Biodiversity is one of Toyota Motor North America's four environmental sustainability focus areas. We are committed to operating in harmony with the environment and building healthy ecosystems so that future generations may continue to enjoy the natural wonders of our world.
Biological diversity – or BIODIVERSITY – refers to the wide variety of plants, animals and microorganisms that inhabit the planet and how they work together in an ecosystem to maintain balance and support life.
Human activity is putting pressure on biodiversity and accelerating biodiversity loss. A report issued by the United Nations (UN) in 2019 estimates that up to 1 million plant and animal species – out of a known 8 million – are threatened with extinction. The current rate of habitat and species decline is unprecedented and threatens the foundations of economies, food security, health and livelihoods.
Businesses are expected to play a significant role in achieving the bold and transformative steps urgently needed to shift the world onto a sustainable and resilient path. Toyota is committed to doing our part to operate in harmony with nature. That's why Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) named "Biodiversity" as one of our four environmental sustainability focus areas.
Human activity is putting pressure on biodiversity and accelerating biodiversity loss. This on its own is a global challenge, but biodiversity is also inextricably linked to climate change – we can't solve the climate crisis without recognizing the significant role nature plays in capturing and storing CO₂ from the atmosphere through ecosystem services, on land and in the oceans. Across North America, we are focusing on:
• No net loss of biodiversity
• Respect for legally designated protected areas
• Avoidance of negative impacts on threatened or protected species
Our focused approach to all of this involves working with stakeholders, including employees, suppliers, dealers, communities and nonprofit organizations, on biodiversity projects on our sites and in our communities.
In North America, Toyota's biodiversity strategy includes working with nonprofit organizations and local communities to achieve positive and wide-reaching conservation results. Our projects focus on:
Our species protection efforts focus on supporting native species – those that are indigenous to our locations – and eradicating invasive species. Our team members are engaged in developing habitat to support pollinator species such as butterflies, birds, bees and bats. We also embarked on an indicator species project to add other native species to our habitat management efforts.
Since 1999, Toyota has been partnering with Wildlife Habitat Council® (WHC) to restore habitats on our properties. WHC is a nonprofit organization whose services and initiatives empower companies to advance biodiversity and employee engagement. WHC’s voluntary standard, Conservation Certification, recognizes meaningful wildlife conservation and education programs on corporate lands. Toyota has programs at 15 sites with Conservation Certification. Several of these sites have set aside acreage and have installed walking trails to allow team members and the public to enjoy these protected areas. Other certification activities include tree and pollinator garden planting, installing and monitoring bird nesting boxes, and working with local schools to teach students about the importance of biodiversity.
Bees, butterflies & other vital pollinators support biodiversity which is why our goal is to enhance pollinator habitat.
Becky Martin, manager, Environmental Sustainability at Toyota Motor North America, attended the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity’s 15th Conference of the Parties in December 2022 and shares her experience and learnings.
Toyota's Regional Environmental Sustainability Director, Kevin Butt sat down with Dr. Jane Goodall to discuss the impact of Roots & Shoots, a program that inspires and empowers young people across the globe.
TMNA received the 2021 Monarch Sustainer of the Year award from Pollinator Partnership for showing exceptional leadership and action in providing habitat and awareness for monarchs along their migratory corridors.
We launched the Indicator Species Project in 2019 at North American R&D, engineering and manufacturing sites. Identifying and managing indicator species helps us to monitor changes to the environment and assess the overall health of an ecosystem.
Team members at the assembly plant in Guanajuato, Mexico planted native trees and bushes to help improve the habitat for the Crested Caracara, TMMGT’s selected indicator species.
Team members at Toyota’s West Virginia engine plant installed an outdoor learning center on site, where the table and some of the concrete seats were made to look like logs and stones to make the space fit seamlessly in its natural setting.
Business has a role to play in reversing nature loss and protecting biodiversity. That’s why we at TMNA joined more than 1,000 companies in signing up to Business for Nature’s Call to Action, calling on governments to adopt ambitious policies to reverse nature loss in this decade.
For more than 25 years, Toyota has been partnering with the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) to protect and restore habitats across North America. NEEF is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to make the environment more accessible, relatable, relevant and connected to the daily lives of all Americans.
NEEF, with major support from Toyota, administers the Biodiversity Conservation Grant program, which is designed to support biodiversity conservation projects on America’s public lands.
The first grant of $200,000 was awarded in 2019 to the National Capital Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (NCR-PRISM). PRISM members are responsible for the management of roughly 1,500 square miles of forested lands in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia.
Additional grants worth $220,000 were awarded in 2021 to four organizations that supported biodiversity conservation projects on public lands within the California Floristic Province. This area spans approximately 113,438 square miles and is designated a biodiversity hotspot. Biodiversity hotspots are home to the highest diversity of plants and animals found nowhere else in the world.
In the first six months, the biodiversity conservation projects within the California Floristic Province generated the following impacts:
Everyone can do their part to operate in harmony with the environment.
Trees provide benefits like filter clean air and create homes for thousands of species of plants and animals.
Organize or participate in a clean up project at a local park.
Native plants help the environment the most when planted in places that match their growing requirements.
