[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/vw-to-hire-a-climate-activist-to-keep-bosses-in-line\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/vw-to-hire-a-climate-activist-to-keep-bosses-in-line\/","headline":"VW To Hire A Climate Activist To Keep Bosses In Line","name":"VW To Hire A Climate Activist To Keep Bosses In Line","description":"VW Group make another move towards \u2018green\u2019 by hiring \u2018an activist\u2019 Imagine Greta Thunberg in a suit shouting at executives in boardroom meetings. Well, that\u2019s how we imagine it anyway. VW have gone from being dirty rotten liars who installed devices in their cars to cheat emission testing, to a \u2018green\u2019 company that cares about the planet we live on. Well, that\u2019s what they want us to think at least. In their latest PR move, Volkswagen have announced that they […]","datePublished":"2020-03-09","dateModified":"2020-03-16","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/matthew-collett\/#Person","name":"Matthew Collett","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/matthew-collett\/","identifier":5,"description":"Max Wheeler is a leading motoring journalist and classic car specialist at Smart Motoring, renowned for his sharp insight and infectious passion for all things automotive. With years of experience covering motoring news, supercars, and the enduring legacy of classic cars, Max brings stories to life with style and authority. Whether it\u2019s the roar of a Lamborghini, the elegance of an Aston Martin DB5, or the cultural impact of vintage motoring icons, he delivers expert commentary that inspires enthusiasts and collectors alike. Dedicated to celebrating the heritage and future of driving, Max Wheeler is your trusted voice for classic car news and beyond.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/64eca1152247aa111ace79ff1c03782b175df9dc21d2092364ff21e1cf5e38fa?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/64eca1152247aa111ace79ff1c03782b175df9dc21d2092364ff21e1cf5e38fa?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Smart Motoring","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/VW-To-Hire-A-Climate-Activist-To-Keep-Bosses-In-Line-feature.jpg","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/VW-To-Hire-A-Climate-Activist-To-Keep-Bosses-In-Line-feature.jpg","height":520,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/vw-to-hire-a-climate-activist-to-keep-bosses-in-line\/","about":["Cars","LATEST CAR NEWS","Volkswagen"],"wordCount":485,"keywords":["Climate Activist","volkswagen","vw"],"articleBody":"VW Group make another move towards \u2018green\u2019 by hiring \u2018an activist\u2019Imagine Greta Thunberg in a suit shouting atexecutives in boardroom meetings. Well, that\u2019s how we imagine it anyway. VW have gone from being dirty rotten liars who installed devices in their cars to cheat emission testing, to a \u2018green\u2019 company that cares about the planet we live on. Well, that\u2019s what they want us to think at least.In their latest PR move, Volkswagen haveannounced that they are looking to hire a full-time, in-house climate activistto challenge the company\u2019s prospects. This comes straight from Herbert Diess, the chairman of the board of management of Volkswagen Group. \u201cI\u2019m looking to hire an activist,\u201d \u201cWe have so many ideas, but they take too long to implement in our big organisation, so I need someone really aggressive internally.\u201d \u201cWe are too slow,\u201d  \u201cWe have established management teams in strategy departments, in communication departments, and many others and I think we need some more internal challenges.\u201d  Diess said: It gets even more shocking because the lucky guy or gal that lands this job will have direct access to Diess himself, as well as access to other high-up VW executives. This is a rather unusual and rare move, according to Financial Times, making us a little sceptical as to whether this is anything more than a PR stunt.Ever since the aforementioned Dieselgate, the huge VW emissions scandal that happened in 2015, VW have been on the straight and narrow. They created an all-electric race car and broke several world records, stopped developing combustion engines for Motorsport, created a goal of having 22 million electric cars on the road by 2030, said they will invest \u20ac10 billion in ride-sharing technology and even announced plans to invest as much as \u20ac30 billion in electric mobility. It\u2019s only forecasted to get greener from hereas well, with VW Group\u2019s first EV set to release this year (the VW ID.3) andmore to follow. Now, with the addition of a potential in-house climateactivist, we will have probably forgotten all about the company\u2019s scandalouspast. It is unclear exactly what this \u2018activist\u2019 will be employed to do and what their daily responsibilities will be. As a rough guess though, they will likely sit amongst the rest of VW Group\u2019s advisory board.Interestingly, VW already employs someprofessional environmentalists such as former EU climate commissioner ConnieHedegaard and former director of the US Environmental Protection Agency MargoOge. Could this move suggest that VW are simplyarming themselves better for future backlash? Are they just making sure that ifDieselgate happens again, they\u2019ll be better prepared? Or is the German manufacturinggiant truly looking to change its ways? Thanks for taking the time to read. If you enjoyed this, we reckon you\u2019ll also enjoy reading about how Brexit has directly affected the UK car industry."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Latest News","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"VW To Hire A Climate Activist To Keep Bosses In Line","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/vw-to-hire-a-climate-activist-to-keep-bosses-in-line\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]