Winkelmann: “The Lamborghini plant with zero CO2 impact, by 2015”
An environmental and trend-setting initiative was started by Automobili Lamborghini in collaboration with the community of Sant’Agata Bolognese and the universities of Bologna, Bolzano and Munich. “Lamborghini for biodiversity – Oak Forest Research Project” includes a park of more than 10.000 young oak plants in an area of approximately 7 hectares. This is an experimental study aimed at the analysis of the relation between plants, their density, climate and CO2.
The inauguration was attended by the President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini, Stephan Winkelmann, the Mayor of Sant’Agata Bolognese, Daniela Occhiali, Professors of the University partners Piero Augusto Nasuelli and Alberto Minelli (University Bologna), Giustino Tonon (University Bolzano), Enno Uhl (TU Munich) and Frank Dreves, Member of the Board of Management for Production at AUDI AG.
“This project is part of a series of programmes started by Lamborghini on the subject of environmental sustainability,” declared Stephan Winkelmann. “At the beginning of 2010 we inaugurated a large photovoltaic plant which allowed us to reduce the factory’s CO2 emissions by 30%. We will continue on this path. In fact, we are moving forward with actions that will take the factory to being neutral in terms of CO2 emissions by 2015. This commitment to the area naturally goes hand in hand with the development of the product, for which we confirm the objective of reducing emissions by 35% by the end of 2015.”
With this initiative, developed during 2011, Lamborghini wanted furthermore to provide a contribution to the International Year of the Forests, proclaimed this year by the General Assembly of the United Nations, in order to involve various States in making concrete commitments and implementing more careful and stricter environmental policies in terms of sustainable management and protection of forests.
The project also provides the opportunity to reinforce collaboration between Lamborghini and the Municipality of Sant’Agata Bolognese, where the Company has its headquarters.
Moreover, the project will have a favourable impact on the area since the planting of oaks will absorb, during the life cycle of the plants, a quantity of CO2 equal to approximately 6,000 tons. The initiative will also contribute to parallel projects in cooperation with the Municipality and the University. The woodland area has been integrated with an educational path, with species of native trees and a pond area created especially for schools to bring young people closer to environmental themes, as well as a fitness area.
Lamborghini project joins the one started by Audi Stiftung für Umwelt GmbH. In 2008, the project started with the plantation of British oaks near Ingolstadt, Germany, where the Company has its headquarters. In 2010, the project was continued by the headquarters in Györ (Hungary), Neckarsulm (Germany) and now Lamborghini in Sant’Agata Bolognese. Further headquarters will follow.