Press Release

Braunschweig/Brandenburg, 26 September, 2024. Volkswagen Financial Services are expanding their commitment to river protection and investing around EUR 45,000 in renaturation measures on two tributaries of the Havel in the federal state of Branden-burg, namely the Dosse and the Temnitz (which flows into the Havel via the river Rhin). The project is being implemented by the Institute for River and Floodplain Ecology (IFA) of NABU – Naturschutzbund Deutschland e.V. (the German Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union), a long-standing cooperation partner of VW FS. "The Volkswagen Group has already successfully supported the restoration of the Havel several years ago, so it makes sense for us to focus on further project areas in the vicinity with a positive impact on nature conservation," said Dr. Christian Dahlheim, Chairman of the Management Board of  Volkswagen Financial Services AG. Jörg-Andreas Krüger, President of Germany's largest environmental organization NABU, explained: "The rainy winter months and the floods of recent weeks have once again shown how important it is to restore or preserve the natural course of rivers. The support from Volkswagen Financial Services is once again very helpful for the timely implementation of these projects."

The protection of rivers and the restoration of near-natural river courses constitute the second pillar of cooperation between Volkswagen Financial Services and NABU, alongside their long-standing involvement in peatland conservation. In the past, VW FS has supported the restora-tion of the river Schunter near Braunschweig and the river Aller near Verden with funding of EUR 340,000 and EUR 450,000 respectively.

The Havel tributaries Temnitz (via the Rhin) and Dosse are located in Brandenburg in the district of Ostprignitz-Ruppin. The aim of the renaturation measures is to partially raise the riverbed and increase structural diversity and flow variability. The creation of gravel banks, for example, helps initialize and support the natural course of the rivers. In addition to the positive effects on flow and water quality, the restoration is also expected to enhance biodiversity: vary-ing water depths, different flow rates and patterns, and sediment diversity provide valuable habitats and serve to promote the richness of flora and fauna.

Volkswagen Financial Services AG is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Volkswagen AG and, as part of Volkswagen Group Mobility, manages the European financial and mobility services business. The aim of Volkswagen Financial Services AG is to support the sales of the Volkswagen Group brands and increase customer loyalty. The company is a longstanding partner of the dealership network – as a provider of financial services and as an aide and advisor. Its core products include vehicle leasing and financing, insurance, and other vehicle-related mobility products – both for private customers and for individual commercial customers and fleet customers. Through its subsidiary, Volkswagen Bank GmbH, Volkswagen Financial Services AG is also active in the direct banking sector.