Mobility and Sustainability.

With more than 300,000 VW Polos manufactured each year, the Volkswagen plant in Pamplona is one of the largest Volkswagen producers worldwide. Some 5,000 staff are employed at this plant in Spain.

Quality and environmental management
At the plant in Pamplona, great emphasis is placed on quality assurance. The first quality assurance certificates according to ISO 9002 were awarded to this Volkswagen plant in 1994. This was followed by an award in 1997 according to ISO 14001 and the EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS). Within the Pamplona plant, sixteen members of staff are entrusted with environmental issues and ensuring that the annual inspections, which take the form of external environmental audits, always produce positive results. As well as continually monitoring all standards, part of their job is also to disseminate information and pass on their expertise throughout the plant.

Cooperating for higher standards
Volkswagen Navarra S.A has signed a treaty with the government of Navarra to promote environmental protection in the region. As part of the treaty, the PROYMA project is pursuing the goal of supporting certification of other companies and improving communication among participating firms about the environmental situation. This project sees Volkswagen continuing its commitment to helping its own suppliers and service providers prepare for environmental certification. This process is targeted to have been completed by the end of 2005.

Introduction of new technologies
The plant in Pamplona has implemented a range of projects and measures that have led to considerable reductions in electricity, gas and water consumption. Volkswagen further hopes to achieve savings on water due to a new water-based lacquering process. By 2007, all Volkswagen's paint shops will have changed over to water-based lacquering. A new hall has already been built with this aim in mind and, in the future, energy-efficient production of resources will take place there using the latest in lacquering technology with solvent emissions accordingly reduced by half.