Volkswagen

Volkswagen received a score of 50 on the 2025 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a political stakeholder group. The company recruits employees based on sexual identity issues. The company discriminates against vendors that do not promote divisive sex and gender policies, indicating it prioritizes sexual issues over merit (1)(2). Volkswagen was a member of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, which demonetized and suppressed content that it deemed to spread “hate speech” or “misinformation”, discuss “debated social issues in a negative or partisan context”, or “vilif[y]” individuals based on sexual orientation and gender identity. These arbitrary guidelines were used to censor mainstream perspectives online (3)(4)(5). The company integrates ESG policies into all its business strategies. From its Responsible Supply Chain System page: “We want our entire Group to become net carbon neutral by 2050” (6)(7). From its 2025 Sustainability Report: “In order to create a direct incentive for compliance with diversity targets, the Group management’s remuneration is linked to the diversity index.” (8). Volkswagen promotes divisive sex and gender policies. Its Code of Conduct for Business Partner[s] requires international vendors to include sexual orientation and gender identity in their nondiscrimination policy (9). However, the company has not publicly canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (10)(11).

Volkswagen‘s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company will not donate to non-religious charities unless they embrace controversial sexual identity policies (1)(2). The company will not match employee donations to “Churches, Synagogues, Mosques, Temples ñ or other religious organizations, programs or causes” (3)(4)(5). 

Volkswagen appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its business structure through the establishment of gender and racial targets for its leadership composition. From its 2025 Sustainability Report “We are particularly focused on increasing the proportion of women at all levels of the workforce” and “Diversity is also important to us with regard to culture, origin, and native language. Every year, we use the diversity index to measure the degree of internationalization in the top management of the Volkswagen Group, and our goal is to continuously increase this. For 2025, it was planned to increase the diversity index to 154. This target value for 2025 was exceeded with a score of 168.” (1). The company appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its leadership composition. From its Diversity & Inclusion page: “The Volkswagen Group has been setting goals to increase diversity in management with corresponding key figures in the Diversity Index since 2017.” (2). The company requires its employees to take DEI training (3). In 2021, Volkswagen pushed mandatory “Gender and Sexuality” training on its employees (4). The company protects its employees against viewpoint discrimination (5).

Audi is a member of the Charta der Viefalt (German Diversity Charter) and the UnternehmensForum, which both engage in DEI advocacy (1). As part of its Pride celebrations, US Soccer partnered with Volkswagen to support The You Can Play Project (2). Volkswagen is aligned with the Paris Agreement, which entails a commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 (3). The company supports DEI within its business practices. From its Diversity & Inclusion page: “This commitment to Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) forms a central foundation for the economic success of our company, and is firmly anchored in both our Strategy and the ten-point program” (4). The company supports DEI within its business practices. From its ESG-Performance & Reporting page: “The Volkswagen Group’s stakeholders (e.g., investors, employees, customers and NGOs) have high expectations of the company’s ESG performance, including in action areas such as decarbonization and integrity” (5). From its 2025 Sustainability Report the company employs “diversity experts” (6). From its 2025 Sustainability Report: “…matters such as diversity and inclusion are to be promoted.” (7). Volkswagen stated in their 2025 Sustainability Report: “Volkswagen AG encourages all managers to discuss the topic of unconscious bias in order to foster an unbiased workplace and establish processes that support equal opportunities.” (8).

Volkswagen’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company covers transgender related costs for its employees and their children, including paid short-term leave, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, chest surgeries, genital surgeries, medical visits and lab monitoring, travel and lodging. By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company increases health care costs and risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (1)(2). Volkswagen was a member of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media and is a brass sponsor of Out & Equal (3)(4)(5)(6). Volkswagen Ireland is a Platinum sponsor of the Dublin Pride Parade (7). The Audi Environmental Foundation supports One Young World, which engages in ESG and DEI advocacy (8)(9). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of the company using corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (10).

Volkswagen does not operate a PAC at this time (1)(2). In 2021, 2022, the company lobbied for CLEAN Future Act (3)(4). In 2021, 2022, the company lobbied for GREEN Act of 2021 (5)(6). In 2021, 2022, the company lobbied for Clean Energy for America Act (7)(8).