A.P. Moeller Maersk, the world’s biggest container ship owner, is leading its industry in developing biofuels made from organic waste that could cut its carbon emissions and reduce a $6 billion annual fuel bill. Maersk is conducting tests with two Danish universities to develop clean fuels tailored for ships and has worked with the U.S. [...]

Cars promoted as eco-friendly were criticised yesterday for pumping out up to 56 per cent more carbon dioxide than the manufacturers claim. Three models, including the Honda Civic hybrid, performed so badly in tests that their environmental claims were dismissed as a gimmick. A further five vehicles, including Volkswagen’s Polo BlueMotion, hailed as Britain’s greenest [...]

Volkswagen is hoping that it can put a scandal involving sex, bribery and corruption in the rearview mirror following the conviction of Klaus Volkert, the former head of the company’s workers council, on 48 counts of inciting fraud. The 48-year-old Volkert, who was the main representative of Volkswagen’s 300,000 workers, was sentenced on Friday to [...]

Feeling the pressure of competition from the notably green automobile giants like Toyota, Honda and Volkswagen, Nissan is ramping up its sustainability efforts. Today’s official opening of Nissan’s new Engineering Center in Atsugi City, Japan is part of the automaker’s $90 million R&D Nissan Green Program 2010. In addition to working on hybrid technologies, engineers [...]

After the averted weekend strike of employees over wages, the Mexican unit of German automaker Volkswagen AG agreed to a pay rise with its 11,000 unionised workers. Volkswagen’s plant in Mexico is the world’s only producer of Volkswagen’s New Beetle model. Jose Luis Rodriguez, union leader, said that workers won a 5.5 per cent increase [...]

Pas un jour ne passe sans que les médias ne relatent une fermeture d’usine en Europe Occidentale. La concurrence acharnée à laquelle se livre les industriels, tous secteurs confondus, oblige les entreprises à se lancer dans des plans de restructurations souvent accompagnées de suppressions d’emploi et de délocalisations. Dans ce climat difficile, deux visions s’affrontent [...]