The MSCI ESG controversy, as reported on Nov 4, 2022 citing “allegations of forced labor in its own
operations” in connection with Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft is factually incorrect and potentially
misleading.
Consequently, we have requested and are in continued dialogue with MSCI with the aim to rectify
the incorrect assessment.
In said dialogue with MSCI, we have emphasized and provided supporting, publicly available
information for the following facts:
1. None of the sources cited by MSCI in the controversy report to support the above conclusion,
and no other public source to date, has made the allegation that forced labor is being
made use of in the Urumqi plant.
- The 2020 and 2022 reports (various media, UN HC Human Rights Xinjiang report) cited
by MSCI in the controversies report do not make any forced labor allegations or even
merely refer to Volkswagen or the automotive industry.
- The 2021 ASPI report alleging forced labor in supply chains of the SAIC Volkswagen
shareholding has been refuted by Volkswagen in its entirety upon official request by the
UN HC Human Rights. The UN request as well as the response are publicly available here:
www.volkswagenag.com/presence/....05.10-UN_HCHR-answers-v.pdf
2. The Urumqi plant is operated by a 100% subsidiary of the non-controlled Volkswagen
shareholding and parent SAIC Volkswagen Automotive. The name of the Urumqi subsidiary,
SAIC Volkswagen (Xinjiang) Automotive Co., Ltd., may have led to the false conclusion that it
is a Volkswagen own operation. This is not the case, for the reasons stated before.
Information on the corporate structure is publicly available at Anteilsbesitz
31.12.2021_en.pdf (volkswagenag.com);
SAIC VOLKSWAGEN and plants (volkswagengroupchina.com.cn)
Despite 1., several managing directors and Board members of Volkswagen AG and Volkswagen China
have stated repeatedly, as recent as June 2022, that no forced labor is being made use of in the
Urumqi plant
www.volkswagenag.com/presence/...rsy%2520forced%2520labor.pdf
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