Respect for the Planet: Toyota's 2012 Report Details Commitment to the Environment

Toyota highlighted its sustainable manufacturing advancements and commitment to environmental leadership as the automaker released its 2012 North America Environmental Report. The report spans Toyota operations in the United States, Canada and Mexico over the fiscal year, including research and development, manufacturing, logistics and sales. Toyota remains the most fuel-efficient full line auto manufacturer in the United States and the industry hybrid leader.

  Achievements featured in the 2012 report include:

• New eco-conscious vehicles: two within the Prius family – the Prius c and Prius Plug-in Hybrid – and the highly anticipated, all-electric 2013 RAV4 EV co-developed with Tesla
• Exceeding requirements under the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for U.S. cars and Canadian Car Company Average Fuel Consumption (CAFC) standards
• Ten Toyota North American plants achieved zero waste to landfill
• Seven percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per vehicle produced (since 2008)
• More than 600 suppliers and 41 Toyota sites have been internationally-certified environmental management systems
• A 15 percent reduction in energy consumption per vehicle produced (since 2002)
• Vibrant local partnerships, including nearly 900 volunteer events with TogetherGreen^TM, Toyota signature environmental philanthropic program with the National Audubon Society

“Toyota believes sustainable operations go hand-in-hand with our core values of quality, innovation and good corporate citizenship,” said Dian Ogilvie, senior vice president and secretary, Toyota Motor North America, Inc.  “We are committed to continuous improvement and finding creative ways to address the challenges of climate change and resource scarcity with dedicated leadership and the help of our partners.”

  The report also measured Toyota North American operations against one-year goals in compliance, air emissions, energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, waste minimization and water use. Key partnerships, industry trends and insight on consumer preferences also guide Toyota’s efforts in serving both the planet and its people.

  Other highlights include:

  Innovative Technology and Fuel-Efficiency

• The Prius Family continues to lead the U.S. hybrid market, capturing 52 percent of the U.S. purchases in the first half of 2012 and with the new Prius Plug-in Hybrid estimated to go as many as 540 miles on a single charge and single tank. More than 1.2 million Prius Family vehicles have been sold in the U.S. and 2.9 million worldwide as of June 30, 2012.
• Toyota continues to innovate using bio-based plastics in parts and components and is investigating new eco-friendly fabrics and carpets. In each model redesign or running change, more renewable, recycled and recyclable materials are considered.
• Toyota researchers are developing and testing approximately 100 vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells and plan to bring a Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle (FCHV) to market by 2015.
• Toyota is moving ahead with its goal to offer hybrid options on all its vehicles by 2020.

Production and Distribution

• Toyota’s North American manufacturing affiliate (Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.) received its eighth consecutive ENERGY STAR® Sustained Excellence Award.  The division was recognized for several efforts, including decreasing absolute energy use by 9 percent, influencing the company’s supply chain by continuing to train suppliers to conduct internal plant energy assessments known as treasure hunts and conducting new research for expanded benchmarking of assembly and powertrain plants.
• North American plants had zero violations and zero complaints. The Canadian logistics sites achieved their 14th year with no dangerous goods violations.
• Cumulative savings from the use of returnable containers in Toyota’s logistics division amounts to more than 129 million pounds of wood and 48 million pounds of cardboard. Toyota’s North American Parts Operations division uses more than 60,000 reusable metal shipping containers in place of cardboard and wood pallets, up from 30,000 a few years ago.

Showrooms and Roads

• Toyota and Scion vehicles represent six of the Top EPA-rated Fuel Sippers for 2012, including the new Prius c, which was ranked first with EPA-estimated 53 mpg city/46 mpg highway.
• Toyota leads the industry with 37 facilities certified to LEED® including 11 Toyota and Lexus sites and 26 dealerships. Toyota’s sales and logistics division, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (TMS), has been a member of the United States Green Building Council since 2002.

Community Partnerships

• In 2008, Toyota provided a $20 million grant and launched TogetherGreen™ with the National Audubon Society. The program trains environmental leaders and awards grants for conservation projects across the United States. The program has trained 400 conservation leaders who have inspired volunteers to give more than 333,000 hours to various projects.
• In mid-2012, Toyota celebrated reaching 1 million Canadian children through the Evergreen Learning Grounds program. The program offers students a close, hands-on relationship with the natural world while educating them about the importance of restoring and protecting it.

Courtesy of Toyota