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A city like Munich can cut its CO2 emissions by up to 90 percent by mid-century without impairing the quality of life for its inhabitants. This is the main finding of a new study entitled “Sustainable Urban Infrastructure: Munich – Paths toward a Carbon-Free Future.” Commissioned by Siemens, the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy examined how a modern metropolis like the Bavarian capital can drastically reduce the amount of CO2 it emits. Using a specific model urban district, the analysis concretely demonstrates how the transformation to a virtually carbon-free metropolis can be accomplished in terms of infrastructure and technology. Key levers for cutting CO2 emissions are high-efficiency energy applications, in particular in buildings; infrastructure modifications in the areas of heating, electricity and transportation; and a transition to renewable and low-carbon energy sources wherever possible.

Siemens and the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom today signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the creation of a joint venture in the field of nuclear energy. The joint venture plans to push ahead with further development of Russian pressurized water reactor (VVER) technology. It also intends to handle marketing and sales, and the construction of new nuclear power plants as well as modernization and upgrades of existing plants. The joint venture may take up business opportunities along the entire nuclear conversion chain from fuel fabrication to decommissioning of nuclear power plants. In a next step, the parties will negotiate the terms and conditions of the cooperation, with Rosatom holding the majority stake of 50 percent plus one share in the joint venture. The two parties would complement each other well. Rosatom is the world’s only company covering the whole nuclear value-added chain including the operation of nuclear power plants. Siemens has accumulated comprehensive know-how in the conventional island of nuclear power plants and experience in project management for the construction of large installations.

Siemens is one of the first companies in Germany to reach a framework agreement with its Central Works Council on uniform provisions in the event of reductions in working hours.  Regardless of the extent to which reduced working hours may be implemented, Siemens guarantees that all affected employees in Germany will receive at least 85 percent of their most recent net income. “The rules relating to reduced working hours in Germany have now been clearly defined. We’re taking a responsible approach to the matter. Working-hour cutbacks are a key measure which enables us to retain employees even in difficult times,” stated Peter Löscher, President and CEO of Siemens AG. Lothar Adler, Chairman of Siemens’ Central Works Council, noted, “We’re dealing with one another as partners. With this agreement, Siemens is exceeding the legal and most of the collectively-agreed provisions. Salary cuts attributable to reduced working hours will thus remain within limits.”

The recipient of this year’s International Ernst von Siemens Music Prize, with its €200,000 cash endowment, is the Swiss composer Klaus Huber. Born in 1924 in Bern, Switzerland, Huber is considered a leading figure in contemporary music. The Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts will present Huber with the coveted prize at an official awards ceremony to be held in Munich’s Kammerspiele Theater on May 15, 2009.  The laudatory address will be delivered by Swiss music journalist Max Nyffeler. The Ernst von Siemens Musikstiftung will award a total of €2.3 million in prize money this year.

Mariel von Drathen (37) has been appointed head of Siemens’ Investor Relations department, effective February 1, 2009. In this capacity, she succeeds Michael Sen (40), who was named Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the company’s Healthcare Sector on December 1, 2008.

At a meeting between Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and the President and CEO of Siemens AG, Peter Löscher, the company was invited to discussions with the federal agency Rosatom. The aim of the talks is to explore possibilities for cooperation between Siemens and Rosatom in the area of nuclear power. “We’re pleased to be invited to discussions on expanding our existing cooperation in energy technology to include nuclear power. We’ve been doing business in Russia for more than 150 years and have built up outstanding and successful partnerships here which we would like to further intensify,” noted Siemens CEO Löscher.

“With great relief, a dark chapter in Siemens’ history has been systematically and successfully addressed,” said Gerhard Cromme, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Siemens AG, at the company’s Annual Shareholders’ Meeting. Around two years after the start of investigations, the legal proceedings connected with the bribery allegations against the company in Germany and the U.S. have now come to an end. “We would like to express our deep regret that there has been unacceptable misconduct at Siemens in the past. We have done everything in our power to clarify what happened and to identify and correct the causes of misconduct,” added Cromme. “Today, Siemens has a clear, transparent structure with no gray zones of responsibility. At the same time, the company is more efficient, more cost-effective and thus more competitive. Siemens’ internal control mechanisms are among the best in the world. After two difficult years, Siemens once again stands on a firm foundation of integrity. Building on this foundation, we can now move forward,” he said.