We will continue to offer the most dynamic vehicles in the future. However, we have also made it our mission to be sustainable as a company.

Politicians in Europe want change. The United States and China will follow this trend. One could see this is a threat, but it's also an opportunity. We at BMW want to take advantage of this and, through innovations, place ourselves at the forefront.

Joschka Fischer was a Green Party politician and Germany's foreign minister. We hired Mr. Fischer, as well as former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, as advisors because we, as an automaker, want to know, for example, how new emissions laws will develop in the United States, Europe and Asia. Fischer and Ms. Albright have diverse contacts worldwide. They can call our attention to trends early on, information from which we can benefit.

Statistics compiled by the German Federal Motor Transport Authority highlight how successfully we have reduced fuel consumption. A few years ago, the CO2 emissions for the BMW brand were at well over 200 grams per kilometer. In 2009, that number was at 159 grams. This puts us below our direct competitors.

Size alone is not a key to success, as we have seen recently.

I have told our senior executives that I will slaughter holy cows if it benefits the company's long-term success. When we asked ourselves whether Formula 1 still matched the concept of a sustainable company, the clear answer was no.

We will continue to offer the most dynamic vehicles in the future. However, we have also made it our mission to be sustainable as a company.