"Sustainable Plant" Activities

Concept of and Basic Requirements for Sustainable Plants

Plants that Makes Use of Nature, while existing in Harmony with the Natural Environment

The term "sustainable plant" refers to the concept of a plant that fully utilizes natural resources, while existing in harmony with the natural environment. Such plants can operate for more than 100 years with a drastically reduced environmental impact. Achieving this depends on three things:

  1. Achieving dramatically better environmental performance through the development and introduction of low-carbon production technologies and daily kaizen (improvement) activities
  2. Using renewable energy
  3. Preserving local ecosystems and contributing to local communities through afforestation activities at plant sites

These three aspects of Toyota's effort to create a sustainable plant help to unify the environmental awareness of all employees and to actively move that effort forward. However, the initiatives discussed here are not enough to achieve a truly sustainable plant. That is why we are committed to the tireless pursuit of kaizen (improvement) in order to achieve a plant that fully utilizes natural resources, while existing in harmony with the natural environment.

Environmental Activities in Production

Toyota aims to produce high environmental performance vehicles at the world's most environmentally conscious plants.

Using Renewable Energy

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

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

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

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.

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