The facts and figures that you will find on the following pages, the images and words that have been used to illustrate what Fiat has done and how it has done it only go part way to showing what sustainability means to our Group.
Behind these figures is a serious commitment, an entire corporate culture and a responsible approach to management all based on a conviction that this is the only path which guarantees merit and dignity to the results achieved.
The commitment is not an arbitrary one but rather an approach to management which has become increasingly central to the Group, with top management leading the way. In fact, the Group Executive Council - the decision-making body consisting of the CEOs of the operating Sectors and the heads of several key departments - is responsible for establishing the strategic approach to sustainability and, in 2009, the Board of Directors expanded the role of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee to also include responsibility for sustainability issues.
To further underscore our clear and unwavering adherence to a culture of responsibility, which goes beyond economic considerations, we have aligned the Group’s Code of Conduct - an integral part of the employment contract for everyone at Fiat worldwide - to international best practice for sustainability issues.
Notwithstanding the challenging market environment we faced in 2009, the Group continued to invest in environmental and social sustainability and successfully achieved the targets published last year in our first Sustainability Plan.

During the year, Fiat received recognition for its commitment with admission to the Dow Jones Sustainability World and Dow Jones Sustainability STOXX indexes, the two most prestigious equity indexes which only admit companies that are judged best-in-class in the sustainable management of their business.
We were also recognised by SAM, the group specialised in sustainability investing, as the automaker which most improved its sustainability performance in 2009, placing us within 5% of the sector leader and earning Fiat both the “Sector Mover” and “Gold Class” distinctions.
We were extremely gratified by this recognition, because it demonstrates that our sense of responsibility is part of a mentality that has spread throughout the entire organisation. It is a way of doing business which guides us daily toward the development of sustainable practices.

We exercise this responsibility on several fronts: the environment and sustainable mobility; attention to the needs of individuals, both inside and outside the company; and, conduct guided by ethics and transparency.
In 2009, significant results were achieved in all areas of activity.
On the environmental front, Fiat was recognised for the third consecutive year as the most eco-performing of the major brands in Europe, with cars that have the lowest CO₂ emissions levels.
With the MultiAir system for gasoline engines and the MultiJet II for diesel engines, Fiat Powertrain Technologies confirmed its position as a pace-setter in the powertrain field with innovative technologies targeted at reducing CO₂ and polluting emissions.
As of 2009, Iveco’s entire range of medium and heavy trucks and commercial vehicles is compliant with the Enhanced Environmentally-friendly Vehicles (EEV) emissions standard, the strictest in Europe.
CNH completed development on the ABS SuperSteerTM, the first application of ABS technology on tractors, that provides improved mavouevrability and significantly enhanced safety, even on the steepest gradients.
Magneti Marelli’s position as a leader in sustainable mobility was confirmed with major advances in telematic technologies, particularly in the area of infomobility.
Centro Ricerche Fiat continued in its role as the Group’s centre for scientific development working intensely on various projects and international research platforms, filing 29 new patent applications during the year.
At the same time, the Group continued work to reduce the environmental impact of its production processes. As an example, Fiat Group Automobiles plants worldwide reduced CO₂ emissions per vehicle produced by 12.6% over the previous year.
Our concept of sustainability doesn’t stop at the front gate either.
During the year, suppliers were also sensitised toward a more responsible management of their businesses through the dissemination of sustainability guidelines and an assessment of their level of conformity to those guidelines.
With regard to our social commitment, 2009 was a very intense year as a result of the impacts of the international crisis on the real economy. Fiat Group strived to manage the effects of those difficult economic circumstances on employees with a profound sense of responsibility, even in the most critical situations. In Europe, the Group utilised the temporary mechanisms available to avoid permanent layoffs. Elsewhere in the world, we also worked to mitigate the social impact of the crisis to the greatest extent possible.

We have always sought to find the right equilibrium point between industrial logic and social responsibility, in the conviction that industrial development only has value when it is also sustainable.