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It starts at the top
Toyota has a worldwide environmental policy affecting every aspect of its operations. Toyota's Guiding Principles and Earth Charter clearly express a commitment to social responsibility and environmental welfare.
The Earth Charter's Action Guidelines include these statements:
- Always be concerned about the environment.
- Business partners are partners in creating a better environment.
- As a member of society, participate in the creation of a recycling-based society.
- Always disclose information and promote environmental awareness.
The best of 2004
At more than 50 pages, the report is a comprehensive overview of Toyota's 2004 environmental performance. Here are some important highlights:
Vehicles
Toyota vehicles continue to outperform the industry on many standard environmental measurements. Toyota leads the way with the lowest industry ratings of carbon dioxide greenhouse gas emissions from Toyota's new cars, light trucks, and SUVs. Federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) ratings are higher than the industry average, due in part to variable valve timing, featured in all 2005 Toyota cars sold in North America.
Hybrid Synergy Drive® is at the leading edge of greener automotive technology, and Toyota sold more than 50,000 Prius hybrids in 2004.
Manufacturing
Toyota plants employ "kaizen"-continuous improvement-to make manufacturing greener. In 2000, Toyota established a goal of lowering the amount of energy consumption per vehicle produced by 15% in 2006. The goal was achieved in 2004, two years ahead of schedule.
Water consumption per vehicle produced was also reduced by 15% in the same period. Between 1998 and 2004, Toyota lowered the per-vehicle average amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released in the painting process by 42%.
Facilities
All Toyota facilities have programs to minimize their environmental impact. Landfill waste from manufacturing plants has been reduced substantially-by 97% in just three years. In just three months, rooftop solar panels at Toyota Motor Sales' new South Campus in Torrance, California, generated nearly 700,000 kilowatt hours of electricity-enough to power 500 homes.
Now Toyota's paying it forward by donating knowledge and experience in consulting services and $1 Million dollars to the Old Faithful visitor center at Yellowstone National Park. As the nation's first National Park, Yellowstone aspires to build the First LEED certified Silver visitor center in the National Park system.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Recycling is one of the four Toyota corporate Action Guidelines. Toyota's North American Parts Center, in California, has expanded its use of reusable shipping units, thereby reducing cardboard consumption by 82 tons and wood consumption by 627 tons. Toyota is aggressively expanding its offering of remanufactured parts for aftermarket service, and adding more than 100 remanufactured parts to its catalog.
A national program called "Keep IT Green" has recycled nearly 800 tons of obsolete information technology equipment, including computers, monitors, and printers. Toyota has had a recycling program set up for hybrid vehicle nickel-metal hydride batteries since 1998.
Support of environmental organizations
The report mentions some of the many environmental organizations and programs that received financial and other support from Toyota. Toyota has donated hybrid and electric vehicles to National Parks to promote awareness about more sustainable transportation. Recipients include Yellowstone National Park, Point Reyes National Seashore, and Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. TAPESTRY, a Toyota educational program, funded 50 grants of up to $10,000 each and 20 mini grants of up to $2,500 for K-12 science teachers through a program of the National Science Teachers Association.
More than 2,500 Toyota Associates around the country volunteered to participate in a nationwide cleanup of natural sites as part of National Public Lands Day, for which Toyota is also a corporate sponsor.
Sustainable business
Toyota strives to continuously improve its environmental record while seeking growth as a profit-making business. These two imperatives are not in conflict. In fact, Toyota sees environmental sustainability as a prerequisite for long-term business sustainability. To quote the report, "To ensure that our vehicles continue to contribute to economic growth, Toyota has positioned the environment as a priority management issue."
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