shift is to nurture the spirit for further change within our company and to foster understanding among our stakeholders. This is something we aim to achieve this year not only with the Shift sustainability magazine, but also with an exhibition of the same name at the DRIVE. Volkswagen Group Forum in Berlin open until February 28, 2018,' said Dr. Thomas Steg.

The Shift sustainability magazine is available for download in English and German to all those interested at shift.volkswagenag.com.

About Shift: Taking a 360-degree approach, Shift showcases the Volkswagen Group's attitude toward sustainability. As the name suggests, the magazine's focus is on change, transformation and the way forward. The first issue of the sustainability magazine under this title was published in 2016. It garnered multiple international awards, including a League of American Communications Professionals (LACP) Spotlight Award in platinum and a Best of Content Marketing (BCM) Award in silver. In 2017, the Group has evolved Shift into a communications platform as part of an exhibition at DRIVE. Volkswagen Group Forum, on the pertaining microsite as well as in related dialog events.

About the Group: The Volkswagen Group, with its headquarters in Wolfsburg, is one of the world's leading automobile manufacturers and the largest carmaker in Europe. The Group comprises twelve brands from seven European countries: Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi, SEAT, ŠKODA, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, Ducati, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Scania and MAN. The Group operates 120 production plants in 20 European countries and a further 11 countries in the Americas, Asia and Africa. Every weekday, more than 610,000 employees worldwide produce around 42,000 vehicles, and work in vehicle-related services or other fields of business. The Volkswagen Group sells its vehicles in 153 countries. With its 'TOGETHER – Strategy 2025' future program, the Volkswagen Group is paving the way for the biggest change process in its history: the realignment of one of the best carmakers to become a globally leading provider of sustainable mobility.