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Environmental Responsibility
From the development of sustainable vehicles and making manufacturing plants sustainable to vehicle recycling, "eco-driving" educational programs and reforestation, Toyota is actively engaged in a wide variety of programs to improve the environment.
Summary of Toyota's Initiatives on the Environment
Toyota aims at globally "establishing a low-carbon society," "establishing a recycling-based society," and "environmental protection and establishing a society in harmony with nature" to contribute to sustainable growth of society and the planet based on the Fifth Toyota Environmental Action Plan. To realize those aims, we reduce the environmental impact at all stages of vehicle life cycle from development and design, procurement, production and logistics, sales to waste and recycling, and promote environmental management.
Executive Message
- Executive Message
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Environmental Summary
- Environmental Summary
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Basic Stance on the Environment
- Principles and Policies
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An explanation of Toyota's principles and policies with regard to environmental issues. Toyota has created the Toyota Earth Charter and is undertaking initiatives through "Contribution towards Sustainable Development." Toyota also aims to be a leader in the effort to create a recycling-based society using cutting-edge technologies developed in response to environmental issues.
- Organization Framework
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The Toyota Environment Committee has been established for the purpose of examining and crafting responses to the issues facing product development and design, production and logistics and environmental management. This committee is comprised of top management, chaired by the president, who promote global environmental management not only for Toyota Motor Corporation, but for all Toyota consolidated subsidiaries worldwide.
- Action Plan
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The Toyota Environmental Action Plan was established with the intent of helping lead efforts towards global regeneration through environmentally-considerate technology. It establishes initiatives, specific implementation items and targets for the areas of development and design, procurement, production and logistics, sales and marketing and recycling, as well as promotes and strengthens environmental management.
- Toyota Green Purchasing Guidelines
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Solving the environmental issues facing the world requires the combined efforts of people everywhere. That is why Toyota has created guidelines for the business partners from which it purchases automobile parts and materials, both within Japan and overseas, requiring that they also make an active effort to implement environmentally-considerate practices.
- Biodiversity Guidelines
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Degradation of the natural environment is resulting in the loss of biodiversity. Thus, as part of its "Contribution towards Sustainable Development," Toyota has created guidelines aimed at helping to maintain biodiversity. Toyota's aim is to achieve growth that maintains a balance between corporate activities and environmental preservation.
- Initiatives at the new Toyota R&D Center
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Here, you could find various initiatives about the new Toyota R&D Center located between the cities of Toyota and Okazaki.
Global Warming Prevention Initiatives
- Reducing CO2 Emissions
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Helping prevent global warming is a top priority management issue at Toyota, which is implementing measures to reduce CO2 emissions by restricting energy consumption in all areas of business activities, in all stages of vehicle development and in design, production, logistics and sales.
- Eco Driving
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"Eco driving" is an environmentally-considerate way of driving that reduces the amount of CO2 emissions. If every person made an effort to drive in a more environmentally considerate fashion, it would be a significant help in the battle against global warming. Presented here are some of the fundamentals of "eco-driving."
Environmentally Considerate Automobile Manufacturing
- Eco-Vehicle Assessment System
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Eco-VAS (Eco-Vehicle Assessment System) is an environmental assessment system aimed at strengthening management practices by those responsible for vehicle development in order to help them better achieve environmental impact reduction targets. It is a comprehensive environmental evaluation system that spans every phase of the vehicle development process.
- Fuel Cell Technology
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The TOYOTA FCHV-adv is a fuel cell hybrid vehicle which uses high-pressure hydrogen gas as a fuel. Toyota has positioned hybrid technology as a key technology in its continuing effort to help realize the day when the ultimate "eco-car" is available to everyone.
- Initiatives Aimed at Reducing Emissions to Improve Air Quality
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Toyota has included reducing emissions to improve urban air quality and reducing VOC (volatile organic compound) emissions as actions to be taken under the Fourth Toyota Environmental Action Plan and is developing low emissions technologies and introducing low emissions vehicles according to the local conditions in various countries. Toyota is also promoting initiatives to reduce VOC emissions during production.
- Reductions in the Use of Substances of Environmental Concern
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Toyota has almost achieved the voluntary goals set by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association in August 2006 and is promoting actions toward complete elimination of the four substances of concern on a global scale in 2007.
"Sustainable Plant" Activities
- Environmental Activities in Production
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Toyota aims to produce high environmental performance vehicles at the world's most environmentally conscious plants.
- Using Renewable Energy
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Toyota continues to work on its environmental responsiveness through the products it manufactures and also strives to contribute to "sustainable development" through its production bases. At the Tsutsumi Plant, Toyota's aim is to take full advantage of natural, renewable energy by installing large solar panels, which help supply a portion of the plant's energy through photovoltaic power generation.
- Afforestation at Plant Sites to Conserve Local Ecosystems, Contributing to the Local Community
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Based on a vision of creating "a green plant linked to the local community and the natural environment, which acts as a forested habitat for a diversity of plants and animals," Toyota is working to protect the ecosystem and contribute to the local community by promoting afforestation within the Tsutsumi Plant through the planting of broad-leaved evergreen trees indigenous to the local ecosystem.
- Development and Introduction of Low-Carbon Production Technologies and Daily Kaizen (Improvement) Activities
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In addition to its existing efforts to reduce CO2 emissions, Toyota seeks to improve its environmental performance even further by enhancing the system in place at the Tsutsumi Plant for visualizing energy usage by eliminating waste, inconsistencies and unreasonable requirements and by ensuring that energy is only used when it is needed and in the amount needed.
- Increasing Employee Environmental Awareness
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In order to pursue "sustainable development," it is important that Toyota increase its employees' understanding of environmental issues and have them think more about these issues and what they can do to help. One way to raise environmental awareness is through the "Eco-point System," which awards points to employees for such contributions as offering ideas that help conserve energy.
Automobile Recycling
- Recycling Initiatives
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- The Current State of Automobile Recycling
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- Toyota's Approach to Recycling
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- Design for Recycling Based on Eco-VAS
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- Development of Recycling Technologies
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- Development of Dismantling Technologies
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- Establishment of a Recycling System
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- Responses to Automobile Recycling Laws in Japan
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- Overview of Automobile Recycling Laws in the EU
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- Recycling at Dealers
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- Appendix
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Environmentally Glossary
- Environmentally Glossary
