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Volvo Offers First-of-its-Kind Environmental Product Declaration

20 April 1999

In Time for Earth Day, Volvo Offers First-of-its-Kind Environmental Product Declaration

    ROCKLEIGH, N.J., April 20 -- No one doubts that it is
important for cars to be as safe as possible, but what good are safety
features if a car poisons the air we breathe and the water we drink?
    A new offering from Volvo provides consumers with specific information
on the environmental impact of its new S80 sedan in every phase of the
life cycle:  design, production, use and recycling.  The information,
packaged in a consumer-friendly brochure known as the Environmental
Product Declaration, is now available to North American consumers at
http://www.volvocars.com or by calling 800-458-1552.
    For example, Volvo indicates the amount of energy used in the production
of each car, the amount of carbon monoxide emitted through the exhaust
pipe during the operation of each vehicle, and the labeling of plastics
in each vehicle for easy recycling.  Then, a bar graph depicts how
"green" those activities can be considered.  For the Volvo S80, energy
use receives a score of 46, carbon monoxide emissions score 93, and
plastics labeling earns a perfect score of 100.  All information has been
certified by Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance (LRQA), an independent
organization most known for its certification process connected with
international quality standard ISO 9000.  It is also certified by Lloyd's
as the first of its kind in any industry.
   "Volvo expects other companies throughout the business world will
realize the importance of educating its consumers, and follow suit with
their own product declarations," according to Hans-Olov Olsson,
President and CEO of Volvo Cars of North America.
    Volvo's environmental care officially began in 1972 when the company was
the first in the automotive industry to declare its commitment during
the first United Nations Conference on the Environment.  Since then,
Volvo introduced the 3-way catalytic converter and the revolutionary
Lambda Sond(R) sensor, eliminated all asbestos and harmful CFCs from
vehicles, created an environmental education web site for high school
science teachers (http://www.environment.volvocars.com), trained employees and
earned acclaim for its efforts worldwide.  Volvo recently entered a
unique environmental education partnership with Columbia University and
further initiatives are in the works.