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Clean cabin a natural extension of Volvo Cars’ safety and environmental programmes

22 April 2004

Concern for people is fundamental to Volvo’s commitment to its core values of Safety, Quality and Environmental care. This was articulated by Volvo’s founders, Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larson, early in the company’s history and has become an important concept for further development.

"We believe that we enjoy a solid reputation for building safe cars," says Anders Kärrberg, environmental manager of Volvo Cars. "However, safety is related to both quality and environmental care. Focusing on the development of a clean, healthy cabin for all, including asthma and allergy sufferers, is a natural extension of our traditional safety standards. Safeguarding peoples’ health is important to us. Everybody must be safe in a Volvo car – including hypersensitive people," continues Anders Kärrberg.

Volvo Cars has a long tradition of dedicated environmental work. This was first articulated at the first United Nations Environmental Conference held in Stockholm in 1972, at which Volvo declared that the its products did indeed damage the environment, but that it did not propose to defend the car in every way or at any price – a statement that might now appear banal and self-evident but which, at the time, gave an essential lead and pointed the way forward. Our environmental programmes really began to progress from that time on. As an example, Volvo became the first carmaker in the world to introduce a three-way catalytic converter and oxygen sensor (Lambdasond) in 1976 – an invention which reduced exhaust gas emissions by up to 90%. Since then, the drive to reduce the environmental impact of our products and operations has been unceasing," adds Anders Kärrberg.

"The environment inside and outside our cars and our production plants is the constant focus of our attention," he concludes. "To us, it is the holistic view which is important."

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