In February 2007 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published a major report. It confirmed that concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is significantly higher today than it was in the 1750s, at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution.

If these CO2 levels are not reduced, the report suggested, it is highly likely that global warming will worsen. The consequences could be disastrous.

Clearly, this report has serious implications for the automotive industry – after all, cars contribute around 5.8% of all CO2 emissions.

Thankfully at Mercedes-Benz we woke up to our environmental responsibilities some time ago. We’ve taken the same pioneering approach to green issues as we take to issues such as safety and technology. In 2006 alone we invested over €1.7 billion in research and development to help reduce our environmental impact.

Our vision is one of sustainable mobility to be achieved in three stages: