‘You need to clean up the mess your generation has left’: Volkswagen’s guilty boomer gets real about sustainability, China—and his spam folder

Dirk Voeste, the new chief sustainability officer at Volkswagen, has been tasked with helping the company clean up the environmental and industrial mess his generation has left behind. Voeste, a 64-year-old biologist, was offered the position by Volkswagen despite having no prior experience in the company and no confidence in his ability to succeed.

His daughter's blunt remark, "You need to clean up the mess your generation has left," motivated him to take the job. Voeste's mission is to help Volkswagen adapt to a rapidly changing market and address the environmental impact of its operations.

In recent years, Volkswagen has faced challenges in the Chinese market, where local rivals are gaining ground in the electric vehicle (EV) industry. Deliveries in China fell 36.6% in the second quarter, and Volkswagen's share of the market declined by 26%. The electrification of the market continues to accelerate, and Volkswagen's all-electric vehicle sales are growing steadily, but the company remains the leader in combustion-engine vehicles.

Voeste emphasized that Volkswagen cannot preserve the old model of delivering well-paid jobs and consumer prosperity while passing the environmental bill to younger generations. He stressed that Europe's automakers must move faster, build more affordable EVs, develop better batteries, and learn from the market. Voeste believes that companies must preserve their core values while adapting their products and business structures to the transformed market. He urged Europeans to recognize China's impact on the automotive industry and adapt accordingly.