Toyota Motor Corporation

09/06/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/06/2021 21:58

Environmental Initiatives

Ensuring beautiful hometowns and a beautiful world are preserved well into the future

Since its foundation, Toyota has handed down the Five Main Principles of Toyoda, and has been working on environmental initiatives since the 1960s. In 2015, the year when the Paris Agreement was adopted at COP21*, Toyota announced the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050, a long-term initiative regarding the global environment until 2050.

On the other hand, from a global perspective, people's awareness of climate change is rising more than ever due to the damages caused by natural disasters including heat waves, floods, large typhoons and droughts in various regions. Many issues that threatens the lives of people all over the world relates to each other in a complex way. To solve these issues, the world started moving to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

Toyota also needs to change. For a sustainable future beyond 2030, Toyota will never stop challenging. Based on the idea that our challenges will also lead to solve various issues, we will accelerate our environmental initiatives.

* The 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change
Major updatesDecember 2020
  • Fundamental Approach Toward the Environmentp.6
  • Plant Zero CO2Emissions Challenge (Ratio of CO2emissions reduction compared to 2013 levels)pp.20-21

Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050

  • Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050
    Environmental Report 2020 p.8Toyota will achieve zero CO2emissions and a net positive environmental impact, and contribute to the realization of a sustainable society.
  • 2030 Milestone
    Environmental Report 2020 p.9Indicates how the six challenges that Toyota is undertaking will be as of 2030.
  • Six ChallengesPresents specific details on the six challenges that Toyota is undertaking.
  • 2030 MilestoneToward a future society in harmony with automobiles and nature
  • [Link] Challenge of Achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2050Toyota will continue to do its utmost to take on the challenge of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

Strategy and Management

In April 2020, Toyota announced a new five-year environmental action plan covering the period from 2021 to 2025.

Highlighted Activities

Harmony with Nature

TOYOTA's Forest Conservation

Forests are an important basis of the local community and society. Toyota is dealing with the issues and backgrounds of the forest, and is working on creating sustainable forests through various activities.

Click here for further details(Japanese only)

Main Initiatives
  • Forest of Toyota
    (Japanese only)Toyota is deploying various activities toward creating a sustainable forest through 'human resource development and collaboration with local communities' and 'establishment of a system that is in harmony with the forest.'
  • Toyota Shirakawa-Go Eco-Institute
    (Japanese only)Under the rich nature of Hakusanroku, Toyota is working on developing human resources for the future through various hands-on nature programs and children's camps.
  • Toyota Mie Miyagawa Mountain Forest
    (Japanese only)Toyota is taking advantage of characteristics of the Miyagawa Mountain Forest, which has a historical connection with the timber industry, by promoting lumber production and use, as well as new utilization of trees and spaces.

Initiatives at Office

  • Initiatives to Reduce Single-use PlasticsToyota is actively undertaking initiatives to reduce single-use plastics at offices globally.

Web Video on Our Initiatives

  • U.S.A.Conducting various activities that focus on four areas: carbon neutrality, water, waste and biodiversity.
  • ArgentinaOrganized a Toyota environmental management structure, and implementing initiatives including daily environmental proposal and kaizento minimize the environmental load.
  • ThailandConducting various initiatives including coastal clean-ups and mangrove plantations to reduce marine pollution by plastic waste. Also, produced this educational video of marine ecosystem conservation.
  • IndiaDesigned the Toyota Ecozone to create a sense of consciousness and participation among children, and is conducting environmental educations to foster water and energy savers.
  • The PhilippinesConducting coastal clean-ups and mangrove plantations to conserve the marine environment.
  • IndonesiaConducting tree-planting activities and creating a balanced habitat for birds and other wildlife species to establish a harmony between manufacturing process and nature ecosystem.
  • VietnamSupporting field surveys and conservation activities of wildlife species by donating vehicles to environmental NGOs.

Topics

Little tern chicks fledged from Kinuura Plant (A Plant in Harmony with Nature)

Toyota is conducting various activities at its plants to realize a 'Plant in Harmony with Nature.' As one of such activities, we are working to conserve the little terns.

Little terns are migratory birds that come to Japan from spring to summer for breeding. They nest in colonies on landfills and sandy beaches. We used to see them in our familiar environment, but currently they are threatened with extinction due to the decrease in breeding habitat.

For this reason in 2017, at the Kinuura Plant located in the coastal zone, we started maintenance of its unused land, and created sandy places to provide nesting sites. Up until now, fledging of the little tern chicks was seen only once in 2018 due to predator attacks and other issues. But by setting electric fences to protect the chicks from predators in 2021, we were able to confirm 10 chicks fledge from the site.

Furthermore, under the direction of experts, this activity is conducted in cooperation with the Toyota Group companies nearby, and we are also implementing breeding season surveys and opinion exchange meetings on a regular basis.

We will continuously conduct Harmony with Nature activities, such as through the little tern conservation project, and promote these activities to realize a 'Plant in Harmony with Nature.'

Introduction of activity (Japanese only)

TASA builds a lagoon at the Zárate Plant―Biodiversity Conservation (Argentina)

Zárate Plant site (Top: Plant; bottom: Toyota―Zárate Natural Reserve)Lagoon

The loss of biodiversity is increasing worldwide and becoming more severe, mainly due to extinction caused by deforestation and marine pollution.

In June 2021, Toyota Argentina SA (TASA) built a 1-hectare lagoon on its 21-hectare Toyota―Zárate Natural Reserve located within the Zárate Plant site.

The lagoon is home to water plants and released fish. TASA has also planted aquatic plants along the muddy and sandy shore of the lagoon to create a new habitat that is easy for aquatic birds and amphibian species to visit.

As a side note, the Toyota―Zárate Natural Reserve has been providing shelter and food to a large number of native animals and plants. Currently, TASA employees are carrying out afforestation activities and educational workshops at the Reserve.

Toyota will continuously work on biodiversity conservation as a company, and seek to realize a future society in harmony with automobiles and nature.

Zárate Plant site (Top: Plant; bottom: Toyota―Zárate Natural Reserve)Lagoon

Toyota conducts the Toyota Environmental Program for Kids (dragonfly ver.) at an after-school care center

Toyota has been conducting environmental educational activities to foster children, responsible for the future, to have a sense of ownership and take action on environmental issues. As one of the activities, we visited the 'Nibancho School Club (operated by the Japan Nursery Service Inc.),' an after-school care center in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, and conducted the 'Toyota Environmental Program for Kids (dragonfly ver.)' in cooperation with the Asahi Shimbun Company. A total of 40 children (elementary school grades 1-6) participated in this program, and learned about the current situation that dragonflies are in, and the impact of human life on the environment in a fun manner through the 'problem-solving game' and 'three-panel cartoon,' and considered their future actions. The children made some great discoveries and shared their thoughts such as, 'I will not throw litter in rivers' and 'I will take good care of nature.' During the workshop, each one of them wrote an environmental declaration on a dragonfly-printed sheet and made a poster with many dragonflies flying around.

We will continuously conduct environmental educational activities, with the aim of realizing a future society in harmony with automobiles and nature.

The simplified version of this program and application for educational materials can be download from the following website: (Cooperation: The Asahi Shimbun Houkago Tanosheet)
https://houkago.asahi.com/kids_supporter/toyota_esd.html?iref=toyotaHP (Japanese only)

This program is a part of the ESD* Project based on the policy of 'Challenge of Establishing a Future Society in Harmony with Nature,' which is one of the goals in the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050.

* Education for Sustainable Development