The BMW Group puts the Globe in the Center of the World Summit in Johannesburg

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News of August 21, 2002

The BMW Group puts the Globe in the Center of the World Summit in Johannesburg

Presentation and events on the Future of Sustainable Mobility

Photo: BMW

Munich/Johannesburg - The BMW Group will participate in the United Nations' "World Summit on Sustainable Development" in Johannesburg with a comprehensive presentation and numerous events on the topic of sustainable mobility. The world summit is continuing efforts by the community of nations, industry, and society to shape the future in a sustainable way. In 1992 these efforts were launched globally when Agenda 21 was passed at the UN Environmental Summit in Rio de Janeiro and significantly expanded in 1997 with the Kyoto Protocol on Climate Changes. Both Agenda 21 and a step-by-step reduction of climate-related emissions form the basis of the BMW Group's worldwide activities.

In the "BMW Group Earth Lounge" the summit participants and the interested public have the opportunity from 26 August to 2 September 2002 to have a very close look at the future of sustainable mobility. The BMW Group Earth Lounge - a half-sphere with a diameter of 79 feet - is in direct proximity to the congress center of the conference at Sandton Square.

Sustainability at the Center of the Company's Strategy

"As a responsible, active member of the international community sustainability is the central pillar of our company strategy. In Johannesburg we want to introduce and openly discuss numerous examples of the BMW Group's sustainable commitment," says Dr. Norbert Reithofer, Member of the Board of Management at the BMW AG. Besides high-ranking experts from the world of science and industry, BMW is expecting, South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki and Klaus Töpfer, Executive Director of the United Nations' Environment Program, among others.

Central elements of BMW's sustainability strategy are not only the company's obligations as a part of society, but also high social standards for employees as well as its commitment to environmentally-friendly production, company products, and traffic in general. With BMW CleanEnergy, the company has a vision of sustainable mobility that banks on hydrogen as the fuel of the future. Realizing this long-term strategy is an important contribution to climate protection as aimed for in the Kyoto Protocol.

For Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schröder as well, sustainable development is an important cornerstone of a company's long-term success: "The commitment of German companies such as the BMW Group proves that investments in sustainable company strategy in economic success are not mutually exclusive. On the contrary, only companies that take the topic of sustainability seriously will be in a position to persevere in the market in the future," the federal chancellor said.

BMW Group Earth Lounge: The Earth as the Summit's Center

During the world summit, the BMW Group Earth Lounge will serve not only as a forum for exhibitions and events, but also as a large surface used for a light projection: during the day, the BMW Group Earth Lounge has a cover made of balloon silk imprinted with a view of Earth from outer space. Every night after sunset, this cover is removed, and the visitors can see a fascinating 15-minute laser projection. For the first time, Laser Display Technology is used for a projection onto a dome. In the viewer's eye, six seamlessly joined individual representations make one total picture. It is visible from inside and outside, since the BMW Group Earth Lounge is made of a semi-transparent material.

(August 20, 2002)

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